Nightwatch (7 page)

“All right. Please calm down, ma'am, and stay on the line. All our deputies are busy right now. We'll send someone out as soon as we can.”

Jill could barely speak. “I'm not going to stay on the phone and I'm not going to stay calm. I'm going to go look for that little girl. Tell Harlan. He knows how important this is, even if you don't believe me.”

Frustrated almost to the point of anger, Jill ended the call. There was so much she didn't know. Couldn't possibly guess. Such as, how had anyone known about that particular window? Had they simply tried them all until they'd found a weakness in her safety measures? Or had they been casing the place before, maybe when they'd attacked Mitch?

She paused and peered out into the side yard, trying to form a clear picture. The exterior screen had been taken down and cast aside. A six-foot-tall forsythia bush that was in bloom next to the house had obviously been disturbed, too, because hundreds of tiny, yellow petals lay strewn on the ground at its base, the pattern extending onto the lawn.

Her jaw muscles clenched. Some of those flowers
had landed atop the discarded window screen, meaning they had been dislodged
after
it had been removed. Something had jostled the cascading branches, brushed against the delicate flowers and caused them to shed petals.

Filled with a sense of escalating dread she called, “Tim. Paul,” and hurried toward the living room. “Where are you? We need to check the house together like Mitch said. Maybe you guys can get Megan to come out if she's hiding from us.”

There was no response. She frowned. “Boys? Where are you?”

A quick look up and down the hallway showed no one. Hurrying through the rest of the house, Jill found Paul still half-asleep on the sofa.

With trembling fingers she touched the child's shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. “Paul? Wake up, honey. We have to go look for your sister.”

The brown eyes opened, focused on her, then widened. “Where's my mama?”

“I'm Jill. You're staying at my house, remember?

“Where's Timmy?”

That was a good question, one she was about to pursue. “I'm not sure. Let's go look for him, shall we? He may have found Megan for us.”

Although the five-year-old took her hand he lagged back, clearly unwilling to trust her to lead him anywhere. Rather than continue to struggle against his reluctance she simply scooped him up and perched him on her hip.

Calling, “Timmy? Megan?” Jill made her way from room to room, checking carefully while also chatting
with Paul to keep him interested and hopefully distract him from sensing the depth of her anxiety.

The farther they went, the more they searched, the more disheartened she became. It wasn't a big house and she knew every inch of it. The children were simply not there.

Heart racing and head pounding, she carried Paul out onto the porch off the kitchen. There was only one person she could go to, one person she could trust and always rely upon no matter what. Mitch Andrews. And right now she could hardly wait to rejoin him and at least feel a little less alone in this terrible mess.

There was no sign of him anywhere in the backyard so she shouted, “
Mitch!
Where are you?”

His head popped through the open barn doorway. “In here. Did you find her?”

Jill was so distressed she could hardly speak, hardly bring herself to answer. “No.”

“Then why are you out here? I thought I told you to…”

Jill saw his eyes narrow, his brow furrow. When he spoke again she knew he'd spotted her problem.

“Where's Tim?”

Her voice broke when she said, “I have no idea.”

Mitch was beside her in seconds. Instead of berating her the way she'd expected, he circled her shoulders with one arm, steadied her and leaned closer to say, “Don't panic. He has to be around here somewhere. When did you see him last?”

She blinked to clear her head. “Um, when you did, I guess. You told us to stay together and I just assumed…”

“You figured he'd listen to me. I know. I did, too, or
I'd never have left you.” He concentrated on the child she was still carrying. “How about you, buddy? Did you see where your brother went?”

Paul rubbed sleepy eyes and shook his head.

“He was still napping when I went to get him,” Jill explained. “I don't think he has a clue about what's been going on.”

As she raised her gaze to meet Mitch's she felt a stray tear slip out the corner of her eye and trickle down her cheek. “What're we going to do?”

“Wait for the sheriff. Meanwhile, we'll start another search. Harlan can take over when he gets here.”

“Ha! Don't hold your breath. The dispatcher didn't take me seriously when I called 911. Who knows how long it'll be before anybody shows up?”

“I'll take care of that.” Mitch gave her shoulders a parting squeeze, then took out his own cell phone and hit speed dial. “This is Andrews,” he said with authority as soon as his call was answered. “I'm at the scene of a crime and we need law enforcement out here ASAP. Got that?”

Astonished, Jill waited until he was through briefly explaining the situation and telling the other party where he was before she asked, “What did you just do?”

“Used my influence,” he said. “Fire and police share the same dispatch center. The sheriff is on his way.”

Her eyes misted. “Oh,
thank
you.”

Once again his arm slipped around her shoulder and he drew her close, including the obviously confused five-year-old in their shared embrace. “It'll be okay. Tim is just out doing his own thing the way he always does. I'm sure he's fine.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, soaking up the
solace. Mitch was probably right. Tim was most likely nearby and simply acting the part of the protective big brother. But what about little Megan? Where was
she?

Jill felt Mitch's gentle grasp of her shoulder and thanked God that she wasn't facing this current ordeal alone. She couldn't think of anyone whose company she'd have appreciated more than that of this stalwart man. And there was no one whose judgment she trusted more than his. If he said Tim was okay, then he was.

Taking a shuddery breath, Jill looked at her comforter. “I'm really afraid for the baby,” she said softly, hoping Paul wouldn't realize she was referring to his sister.

When she saw the muscles in Mitch's jaw clench and felt his arm tighten around her shoulders she realized that she wasn't the only one who was desperately concerned. Her best friend was worried sick, too.

And since she couldn't turn back the clock and do anything differently, it was only a matter of time before everyone started to agree that this was all her fault. She certainly wouldn't blame them. She thought so, too.

N
ot only did the sheriff and two deputies show up in response to Mitch's call, Thad Pearson and Natalie Stevens had apparently gotten wind that there was a problem at Jill's farm and had also arrived, although in separate vehicles.

Mitch quickly pointed them out to Harlan. “Uh-oh. Here comes trouble.”

“Just what we need,” the sheriff grumbled. “You stay out of this. I'll handle it.”

“Only as long as they lay off Jill,” Mitch replied. “I'm not going to let either one of them berate her. She's suffering enough already.”

“None of this is her fault any more than it's yours,” Harlan insisted. He cursed under his breath. “Might as well blame myself at that rate.”

“None of us dreamed they'd come back and take the baby,” Mitch said soberly. “I was more worried about somebody sneaking around and setting off another bomb.”

The portly, older man rolled his eyes. “Don't even suggest it. I'm still taking plenty of flack from Little Rock over the way we managed that crime scene at
the airport. How were we supposed to know the whole thing wasn't an accident? By the time we'd figured it all out, there was so much evidence trampled and lost that the lab didn't have a lot left to work with.”

“It's our job to put out fires and save lives,” Mitch said. “The fire department can't worry about preserving clues, either.”

“Yeah. I know. Chief Longstreet isn't any happier about the way things turned out than I am, but it's too late to do anything about it.” He grimaced. “I sure hope we can lift fingerprints from that bedroom window or some place in the house.”

“I'm not holding my breath,” Mitch said dryly.

Nodding agreement, Harlan stepped forward to intercept the newest arrivals. Mitch decided to stay close enough to lend a hand, just in case.

Listening to the shouted conversation up ahead, he shook his head in disgust. The way Natalie and Thad were carrying on, Harlan's biggest problem was probably going to be keeping them from killing each other on the spot.

Mitch hadn't heard questionable language like that since his teenage years when his stepfather had still been alive—and most of it was coming from Natalie! Thank heavens the kids hadn't been given to her to raise.

“I want those boys brought to me this instant,” she demanded, whirling to confront Harlan while pointing over his shoulder at Jill, who stood in the distance, still holding Paul. “If that woman isn't capable of watching even
one
child, how can anyone expect her to take good care of three?”

Thad spoke up. “No way. Anybody but Natalie. I
wouldn't trust her to look after a psychotic pit bull with a chip on its shoulder. She's the
last
person who should get custody of impressionable kids.”

Mitch didn't like the single-minded look in Thad's eyes or the unyielding persona he presented. If he'd had to choose which of the two to confront, Mitch would have picked Natalie in a heartbeat. Thad was clearly a far more formidable opponent in more ways than one.

Harlan held up his hands and shushed them. “Simmer down, folks. I have everything under control here. You can both go home.”

“In a pig's eye,” Natalie screeched, lunging to try to bypass him.

Before Mitch could act, Thad had physically restrained her. His actions were so swift, so practiced, it gave Mitch a start. He'd heard about Thad Pearson being involved in several fistfights since his return from combat duty but seeing him in action was a real awakening. No wonder his local opponents hadn't stood a chance. There wasn't a good old boy in Fulton County who could match those moves.

Rather than object to the interference, the sheriff simply nodded at the ex-Marine. “Think you can convince the lady to leave quietly, son?”

“She'll go.” Thad turned and frog-marched Natalie back to where they had both parked while she loudly berated him and everyone else within earshot. All he had to do was point to her car, however, and she got in.

Mitch breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the sheriff. “If that guy wasn't so rough around the edges he might make a fair deputy.”

“I know. I already talked to him about it. He turned
me down flat. Said he intends to pick up where his brother left off and run Pearson Products.”

“Does he have legal rights to it?”

“Nope. That's part of the problem between him and Natalie, I reckon. They aren't willing to share. They both want full ownership.”

“What about the kids? Won't they inherit?”

“If it was up to me, those kids would get it all. Trouble is, they'd still need somebody to manage the business for them. That means they might be stuck with their aunt and uncle for years, no matter what happens.”

Mitch shook his head and set his jaw. “The judge already appointed a special advocate to speak for them in court. Jill says the program is called CASA.”

“Right. And the sooner the estate is settled, the better, if you ask me.”

He paused to watch Natalie's car drive away. Instead of following her, however, Thad returned. His gaze was narrowed beneath dark, furrowed brows.

Mitch saw Harlan casually shift to rest his palm on the butt of his revolver before he said, “I meant you, too, Thad.”

“I know. I'll go in a minute. I just want to ask about Megan. Is she really missing like we'd heard?”

“For the moment. But we'll find her. I've already put out an Amber Alert. Her picture'll be all over the news tonight. And I'm fixin' to call in extra men and maybe search and rescue dogs to help us if she doesn't turn up soon.”

Mitch could tell that the other man was conflicted. Finally, Thad said, “Okay. We'll do this your way for now, Sheriff. If you decide to use civilians, keep me in
mind. I'm a pretty fair tracker. I'll do anything I can to help find her.”

“Where can I reach you?”

“At the airport, 24/7. I'm trying to set up a temporary shipping system in one end of the factory. Most of the records were lost in the fire but I want to be back in business when new orders start to come in.”

The two men shook hands formally before Thad headed for his old pickup truck. Mitch waited until he'd driven off before commenting, “I know that guy's reputation isn't very good but he does seem to really care about his brother's kids.”

“Yeah, he does.” Harlan blew a noisy sigh. “I sure hope that little girl turns up pretty soon. Tim, too. The longer they're gone, the more chance we'll never find 'em.”

To Mitch's chagrin he heard a quick intake of breath coming from behind him. Jill had apparently approached unnoticed while he and the sheriff had been talking and had overheard plenty.

When she said, “I know,” with such heartrending emotion, Mitch stifled the urge to reach out and enfold her in a comforting embrace. It had been bad enough that he'd put his arm around her shoulders twice in the past hour. Giving her another hug would really confuse their relationship and maybe ruin their otherwise stable, long-standing friendship.

“We'll find Megan,” he vowed, purposely stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets to squelch the temptation to reach for her anyway. “Tim will wander back on his own before long. He's probably out looking for her just like we are. I know if my little brother Luke was missing that's what I'd be doing.”

“I thought he was all grown up.”

“He is. I was just trying to make you feel better.”

“Well, it didn't work. I don't care what you say, this is all my fault,” Jill lamented. “That window was always such a bear to open that I didn't bother locking it. To tell you the truth, I can't remember the last time I tried. For all I know, it may have so many layers of old paint on it the latch mechanism doesn't even line up. I wouldn't be surprised.”

“Then whoever did get it open has to be pretty strong, right?” Mitch asked, staring blankly into the distance.

“I suppose so.” She frowned. “You look like you're a million miles away. What are you thinking?”

“I'm not sure. There's something nagging in the back of my mind, something that flashed there for a second, then disappeared. I can't quite put my finger on it.”

“Was it something you and Harlan were talking about just now? Or your family? Did it have something to do with your brother?”

“Beats me.” Thoughtful, Mitch continued to scan the yard. Everything looked fairly normal except for the extra police cars. One of the deputies was poking through the bushes while another had apparently circled the house, probably to dust the window for prints. Good thing Mugsy wasn't underfoot or he'd be driving them all crazy.

Mitch's heart leapt.
That
was it! The little dog was probably still in the house but Salt and Pepper always made pests of themselves, especially when Jill was outside. So where had they disappeared to and when had they left? He couldn't be positive but he didn't recall their barking when the sheriff had arrived this last
time. And they certainly hadn't sounded off at Natalie or Thad.

“Dogs!” Mitch shouted. “That's what I was trying to think of. The dogs. They're not here.”

Wide-eyed, Jill pivoted. “You're right. Maybe they're following the deputies around.”

“And maybe they went with Timmy or they're on the trail of whoever took the baby,” Mitch added excitedly.

Jill cupped a hand around the side of her mouth and took a deep breath, preparing to shout.

“Wait! Don't call them back. Not yet. I want to be able to look in all directions before you do that. We need to see which way they're coming from in case they are with the kids.”

“How?”

“Well, I could request the ladder truck from the fire station but it'll be much faster if I just climb up on your roof.” He looked to the sheriff. “You coming?”

“Not unless Miz Jill wants a big hole punched in her attic. I'll send Boyd with you. He's plenty skinny.”

“Okay.” Mitch was already jogging toward the house. “Let's go.”

 

Jill held her breath as she watched the hurried preparations. Getting onto the roof was a genius move even though it was a chancy one. The pitch was steep enough to shed snow and ice, meaning it wasn't easy to navigate.

She saw Mitch step off the top of the ladder and begin to walk. His boots slipped repeatedly on the asphalt shingles. Jill had to bite her lower lip to keep from making frightened noises every time he faltered.

With the worst part of the climb still ahead, he
dropped onto his hands and knees. By the time he reached the highest point and cautiously positioned himself at the peak, Jill was a nervous wreck. Nevertheless, she returned his wave when he finally gained the ridge.

Sitting astride it like a rider on a horse, Mitch faced east while Boyd mirrored him and looked west. They were both wearing baseball caps but Boyd still had to squint and shade his eyes because of the sinking sun.

Harlan had loaned Mitch a two-way radio. The minute he announced, “Ready,” the sheriff signaled to Jill. “Okay. Let 'er rip.”

She lifted the sheriff's battery-powered megaphone and began to yell into it. “Salt! Pepper! C'mon, boys. Supper's ready.”

At first, nothing happened. She could tell by the way Mitch was swiveling his head that he hadn't yet seen any sign of the missing children or of her animals so she kept calling.

Suddenly, he waved, pointed and raised the radio to announce, “Over that way. One of the dogs is at the edge of the woods.”

“Just one?” Harlan replied.

“So far. No. Wait. There's the other one.”

“How about the boy? Do you see him, too?”

“Negative. Just the dogs.”

“Okay. Get on down here while Boyd keeps watch. You and Jill can take her Jeep and cut across the fields. The dogs are used to that vehicle so they're less likely to run off again when they see it.”

“Copy,” Mitch said. “On my way.”

Jill met him at the bottom of the ladder. She was empty-handed.

“What did you do with Paul?”

“I left him with Harlan's other deputy, Adelaide, when I went inside and grabbed my jacket. She's the one who pulled Natalie off you at the fire. Remember?”

“I thought you couldn't leave him with anybody.”

“It's legal when it's a member of law enforcement and Paul seemed to take to her. I thought he'd get bounced around too much in the Jeep.” She started to run toward the old, red, four-wheel-drive vehicle. “Get in. I'm driving.”

When Mitch didn't argue she was surprised and relieved. She knew every inch of her farm and was by far the wisest choice of driver; she just hadn't expected him to relinquish control of the situation. Not now. Not that easily. And not when they were embarking on what she dearly hoped was a rescue mission.

The engine roared to life. Jill shifted into low gear and headed cross-country through the long, brittle, winter grasses and struggling saplings.

Her pastures were surrounded by a dense, hardwood forest with cedars encroaching at the edges where the sunlight was strongest. Once you got beneath the limb canopy, even in early spring before the trees had fully leafed out, the woods seemed much gloomier and more forbidding. If Tim had wandered in that direction he was probably frightened, especially now that the ranch dogs had deserted him and it would soon be dark.

“You never saw Timmy at all?” Jill asked, having to shout to be heard over the roar of the engine and the growl of the geared-down transmission.

“No.” Mitch raised the radio and triggered it. “Boyd. Can you still see the dogs?”

The crackly response was negative.

“How about the boy?”

“Nope.” There was a pause. “But you're pointed at the right spot. Just keep going straight 'til you get to the stand of cedars.”

“
Then
what?” Jill yelled, darting a glance at Mitch to assess his mood and try to tell whether or not he was optimistic.