“Spaghetti sounds good.” His mouth edged up. “I’ll have my dessert later.”
Tory blushed crimson. Turning, she opened the door and disappeared inside the house.
Josh took a couple of deep breaths, imagined himself in an ice-cold shower, and went back to work.
* * *
Tory’s day continued downhill. First, she couldn’t find Lisa, then the five o’clock news on KTEF 6 was bad. A terror attack at Houston’s Hobby Airport had killed six people. The entire city was in lockdown, though the police had shot and killed the two men responsible for setting off a bomb in front of the ticket counter.
Commentators were speculating the attack might be linked to the terror cell that had plotted to blow up the state capitol a few months back. They thought the recent lone wolf knife attack in Austin might have been another member of the cell.
News like that was always upsetting, but at least it kept her mind off Josh and what was going to happen when he came over later that night. A prospect that both thrilled and terrified her.
Then things got worse. Shelly called. Lisa wasn’t at home and it didn’t look like she’d been there for the past few days. Her plants were dying and the curtains throughout the house were closed. The weird part was her car was in the garage, her purse sat on the kitchen table but her phone was nowhere to be found.
Shelly had tried calling Lisa over and over, just as Tory had been doing, but the calls just kept going to voicemail.
“I’m calling the police,” Shelly said.
“Yes, I think you should. I’m really worried about her.”
“Me too. I’ll keep you posted. I know how close you two are.” Shelly ended the call. As worried as Tory was, she had no choice but to go ahead and finish making supper.
Since Josh would be working late, she made a plate for him and put it in the oven, then took Ivy and their portion back to the trailer. After supper, Tory put Ivy to bed and readThe Little Red Henfor what seemed the hundredth time, until her little girl finally fell asleep.
As she returned to the living room, Tory thought of Josh and the evening they had planned, but her mind kept straying to Lisa and what might have happened to her. Nothing she came up with made any sense. She was pacing the floor of the living room when Josh rapped softly on the door.
“Hi,” he said as he walked inside, leaned down, and kissed her. He must have read the worry in her face because he gently caught her shoulders. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”
Her eyes burned. “My friend Lisa. She’s missing. I’m really scared for her, Josh.”
He started to say something but the phone rang just then. Tory hurried to answer it. “Yes?”
“It’s Shelly. I’ve got bad news, Tory.”
Her stomach clenched. “Wh-what is it?”
“Lisa’s in the hospital in Flagstaff. She’s in critical condition.”
Tory felt the blood draining out of her face and she started to tremble. Josh guided her over to the sofa and gently eased her down.
“She’s in a coma,” Shelly was saying. “As soon as she’s stable, they’re airlifting her to Scottsdale Memorial.”
“What . . . what happened?”
“The police aren’t sure, but . . . Tory, Lisa was shot.”
She made a little sound in her throat and Josh took the phone from her hand.
“My name is Josh Cain. I’m a friend of Tory’s. Tell me what’s going on.”
His jaw hardened as Shelly retold the story. Then he handed back the phone and stood in front of her with his hands on his hips and his legs braced apart.
“I’m . . . I’m on my way back to Phoenix,” Tory said. “When you see Lisa, tell her I’m on my way.” She could pay for the trip on her credit cards. She hadn’t used them because she didn’t want Damon to find her. Now she had no choice.
“I’ll tell her.” Shelly started crying. “The police think she was abducted from her house, Tory. She’s in really bad shape. The doctors don’t know if she’s going to make it.”
Tory bit back a sob and blinked against tears. “Tell her I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
