“Marsha’s mother?” The rest of the blood drained from her face so suddenly she felt light-headed. “Oh my God, you don’t think—”
“Tell her to pick the girls up right now. Call Megan first, tell her not to leave with anyone but Marsha’s mom.”
“I’ll call her, but...but the cell service in the mall is always spotty.” And just as Julie expected, Megan didn’t pick up and the call went to voice mail. She told herself it didn’t mean Megan was with Ray, but her heart was hammering so hard she could feel it in her temples.
Fumbling with the phone, she called Ellen Crowley, Marsha’s mother. “Ellen, it’s Julie. I need you to pick up the girls right now.”
“I’m almost there, just a few blocks away. You sound upset. Is something wrong?”
“I—I just need to make certain Megan’s safe.”
“I’ll have her call you as soon as I pick her up.”
“Thanks, Ellen.” Julie hung up the phone. She looked up at Colt, saw a muscle jump in his cheek.
“We’ll get him back,” he said. “That’s a promise.”
Julie wiped at tears she hadn’t realized were sliding down her cheeks. Staring up at Colt’s hard, determined features, she almost believed him.
DINNERWASFORGOTTEN. Lissa listened as Julie relayed the events of the evening, including the fact her ex-husband had abducted her son. Megan was spending the night with Marsha, unaware that her brother was missing, giving them time to come up with a plan.
“Colt doesn’t think we should call the police,” Julie said. “At least not yet.” She was exhausted and shaky. Lissa had never seen her look so fragile.
“He’s threatened to run if we bring in the cops,” Colt said. “If he does, things could go from bad to worse in a hurry.”
“Colt may be right,” Lissa agreed. “At this point, there’s no reason to believe Ray will hurt Timmy. Tim’s his son. I know Ray hasn’t been around for the last eight years, but blood is blood. The bigger problem is, will he take Timmy somewhere we can’t find him?”
“Oh God.”
“Try not to panic,” Colt said. “We’ll find Ray and once we do, we’ll bring Timmy home.”
“What if something happens before you catch up with him? A couple of years ago, Timmy had an asthma attack. The doctor said it was a mild case, but if Ray does something that causes another attack, he won’t know how to handle it. It could become life-threatening.”
Colt quietly cursed. This was getting worse by the minute. “Tim’s a smart kid. He’ll know you’ll be looking for him. Or I will be.”
Some of the fear in Julie’s eyes receded. “He trusts you. So do I.”
“We have to hope he stays calm, does what his father says, and waits for us to find him.”
Julie nodded.
“I’ve got a call to make.” Lissa pulled out her phone. “I’ll be right back.” Heading into the kitchen to use her cell, she phoned Tabitha Love. Tabby worked freelance for Maximum Security. She was a genius at tracking down information on the internet.
“Hey, Tab, I need your help.”
“Sure, Liss. What can I do for you?” Tabby was in her midtwenties, black hair cut super short on the sides and moussed on top. She had tats and a face full of silver: studs, hoops, anything that sparkled.
“I’ve got an emergency. Young boy abducted by his father. The guy has a history of abuse and he’s been gone eight years without a trace. We need to know where he’s been and what he’s been up to.”
She went on to give Tabby all the info they had on Ray Spearman, hoping she could come up with something they could use to find Tim. “First, I need you to ping Timmy’s phone.”
“What’s the number?”
She pulled the sticky note Julie had given her out of her black jeans pocket. “469-555-1238.”
“I’ll call you back.”
Ignoring the fading aroma of spaghetti growing cold on the stove and glancing wistfully at the Chianti bottle on the table, Lissa pocketed the phone and walked back into the living room. “Tabby’s going to call me back.”
