LITMIR.BIZ

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by phone, every day.”

      “I appreciate your concern.” Her smile emerged and did amazing things to his insides.

      “Let me walk you to your car. We can pick up Briana on the way.”

      They collected the little girl, and the child slipped one hand into her mother’s and took Noah’s with the other. The simple intimacy felt too right to be comfortable. By the time Noah waved Laney and Briana off toward home, he was sweating in earnest, and not from the balmy weather.

      He returned to the office, where Miss Aggie was closing up shop.

      “You did well today,” she said.

      “Thanks. So did you.”

      She walked to the door, then turned and lasered him with a look. “But remember, some gains are worth great risk. Don’t screw up your chance at a future because of the past.”

      She whisked away, leaving Noah with his mouth open. What did she mean by that remark? Had some little birdie with a sheriff’s badge been twittering in her ear, or was his attraction to Laney as obvious as his efforts to keep her at arm’s length?

      Noah undid a button on his shirt and retired to the inner office, where he got on the phone. “Have you been talking out of turn, Lindoll?” he said as soon as Hank came on the line.

      “Huh?”

      “Did you tell my secretary who I was?”

      “Are you kidding? I haven’t told a soul, but I’m tempted to spill the beans to Laney Thompson. She could use your services right now.”

      “Nothing doing. I’m retired and into my second career, which I like very much, thank you. Besides, she’s got you on her side.”

      The sheriff snorted. “Fat lot of good that’ll do her when my people are shut out of the investigation. Information is a one-way street with this Burns, except for something he deems ‘local’ enough for us to know.”

      “And you think I’d fare any better? You saw how we get along.”

      “Must be a story there, eh?” The man gave a dry chuckle.

      “Later. Maybe. Right now, I’m calling to see if anything more came of the interviews your guys conducted. Is there anything I need to know to protect my students and staff?”

      Several heartbeats passed. Noah’s internal antennae perked up. There was something, but Hank must not be sure if it was significant or not.

      “We do have one suspicious circ,” the sheriff finally said.

      “Suspicious circumstance? Involving who?”

      “Glen Crocker, a local electrician, has been missing for a couple of days.”

      Noah pursed his lips. “The timing would be right for a perp who needed to go somewhere and get that backpack.”

      The sheriff sighed. “I’d hate to see this turn out to be a local guy. Could be Glen’s just skipped out on his family, which is bad enough. Let me look up the report. My deputy got this lead at the school from the guy’s son and interviewed the wife at home.”

      Noah doodled with an automatic pencil while he listened to papers rustle at the other end. “Glen must be Sam Crocker’s dad. Sam’s in Mrs. Link’s fifth grade class.”

      “You sure know your students…and their families. That’s part of what makes you a good principal, but paying attention to people also makes you an outstanding investigator.”

      “Get off it, Hank.” Noah stabbed the pencil point into the pad.

      “All right, but I’m just saying. Ah, here it is.” A desk chair creaked in the background. “According to little Sam, his daddy left for a job day before yesterday, and the kid hasn’t seen him since. My deputy talked to the mom, and she didn’t know where her husband was, either. Didn’t seem too surprised Glen took off, which is why she hadn’t reported him missing.” Hank snorted. “Must’ve been problems in the marriage.”

      “That’s too bad.” Noah shook his head. “Especially for little Sam. Any personal effects gone from this guy’s home?”

      “His Chevy Impala’s gone, but he didn’t grab any of his clothes or belongings. Doesn’t mean he didn’t take a hike of his own free will, so maybe this has nothing to do with our sicko on the loose. Glen’s been a citizen in good standing around here for a decade, but I’ve initiated inquiries about him prior to coming to Cottonwood Grove.”

      “Sounds good. And I’ve got something for you that I’ll bet Burns hasn’t gotten around to sharing.” Noah gave the sheriff the information Laney had shared about the man in the suit watching kids on the playground.

      “Hmm. The description doesn’t match Crocker. Thanks for the lead though.”

      “And you’re going to call me if you find out anything interesting?” The doodles became larger and darker.

      Hank laughed. “Do you really want me to, Mr. Principal? I can practically feel the investigator salivating.”

      The lead on the end of the pencil snapped. “Just call me.”

      “Will do.” The sheriff hung up, still chuckling.

      Was it really too much to ask to be kept in the loop about something that could affect a whole school full of children in his care? Noah snatched up a fistful of paperwork Miss Aggie had left for him to sign. Taking part in the investigation was the last thing on his mind. It was!

      Laney struggled through the evening at home in their apartment. She and Briana did the regular things—homework, a select amount of TV time, supper, a bedtime book—but everything felt odd and ill-fitting, as if ordinary had skewed off its axis. By the time Bree knelt at her bedside in her pink princess pajamas for prayers, Laney’s headache had morphed into Goliath stomping through her brain. At least she’d managed to give Briana a normal evening.

      “…and, Jesus, remember that I’m still waiting for a daddy. And please help Mama to get her real smile back…”

      Laney tuned in to her daughter’s conversation with the Lord.

      “…and not be sad about her sister and not be so a-scared. Amen.”

      Then Briana hopped up and threw her arms around Laney. She squeezed her daughter extra tight. What a reminder that kids were more perceptive than adults realized. She hadn’t done as great with her stick-to-routine plan as she’d thought.

      Laney tucked Briana under the covers. “Would you like to talk about what happened today?”

      Her daughter shook her head, a peaceful smile on the heart-shaped face that was a miniature of her own. “I talked to God. Everything’s going to be all right.”

      Laney kissed Briana’s forehead. “I’ll count on it, then.”

      Briana settled in with a contented sigh. “I think I’m real close to getting my daddy,” she murmured.

      Laney’s pulse jumped, but she didn’t answer, just shut off the bedroom light and left the door ajar. She didn’t have the heart to discourage her little girl with the information that her mother had no daddy material on her social calendar.

      Then she went through the apartment and checked the security of every window and the front door. Locked up tight. In the bathroom, she downed a couple of painkillers. The phone rang, and she hurried to the living room. Her fingers hesitated over the receiver. She didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID. That monster wouldn’t dream of calling her, would he?

      Taking a deep breath, she picked up. “H-hello?”

      “Laney, it’s Noah. You sound shaky.”

      Laney sank onto her couch. “It’s terrible being afraid to find out who’s on the other end of a phone call. Briana and I are doing fine. I just put

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