Oh, God, I don’t want to repeat history. Help me find this little girl.
He phoned his colleague Lizzie, hoping for something positive he could text to Lydia. If the child had been located, he would have been informed right away. But maybe they’d found a shoe or a coat, anything that might give Lydia hope.
“Any news?” River managed to speak in a strong voice despite the doubt and fear he wrestled with.
“We questioned the owners of the other two cars in the lot. They were high up on the trail and didn’t see anything. A farmer did notice a car coming out where that dirt road meets up with the pavement about the time of the abduction.”
If that car was connected to the kidnapping, Elsie could be miles from Ridge by now…or worse. “What kind of car?”
“The farmer was too far away to see details. He just said it was dark-colored.”
“Frankie and I are coming back up there. I want to take another run at figuring out why she lost the scent.”
“We got two more volunteer teams, additional officers and two choppers. We’ll keep up the search for now, but if that car had anything to do with the kidnapping, the kid’s not here anymore.”
That reality caused his stomach to knot. “I get what you’re saying. We need to shift strategies and for that we need more information. My skills might be better utilized figuring out why the girl was taken.”
“The mother would be a good place to start,” said Lizzie.
“I’ve questioned her a little.” It was the reason he’d offered to drive her home. “She could provide leads for who at the school might be involved. If this abduction wasn’t random, it had to be someone who knew about the field trip.”
“The plan is to keep up the search until it gets too dark to see. It would be good if we had options before we call off the search for the night. I’ll let you know if anything shifts.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep you in the loop as well,” said River.
River disconnected and stared at his phone. Any message he gave Lydia, he wanted to deliver in person.
Right now, he had nothing but bad news for her.
THREE
Lydia had somehow fallen asleep—likely due to stress—on the couch when the doorbell rang. She bolted up and hurried across the wooden floor. Through the window by the door, she saw River standing with Frankie by his side.
She touched her face. Her eyes were puffy from crying.
River held a pizza box in his hands. “Thought you might be hungry.”
The aroma of Italian spices and pepperoni floated through the air. She hadn’t eaten since the morning. “It is past dinnertime, isn’t it?” She stepped aside so he and Frankie could enter. How had so much time passed so quickly?
After closing the door, she hurried into the kitchen. “I’ll get us something to drink.”
“The pizza might be a little cold. Parking is at a premium in this neighborhood. I had to park my patrol car three blocks away.”
She stared out the window at the gray sky. “Everyone’s getting home from work.” She pulled some tea out of the fridge. “I assume this isn’t just about bringing me dinner. You probably have more questions for me. Have the searchers learned anything new?” He hadn’t answered her text, which made her fear that he wanted to deliver bad news in person.
He set the pizza box on the table and stepped closer to her, his expression grim.
“It’s starting to look like Elsie was taken away in a car on that road.”
Lydia gripped the corner of the counter. River rushed to her side and took the pitcher of tea. He touched her back lightly to steady her. He set the tea by the pizza on the table.
Frankie rushed toward Lydia and stared up at her with rich brown eyes. She offered her a tail wag. Lydia reached down and stroked the yellow Lab’s head. “Aren’t you sweet.”
“She’s pretty good at picking up on the emotions in a room.” He pulled a chair out and flipped open the pizza box. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Feeling numb, she managed a nod and moved toward the table. River found some glasses and plates and sat kitty-corner from her.
Even though the scent of the pizza was enticing, and she hadn’t had any food for hours, the thought of eating didn’t appeal to her.
