Brett Battles - Every Precious Thing

Again, I apologize, but it couldn’t be helped.

Diana

P.S. If you could, please let Mary Ralston know I won’t be coming back to The Hideaway.

There was no doubt in Logan’s mind-Diana Stockley was gone.

If only he’d known about her connection to Sara when he’d originally talked to her. He’d been so damn close.

After a quick shower, he threw on some clothes and called Callie. Though talking to Diana was currently no longer an option, she could still be useful. The line rang once, then voicemail kicked in.

“It’s Logan,” he said. “I’ve got a name I’m hoping you can check out. Diana Stockley. She was apparently seen in Sara’s company a couple years ago in Braden. That’s where I am now. Last night, after I started asking around about Sara, Diana skipped town. If you could find out anything on her, where she’s from, any previous addresses, that would be a big help. Thanks, Callie.”

After he hung up, he went in search of the others, finding them downstairs in Dev’s room.

“Anyone up for some breakfast?” he asked after Barney let him in.

“Breakfast?” Harp said. “We ate over an hour ago. We did knock on your door first, but I guess you were out on your run.”

“You’ve got to be careful exercising in this heat,” Barney told him.

Logan was in the habit of taking an early morning run every day. If that’s what they thought he was doing, that was fine. He wasn’t quite ready to tell them about his late-night excursion yet. Besides, details like that tended to worry his father.

“We’ve been waiting for you so we can go to the hospital,” Harp said. “I called over. Pep’s got his own room now. So if you’re hungry, you can get something at the cafeteria.”

He picked up the copy of Lost Horizon and headed outside.

“I had their egg salad sandwich yesterday,” Barney said as he stood up. “Wasn’t bad.”

As they walked out to the Cherokee, Dev strolled up next to Logan and said in a low voice, “I’m guessing you missed your morning run. Unless that was your dad who went joyriding in your car last night and didn’t come back until a few hours ago.”

Few things ever got by Dev.

Logan took a second then said, “We’ll talk later.”

“I’ll be around.”

Pep was still asleep when they arrived. Logan had been hoping to finally talk to him about what happened, but it looked like that would have to wait a little longer.

He sat there with the others for a half hour, then caught Dev’s eye and said, “Can you give me a ride back to the motel so I can get my car?”

Dev immediately stood up. “Sure.”

“What do you need your car for?” Harp asked. “We just got here.”

“I’m trying to find Sara, remember?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have any leads.”

“And I won’t find any just hanging around here.”

“Well, Pep will be able to help.”

“And when he wakes up, I’ll come back to talk to him.”

Harp nodded, conceding the point. “You know what’s best. Call us if you find something.”

“I will.”

Borrowing a phonebook from the hospital receptionist-a different woman than the one the day before-Logan found a listing for a Mary Ralston and three for men with the last name of Hackbarth. He wrote down the addresses and phone numbers for each, then he and Dev headed out.

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Dev said, “If I have to sit in that hospital all day, I might have to throw someone through a window, so how about I tag along with you?”

“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Logan told him. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone along just in case he needed a little assistance, and Dev was more than capable on that front.

He gave Dev directions to Diana Stockley’s house and told him about his late-night visit. Several minutes later, they walked up the pathway to Diana’s front door.

The reason Logan wanted to start with the duplex was to see if anyone had discovered she was gone yet. It would help him decide what his next move should be.

Looking through the window, everything appeared the same as when he’d left. Chances were no one was yet aware of her departure. Still, just to be sure, he wanted to check that the note was still on the kitchen counter. He took a quick glance through the neighborhood, then pulled out a napkin he’d stuffed in his pocket when he picked up a bagel from the cafeteria earlier. He first wiped the knob to remove his earlier prints, then used the napkin to open the door.

While the note was still there, the envelope was closer to the center of the counter than where he remembered leaving it. Of course, it had been late, so it was possible he’d knocked it there without even realizing it as he walked away.

A quick check of the rest of the house revealed nothing new. As he and Dev started to leave, an idea came to him.

He motioned for Dev to wait, then went back and grabbed the envelope. Dev raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they returned to the car.

Using the list Logan had created at the hospital, they visited the first of the Hackbarth addresses. As they parked, Logan immediately knew they could dismiss this one. The house was empty-no curtains, no furniture, no car.

In the driveway of the neighboring house, a woman was removing grocery bags from the trunk of her sedan.

“Stay here,” Logan told Dev. He climbed out of the Cherokee and walked part of the way down the sidewalk toward the woman.

“Excuse me,” he called out. When she looked over, he pointed at the empty house. “Was that the Hackbarth residence?”

“Still own it as far as I know.”

“It looks empty.”

“That’s because it is. Why do you want to know?”

“I’m looking for Mr. Hackbarth.”

“Well, if that’s the Mr. Hackbarth you want, you’re four months too late.”

“Moved?”

“Died.”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know.”

She shrugged. “Didn’t talk to him much. He was pretty old. Mostly stayed inside.”

As she returned to what she was doing, Logan took another step in her direction. “Sorry, one more question.”

She stopped and looked at him.

“There’s a duplex not too far away from here owned by a Mr. Hackbarth,” Logan said. “I thought it might be your neighbor.”

“That would have to be one of the sons. My bet would be Mark. He’s the real estate guy. Got an office over on Center Street, I think.”

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“You thinking of buying it?”

“I’m…looking around at the moment.”

She pulled out the last grocery bag and shut the trunk. “Well, if you are buying, you’d be the only one. Whatever price they’re asking, offer half.”

The home address for Mark Hackbarth had been the next one on Logan’s list, but instead of heading there, he instructed Dev to drive over to Center Street.

“There it is,” Logan said.

It was the third real estate office they’d passed. Like the others, the names of the agents were painted on the window. Right at the top of the new office’s list was Mark Hackbarth.

Once they were parked at the curb, Logan grabbed the envelope from Diana’s place and the two men got out. Logan had almost reached the office door when he realized Dev wasn’t with him. He looked back and saw that the former Marine was still standing near the car, staring down the street.

“What is it?” Logan asked.

Dev didn’t move for a moment, then he turned and walked toward the building. “Probably nothing,” he said. He motioned at the door. “Shall we?”

The temperature inside was a good thirty degrees cooler than out-almost too cold, in Logan’s opinion. The real estate office consisted of five desks in two rows of two with the odd desk centered up front. Three were occupied.