“Not most adults,” Opal agreed.
Laurel cleared her throat. “Let’s get back to this mysterious man. Do you know anything at all about him?”
“I have no idea. I’m so sorry,” Opal said. “We all refrained from being nosy.”
Huck reached for the picture of Delta holding him as a baby. “She never mentioned his name?”
“No,” Opal said, tapping her lips. “I figured he was a holy man. The only thing I ever heard her call him was ‘the pastor.’”
Chapter 34
After midnight, Huck flipped on the lights in his cabin as Laurel shut the door against the rain and wind behind them. Aeneas stretched from his bed by the fireplace and came to greet him while Fred the cat opened one eye and then shut it again.
Huck reached for a note on the counter from Monty saying that he’d fed both animals, taken Aeneas out several times during the day, and had left a tuna casserole in the fridge for them.
Laurel yawned widely and ditched her boots and coat before wandering over to pet her cat. “We could have stayed in Santa Fe tonight,” she murmured.
He shook his head. “I needed to get out of Santa Fe.”
“I understand, and after Opal mentioned a pastor seeing your mother, my mind is spinning. Pastor John or Pastor Zeke?”
“Or a different pastor, which I doubt,” Huck muttered.
They’d claimed both photographs of Delta Rivers, and Opal had insisted he take several of her drawings. Maybe his kid would want to know something about his grandmother someday. Who knew? At the moment, Huck was too tired to worry about it.
“I think I could sleep for days.” Laurel ambled toward the bedroom.
So could he. He felt tired to his very bones.
Laurel’s phone buzzed, and she sighed, lifting it to her ear. “Agent Snow and it is after midnight.” She stiffened and turned around. “Wait, wait. Slow down, Julliet. Slow down. Okay. What time did they . . . Okay. Yes, I’m here with the captain. I’ll have him call in. I’ll call you back.” She clicked off.
“What is it?” Huck came awake immediately.
“Kate’s friend Julliet called her in a panic because her daughter is out on a camping trip. Kate gave her my number since she’s in North Carolina. Something about earning a wilderness badge. The kids haven’t been heard from, and they should have been back three hours ago.”
Huck yanked his phone free of his back pocket and reached Monty.
“Hey, Huck.” The sound of wind blowing almost drowned out Monty’s voice.
Huck leaned against the counter. “What’s going on? We have missing kids?”
“Yes,” Monty said. “We started a search two hours ago when the parents notified us. We’re over near Sorry Sal Mountain.”
“How many do we have missing?” Huck walked to the window and stared at the pouring rain.
“Five. They were supposed to stay close to the road. Spent last night out here and all day gathering and building fires, but they should’ve been home by nine tonight.” Wilderness badges and the procedures for getting them were common in Washington State.
“All girls?”
“Yeah, all around the age of sixteen. I have everybody out searching.”
Huck looked at Laurel. “I’ll grab Aeneas and join you.”
Monty sighed. “We received orders that you are on leave. I wanted to call you, but I don’t want to get you fired.”
Huck figured there was a pretty damn good chance he was going to get fired anyway. “Tell me where you’re searching.”
Monty listed the grids.
