Shirlee McCoy - Tracking Justice

“I’ll do everything I can to bring Brady home to you.”

She did turn then, wanting to thank him for the reassurance. The words died as she watched him hold Brady’s little shirt out to the dog.

Justice huffed out a breath and barked.

“Seek,” Detective Black commanded, and the bloodhound took off, his handler running along behind him. Across the backyard, into the neighbor’s. Out onto the street beyond.

She lost sight of them there.

If she could have, she would have followed them, but she knew she had to go back. Do what she’d been told. Answer dozens of questions that might, if God were willing, bring her son home.

He certainly hadn’t been willing to bring her parents’ murderer to justice, but she had to believe that this time He’d answer her prayers.

Please, God. Please.

She walked around to the front of the house, skirting by several police officers who were standing on the front porch. Three police cars were parked on the curb, another one across the street. One in the driveway. Lots of people, and that had to be a good thing.

Didn’t it?

She hoped so, because every minute that passed was a minute that Brady was alone with...

She cut the thought off. Didn’t want to acknowledge what had been floating around in her head since Detective Black had mentioned the crime at Slade’s house.

Had Brady seen something?

He shouldn’t have. He wasn’t allowed to play outside by himself, and Mrs. Daphne didn’t like being outside in the cold. Arthritis, she always said, and who was Eva to say differently? At seventy, Mrs. Daphne deserved to stay inside if it was what she wanted. The rule was, Brady stayed inside with her. A tough one for him to want to follow. He was high energy and active, and he loved being outdoors.

Had he skirted the rule?

Snuck outside or convinced Mrs. Daphne to let him go?

Her house was close enough to Slade’s for Brady to have had a clear view of it from the yard. But could he have seen enough to make him the target of a criminal?

She didn’t know. Didn’t even want to speculate. All she wanted was her son.

She walked back inside, tried to return the smile that Slade offered. “Do you have some questions for me? Because if you don’t—”

“I do. Officer Cunningham is working with the evidence team, and I’ll be conducting the interview. This should only take a few minutes.”

“All right.” She sat on the edge of the couch, her body trembling and cold.

“Was Brady with Mrs. Daphne today?”

“Yes.”

“What time did you pick him up?”

“Six.”

“Did he mention anything unusual about his day? Anything that concerned you or him?”

“Nothing. He did seem...quiet.” She knew where the conversation was heading, and she took a deep breath, tried to relax.

He narrowed his eyes. “You heard what happened at my house yesterday afternoon?”

“Yes. Detective Black told me.”

“Then you know that my father was attacked and Rio was stolen. Do you think it’s possible that Brady saw what happened?”

“He didn’t mention it, but I guess anything is possible.”

Slade jotted something in a notebook, asked another question and another.

Eva answered all of them as best she could. She couldn’t collapse, couldn’t let herself give in to the emotions that beat like bat wings in her stomach. She wanted to, though. Almost wished she had someone to lean on. Someone who could put an arm around her shoulder and tell her everything would be all right. There was no one. She wasn’t sure there ever had been.

The clock on the fireplace mantel ticked the time away. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen.

Nearly an hour since Eva had realized Brady was gone.

An hour that he’d been missing. An hour that he’d been terrified, cold. Hungry, because he always was.

She wiped clammy hands on her pajama pants, swallowed down bile. “Are we almost done, Slade?”

“I just have a few more questions to ask.”

“I’ve already answered dozens, and I’ve answered some of them more than once.”

“We have to be thorough, Eva. It’s the only way to get your son back.”

“The only way to get my son back is to go out and look for him. That’s what I’m going to do.” She stood, her legs shaky. “Where’s Detective Black?”

“Tracking Brady. If things go well, your son will be home before dawn.”

“And if they don’t?”

“I can’t answer that, Eva. Sometimes kids are returned home in an hour or two. Sometimes it takes longer.”

She sucked in a breath. “And sometimes it doesn’t happen at all?”

“I think you know the answer to that. I also think that you know we’ll do everything we can to bring Brady home to you.”

She’d wanted reassurance.

She’d gotten truth, instead.

She should be thankful for it but she just felt sick, her stomach heaving, stars dancing in front of her eyes. “I need some air.”

She ran outside, letting cold air bathe her hot face.

“Is everything okay, Ms. Billows?” Officer Cunningham asked, stepping away from a group of officers he’d been talking to.

“Do you know where Detective Black is?” If Slade couldn’t give her an exact location, maybe he could.

“He’s organizing the search team.”

“Where?”

“Headquarters are at the east entrance of the Lost Woods. We have a team setting up there. I’m sure Captain McNeal explained everything to you.”

Eva nodded as if he had, but she’d been told nothing. Maybe Slade hadn’t known. Maybe he just hadn’t told her. The second seemed more likely than the first. He’d taken several phone calls during the interview. At some point, he must have been told that Detective Black was setting up at the Lost Woods.

He had chosen not to share the information.

It didn’t surprise her. She’d learned all about police silence after her parents’ deaths.

She walked back inside, grabbed her purse, slipped her feet into old sneakers.

“Where are you heading?” Slade asked.

“I told you that I was going to go look for my son.”

“I can’t recommend that.”

“Can you stop me?” Because unless he had a legal reason to keep her at the house, she didn’t plan on being there. Not for a minute longer.

He hesitated, then sighed. “You’re not a suspect, and you’ve answered all my questions. As long as I can get in touch with you if I need to, I guess I can’t keep you here.”

“I have my cell phone.” She jotted the number on a scrap of paper and handed it to him, trying hard not to look into his eyes. She respected Slade. He was a good man who’d always been a good neighbor, but if his son, Caleb, were the one missing, he wouldn’t be sitting in his house answering questions while other people searched.

“Just be sure you don’t get in the way of the search, Eva. If you do, it won’t help Brady.”

“I know. I just need to...be doing something.” She grabbed Brady’s coat from the closet, telling herself that she was bringing it to him. That she’d go to the Lost Woods and see him standing with the search team, cold but fine.

She jogged down the porch stairs and across the yard, unlocking the station wagon and sliding in behind the wheel. She slammed the door closed as several people called out to her. A few were neighbors. One was a stranger, a reporter maybe.

She didn’t care.

All she cared about was Brady.

“Please, for once, just start!” she muttered as she shoved the key into the ignition. The starter clicked once, then again. Finally, the engine sputtered to life and she pulled away from the curb, glad for once for her father’s advice. Never park in the driveway or the garage, kid. If you do, it’ll be too easy for the police to block in your vehicle and keep you from running.