Not by Sight (18 page)

Kate squinted and looked into the woods that lined Summit Road, hoping for a glimpse of her Odyssey—or Jay’s white truck. The sun had settled on the western horizon, turning the sky overhead a glowing shade of hot pink.

“She has to be up here somewhere,” Kate said. “Where else would they have gone?”

Dad shook his head. “I don’t know, honey. I just don’t see any sign of them. Can you get a cell signal?”

Kate keyed in the number to the Angel View Office, and it rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Four times …
Hello. You’ve reached the offices of Angel View Lodge
… She disconnected the call. “The signal seems fine. If Abby needed help, she could’ve called for it. Dad, I’m scared.”

“I don’t like it either, but she’s only been missin’ for a couple hours. She and Jay might’ve gone on some adventure and lost track of time. Or just stayed up here to watch the sunset.”

“I’m beginning to think she lied about her relationship with Jay,” Kate said. “Maybe they’re in love. Maybe Abby was afraid to tell me because she knows I wouldn’t approve of her getting involved at such a young age.”

“I think you’re jumpin’ the gun,” Dad said. “I’ve watched those two together. They seem like two peas in a pod, but I never got any kinda vibes that Abby was keen on him.”

“Maybe she was afraid to tell me. Afraid that I’d resent her finding someone when I had lost Micah. Abby’s sensitive that way. She wouldn’t want to cause me more pain.”

“I think you just need to hold your horses and give this time to play out.”

“How much time should I give it, Dad? Jay is missing too.”

“Just because he wasn’t home doesn’t mean he’s missin’.”

“Well, Abby is! Any time my kids are out of touch, I don’t see how I can afford to assume anything else.”

Dad pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. “I still think there’s a logical explanation for it. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We can’t afford to ask the sheriff for help until we’re sure it’s warranted.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it is. I’m going to call Virgil at home and ask his advice. He can be objective. We sure can’t.”

Virgil rinsed the roasting pan, dried it with a towel, and handed it to Jill Beth.

“There you go, you sweet thing.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Dishes done. Anything else I can do for you, ma’am?”

Jill Beth giggled. “Down, boy. You need to take out the trash, and you promised we could take Drake for a walk.”

Virgil looked over at the handsome mutt they had adopted from Animal Rescue last year—part German shepherd and part Australian sheepdog. Drake was like an overgrown kid and had already broken several picture frames with a swish of his happy tail.

“Why don’t we walk up to Icy’s and get frozen custard?” Jill Beth said.

Drake barked and ran in circles, then sat under the hook where his leash hung, his tail wagging beneath him as he whined, looking as if he would lunge at any moment.

Virgil laughed. “I swear this dog understands English.” He took the leash off the hook and attached it to Drake’s collar just as his cell phone vibrated. He looked at the screen. “Darlin’, it’s Kate Cummings. I need to take this.” He handed the leash to Jill Beth and hit the Talk button. “Kate, it’s Virgil. Anything wrong?”

“I’m not sure. I need your advice.”

“What is it?”

Kate exhaled into the receiver. “I don’t want you to think I’m crying wolf. I know we’ve cost your department a lot of time and money …”

“I’m a public servant, Kate. Tell me what you need. You sound stressed.”

“I can’t find Abby.”

“What do you mean—can’t
find
her?”

Virgil listened as Kate told him everything she knew about the slope and Abby’s plan to meet her friend Jay there, as well as about Jay’s calling in sick and the neighbor seeing him leave the apartment earlier in the afternoon.

“Virgil, I’m scared.”

“What time was Abby supposed to be home?” he said.

“Six. That’s when we have dinner. It’s the only time we’re all together. She would’ve called if she wasn’t coming. Something’s wrong.”

“Maybe not,” Virgil said calmly. “She wouldn’t be the first sixteen-year-old to go off with a friend and lose track of time. Maybe she’s out of cell range.”

“Dad and I have been up and down Summit Road. The cell signal is strong up there.”

Virgil glanced over at Jill Beth, who was struggling to restrain Drake and trying to keep from being dragged to the front door. “Where else have you looked?”

“I had Hawk check the pier, Sammie’s Subs, Sweet Stuff, and some of Abby’s other favorite places. No one has seen them.”

Virgil paused and cleared his throat. “You say Abby and Jay are just friends?”

“Best friends, according to Abby. It’s possible she’s not telling me the full extent of their relationship. But she had no reason to deceive me, especially since I’ve never objected to her seeing Jay.”

“Does she seem depressed to you?”

“Not at all,” Kate said. “Abby’s had a burst of new hope since spotting the girl I told you about and seems consumed with finding out more about her. I promised not to interfere if she agreed to go back and see her therapist. Abby’s running on false hope, but I don’t think she’s depressed.”

Drake began to bark, and Virgil motioned to Jill Beth that he was stepping out on the porch. “Kate, listen … I understand why you’re concerned, but it’s only been a couple hours. I have a feeling that Abby will be home soon and all this will get worked out.”

“So you don’t think I should file a missing-person report?”

Virgil switched the phone to his other ear. “It seems premature. But if you think Abby’s in trouble, we need to act on it.”

“That’s just it”—Kate began to cry—“I don’t know what I think right now. I just want her home.”

“What would you like me to do?” Virgil said softly.

“I don’t know. Nothing we haven’t already done, I guess. I’m just scared. If anything happened to Abby, I’m not sure I would survive it. I can’t lose another child …”

Virgil breathed in slowly and let it out. He couldn’t allow himself to get emotionally enmeshed in this. He had to stay objective. “It’s your call whether you want to file a missing-person report.”

There was a long moment of dead air.

“Kate, you still there?”

“I’m here,” she said. “I think I’ll go home and wait a while longer. I’m probably overreacting. Abby will call home any minute, and I’ll realize all the worry was for nothing.”

“You sure?”

“As sure as I’m going to be under the circumstances. If I change my mind I can always file a report later.”

“Keep me posted,” Virgil said.

“I will. Thanks for listening. I feel a little better. Good-bye.”

Virgil stood on the porch, his mind racing. Teenagers! He was glad his boys were grown. How many times had they pulled stunts like this and worried their mother and him for nothing?

The front door opened, and Jill Beth poked her head out. “Everything okay?”

“I think so. Come on. Let’s take that walk, and I’ll fill you in.”

Abby, emptied of tears and filled with dread, lay shivering in the dark pit that might well end up being her grave. Minutes seemed like hours now. Helplessness threatened to steal her hope. How she missed the cozy home she had taken for granted. And the family she had failed to appreciate. Would she ever see them again? She regretted arguing with Hawk. And being rude to her mother. What would their last memory of her be? What kind of a Christian witness had she been?

Abby heard muffled male voices. She curled up in a fetal position, her eyes clamped shut, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. Seconds passed, and then the squeaky door opened in the room above. Abby held her breath, her temples throbbing. Had her captor come back to kill her?

Lord, You are my protector and defender. My only hope. Help me!

She heard footsteps coming down the wood stairs, her mind barraged with graphic images of what awaited her. She wanted to scream but couldn’t find her voice.

Chapter 21

Virgil and Jill Beth walked hand in hand toward Icy’s, Virgil holding tightly to Drake’s leash and wondering how an animal that size could be so strong.

“I feel bad for Kate,” Jill Beth said. “If I’d been through what that woman’s been through, I’d never let my kids out of my sight.”

“It’s understandable that she panicked when Abby missed dinner and didn’t call.” Virgil stopped on the sidewalk as Drake watered one of the tree trunks along Puckett Street. “But my department gets these kinds of calls on a regular basis. The kids almost always show up within a few hours.”

“Kate didn’t need this on top of everything else,” Jill Beth said. “Waiting on the remains has to be torture.”

“So was having no leads at all. I’m sure Kate has considered every possibility imaginable. I just want to solve it and put an end to all the unknowns.”

“Well, if anyone can, it’s my man.”

Virgil smiled and slipped his arm around her. “From the lips of the woman who thinks I hung the moon.”

“And the stars.”

“By the way”—Virgil pulled on the leash to redirect Drake’s attention to the sidewalk—“you were right about Elliot Stafford. Kate mentioned that he’s shown an interest in her.”

“Did she elaborate?”

“Just that she would enjoy his company but not while Micah’s fate is still up in the air. Heaven knows, she loved Micah. But five years is a long time for anyone to be unsure of their marital status.”

“If you were missing, I’d wait forever.”

Virgil sighed. “So would I. Let’s hope Kate doesn’t have to.”

Abby lay frozen in the darkness, the hammering of her heart so forceful that she thought she might die of heart failure.

Lord, help me! I’m so scared!

“Git down there!” commanded the all-too-familiar voice.

Abby’s eyes flew open just as the trapdoor opened above her. She rolled over and sat up in the far corner, letting her eyes adjust to the light.

“Jump, or I’ll push,” her captor said. “But if you break a leg, I’ll hafta put you down.” He laughed.

Abby heard a loud thud and felt a gust of wind as someone hit the ground a couple feet from her.

“Y’all have a nice chat. The clock’s tickin’.”

The overhead door slammed shut, and she heard a bolt lock slide in place and the man go back up the wooden stairs and out the creaky door.

“Abby?”

“Jay!” Abby threw her arms around him and didn’t let go.

“You’re shivering,” he said. “How did you get here?”

“I h-h-hid in the b-b-back of your truck and tried to follow you. But you got t-t-too far ahead of me, and I got lost. He hit me on the head with s-s-something and knocked me out.”

“You okay?”

“My head really hurts. I’m sore. And c-c-cold. But I’m okay. Are you?”

“Yeah.” Jay held her tighter and rubbed her arms. “He snuck up behind me with a rifle and pressed the barrel against my back. I decided not to resist. The creep’s name is Isaiah Tutt.”

“How do you know that?”

“I looked in his mailbox.”

“How did you know it was his mailbox?”

“As I was sifting through the mail, I saw a woman and little girl coming, and ducked behind some trees. I’m sure the girl was Ella. I’m assuming the woman was Mrs. Tutt. I wanted to grab the girl and run, but the missus had a rifle. I didn’t think I could overtake her without Ella running away. So I followed them back here.”