“What did Ms. Wright tell you?” Tara knew without asking that she would have called Deke right after calling the police.

  He repeated the same thing Collin had told Tara in his call.

  “Why would he run away?” Deke shifted, turning his body toward her. “Would the people who took his parents come back for him after six days?”

  “I don’t know.” Tara wished she could provide a different answer, but she couldn’t say what she didn’t know. “Going to the cave may have triggered fears we didn’t recognize.”

  “Surely he wouldn’t try to get back to the cave.” Deke stared out the window. His face told her he felt sick at the idea of Jacob out there somewhere in trouble.

  “For now,” Tara said gently, “we’ll have a close look at the Wright home to ensure she didn’t overlook anything. We’ll go from there.”

  The steps she would need to take whizzed through her head. Amber Alert. Damn.

  Jacob, where are you?

  Five endless minutes later, they arrived at the Wright residence. Collin was there already. He and Ms. Wright were in the front yard talking.

  Tara and Deke exited her vehicle and joined them.

  Wright swiped at her eyes. “I can’t believe he would run away on his own. He’s been so sweet and respectful all week.”

  “What time did you put him to bed?” Tara asked.

  “As soon as Deke brought him back. Since they’d stopped for pizza and ice cream, I ushered him into the bath and then we tucked him into bed. It was maybe ten or ten fifteen. I checked in on him before I went to bed, and he was fast asleep. We all crashed pretty early.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe Ben and I slept through whatever happened. We’re usually hyper aware of every little sound.”

  Ben Wright was her husband. Whoever had broken in had been particularly quiet not to wake anyone in the household, not even the dogs.

  “What about Jelly Bug?” Deke asked.

  “The dog is gone too,” Wright explained.

  Tara turned to Collin. “I’ll have a look in the room. Start talking to neighbors. See if anyone saw or heard anything.”

  “On it.”

  Collin headed next door and Tara turned back to Wright. “Can you or your husband help with talking to neighbors until we can assemble a search party?”

  “Ben will stay here. I need to be the one helping.” Tears welled in her eyes once more. “I feel like this is my fault.”

  Tara gave her a quick hug. “This is not your fault. Now, let’s find him.” She shifted to Deke. “Come with me.”

  They entered the house. The Wright child was on the sofa next to his dad. They both looked worried.

  “I need to have a look in the room where Jacob was sleeping.”

  Mr. Wright nodded. “First door on the left.”

  Tara followed the hall to the row of bedrooms. Two on the front side of the house. A third on the back side as well as the family bathroom.

  The covers were turned down on the bed. Since no pj’s lay on the floor or on the bed, Tara assumed he’d left with those on. “We need a description of what he was wearing.”

  A gentle whisper of air moved the window curtain. Tara looked up to the ceiling, no ceiling fan, and then down to the floor near the window for a central heating and air register. The register was on the floor right under the window. She moved close enough to check for air movement. Nothing. She moved aside the curtain.

  The window was open just a crack. The screen had been removed.

  “He went out the window.”

  Deke moved closer to her.

  “Don’t touch the window.” She turned away from the obvious exit point. “I need to secure this room.”

  The next few minutes were a whir of activity. Collin returned to the house to lift prints from the window and the screen that had been placed on the ground outside the house. He would seal off the room for now. Tara issued an Amber Alert for Jacob, then said a quick prayer.

  Within the hour they had dozens of volunteers gathered for starting a search. Tara left Collin in charge of coordinating the volunteers. She needed to check Jacob’s house and the cave on Falling Rock Trace. Granted, she couldn’t imagine how he would have gotten there. That said, after his reaction yesterday, it was necessary to rule out the location.

  Wright had confirmed that Jacob had been wearing Spider-Man pajamas. Her son’s bicycle was still at the house, so if he hadn’t left the house with someone, he’d left on foot. If that was the case, Tara hoped he would come to his senses and knock on a door for help.

  Tara slid behind the wheel of her Wagoneer, and Deke climbed into the passenger seat. They drove first to Jacob’s house. Checked inside. Checked the yard. Nothing. It took only a few minutes more to check with the neighbors. No one had seen Jacob.

  From there they headed to Falling Rock Trace.

  “Someone took him,” Deke said after several minutes of silence. “Jacob is too smart to take off like this.”

  Since it hadn’t rained in days, there were no footprints anywhere in the Wright’s backyard. Not that she’d expected to find any in that lush lawn. So far, none of the close neighbors had exterior video cameras of any sort.

  “I’m with you on that,” Tara said. “It’s possible the perps came back for Jacob for leverage if the parents aren’t cooperating.”

  “It took them six days to reach that point?” Deke said, incredulous.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Tara agreed. “I’m tossing out scenarios. Your job is to find the flaw in the reasoning.”

  “I can do that.”

  She glanced at him. Grateful he was calming down a bit. “I’m certain you can.”

  “What else you got?”

  “Is it possible Jacob hasn’t told us everything from Sunday night or from before his parents went missing?” The idea had nudged Tara, but the boy seemed sincere. Still, he was a kid. Kids lacked the reasoning skills that maturity would bring. If his father or mother asked him to keep a secret, he likely would. Like the one about the cave.

  “My gut says he isn’t keeping anything from us,” Deke said. “But you’re right. He may feel like he’s protecting his parents. Although I can’t imagine his mother doing such a thing, they could have stolen money from some drug lord and he’s afraid to tell you they committed a crime.”

  “That’s what worries me.” Tara gripped the steering wheel tighter. “If he ran away this morning or last night, then my guess is he’s hiding something.”

  “If someone took him...” Deke began, his words trailing off.

  “Then he’s in trouble because there’s only one reason for a bad guy to come after a kid when he already has the adults.”

  “Leverage.”

  “Yes.”

  The silence that followed was thick with worry.

  Official vehicles sat in the grass and along the road at the bone house. She spotted Hanson’s vehicle right away. As they walked toward the house, suited techs came out carrying evidence boxes.

  “I guess Hanson hit a gold mine.” She hadn’t seen anything particularly relevant other than the photo. Then again, she hadn’t searched the closets and drawers. Or the attic. For all she knew, there could have been loads of evidence in the crawlspace. None of that mattered to her just now. Finding Jacob was her only priority.

  At the door, she selected shoe covers and gloves from the box left on the porch. Deke did the same. They wandered in, found Hanson in the kitchen. He didn’t look particularly happy to see them.

  Before Hanson could chastise her for entering his crime scene with a civilian, she said, “Jacob Callaway went missing sometime during the night. We need to have a look around outside and in the woods to make sure he didn’t come here.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Feel free to search anywhere on the property except in here. The house is off-limits.”

  “Thanks.”

  She had nothing else to share with him and he clearly didn’t intend to share anything with her. Deke followed her back into the yard.

  “I don’t like that guy.”

  “Nobody does.”

  They headed for the tree line. Thankfully, this time they weren’t lunging through the brush and darting around trees.

  Tara’s cell phone sounded off. She desperately hoped it was Collin with good news. Her father’s face flashed on the screen. Disappointment speared her. Guilt followed. She loved her dad. It just wasn’t a good time. “Hey, Dad.”

  She flashed a smile at Deke as her steps slowed.

  “I just saw the news about human remains being found. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know a lot,” she said. “The first of those three houses on Falling Rock Trace. Small brick rancher. We were in the area searching for anyone who had hired Jeff Callaway for odd jobs like landscaping.”

  “I know the area. Let’s see...” He hummed a moment while he dredged the memory that failed him all too often. “Kosh—Ed and his wife, and the newer folks, Partons, I think. The other house was a woman. Something...”

  Tara didn’t give him the answer. Doing so would only frustrate him. Instead, she waited. Kept moving forward, avoiding trees and the thicker areas of brush.

  “Grant. You know, like the sunglasses back when I was a younger man.”

  Tara smiled, thankful he’d managed. “We haven’t confirmed, but we believe her name was Melanie Grant. Not my case though. Our friendly FBI agent swooped in and took over the scene. He believes it’s connected to the old Treat Foster case.”

  “I always hated when that happened.” He exhaled a big breath. “Tell Deke we’re still on for tomorrow’s game. You should come. We can all have lunch together.”

  “I’ll tell him.” She hesitated. Hated to do what she had to do next. “Look, Dad, I hate to cut the call short, but Jacob Callaway has disappeared on us. He either ran away or someone took him. Deke and I as well as dozens of volunteers are out looking for him now.”

  “Good Lord. Let me know when you find him. You got this, sweetie. Love you.”

  “Love you too.” Tara put her phone away, wished she could stop the disease stealing her father away.

  “He’s doing well, considering,” Deke said, reading her mind.

  She nodded, fought the burn of tears. Damn it.

  “I was wondering,” he said, when she didn’t say more, “you think it’s strange Jelly Bug is missing too?”

  “Not at all. The dog would likely have barked if Jacob had gone out that window leaving her there. He—meaning the perp—wouldn’t have wanted to risk waking the Wrights.”

  “Could be a woman,” Deke offered. “A woman would have an easier time manipulating Jacob.”

  “Another good point.” She shot him a smile. “If you ever decide to give up teaching, you’d make a great cop.”

  He laughed. “I’ll stick with what I love.”

  She parted a thicket and eased through. “Smart move,” she agreed.

  They reached the cave opening and Deke insisted on going inside first.

  “Keep in mind,” she said as she gingerly moved across the rocks, “I’m the one with the gun.”

  He paused. “Good point.” Then he grinned. “Stay behind me.”

  Always the chivalrous one. In this case, maybe to a fault.

  The cave was just as damp and dank as before. No sign of Jacob or Jelly Bug.

  To cover all bases, they decided to call his name repeatedly as they made their way back to the house. Even if Jacob wouldn’t answer, Jelly Bug would probably bark.

  Tara called his name until she felt hoarse. Deke echoed her every call. No response. No barking.

  Hanson was waiting outside when they reached the tree line. “No luck?”

  Tara shook her head. “It was a longshot that we’d find him here, but we had to be sure. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye out for the boy and let me know if you see or hear anything that might help our search for him and his parents.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Somehow his assurance didn’t give her much comfort.

  When they were back on the road, Deke asked, “Where to now?”

  “I’ll check in with Collin. We’ll fill in wherever we’re needed.”

  “Can we swing by my house?”

  “Of course.” She divided her attention between him and the road. “You think he’d go looking for you?”

  “It’s worth a shot. I mean, I didn’t check around the yard or garage when I left this morning.”

  “I keep thinking there was something I should have said to him last night,” Tara offered, “to reassure him. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “If someone gave him a ride, and we know that’s what happened, nothing you failed to say is why he’s missing.”

  Deke was right. She knew this, but she felt sick anyway.

  Silence simmered for a minute.

  “Is there something I didn’t say or do that made you go?”

  How could he bring that up now?

  “Deke.”

  “Just tell me so I can stop making a fool out of myself.” He stared at her profile, making the moment even more uncomfortable. “What did I do?”

  “It wasn’t and isn’t you,” she said, frustrated. “It’s me.”

  “Come on. That’s a cop-out. There has to be a reason that involves both of us. It can’t be just you.”

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you’re wrong. It’s me. Only me. You’re an amazing man, Deke. Good looking, great personality. Dedicated to your work. It’s not you. You can take your pick of the available women anywhere, and whatever happens, the problem will never be you.”

  She braked to a stop and shifted into Park.

  “You do still have feelings for me.”

  She closed her eyes and reached for patience. “Deke.”

  “Tell me I’m wrong.” He stared at her, his gaze searing right through her skin. “I need to hear something real...something good right now.”

  She released her seat belt and turned to him. She understood. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. “I have feelings for you. I want to be your friend, but we can’t go there because you are stuck in this other place that we can’t be anymore.”

  He tugged his seat belt loose. “Double talk. Just say it. You have feelings for me. The same feelings I have for you. You just refuse to admit it.”

  Tara got out. She wasn’t dealing with that right now.

  “I rest my case,” he said, following her.

  Without saying a word, they checked the garage and the shed. Walked down to the lake and had a look around. Called his name.

  No Jacob. No Jelly Bug.

  Collin called. He had nothing either.

  Tara’s gut was in knots. Where the hell were these people? What the hell had they done?

  “We should rendezvous with Collin. Figure out the strategy from here.”

  Deke said nothing. Climbed into the passenger side of her vehicle. She settled behind the wheel and started the engine.

  No one vanished into thin air.

  She suddenly had this awful feeling that the answer was right in front of her.

  The simplest answer was usually the right one.

  All she had to do was clear away all the clutter and static.

  And find Jacob.

  Chapter Fifteen

  1:00 p.m.

  Deke had started to sweat. Not from the heat, and it was unseasonably warm for early May, but because they’d found nothing on Jacob.

  No reports of anyone having seen him. No breadcrumbs to suggest where he’d gone. Not one damned thing.

  He felt sick. How had he spent five days a week this entire school term in the classroom with Jacob and not recognized something was going on with his family? Last fall when his mother was so sick, Deke had visited the family. He’d rallied the parents of other students in the class to help the family with meals. More than a few had made significant donations.

  But everything had appeared to turn around by early this year. By February his mom was working again. Jacob was back to wearing his characteristic big smiles. Deke had spent some time last night mulling over what he knew of Jeff and Krissy Callaway. Good people. Earnest people. He couldn’t see either one of them getting involved with criminals.

  Except desperation and fear changed the best of folks.

  “Let’s load up and head to the school.” Tara’s voice dragged him from the gut-wrenching thoughts.

  “Is it normal not to get any hits on an alert?” All the television crime shows always showed an abundance of information coming in when the police asked for help from the community. They’d gotten nothing on Jacob this morning. It was past noon, and they’d found the same. Nothing.

  “This is a small community. We’re not going to get a lot of false leads in an area this small where everyone knows everyone else. Eventually the bizarre ones and even plenty of sincere ones that turn out to be not connected to Jacob will trickle in from the larger communities.”

  Deke paused at the front end of her Wagoneer. “You think this is going to turn into the latter?”

  The uncertainty on her face gave him the answer before she spoke. “I hope not.”

  They drove to the school without talking. Deke wasn’t sure he could open his mouth again without being sick. Not something he cared to do in Tara’s presence. She had always seen him as strong and tough. With a kid missing, he wasn’t feeling nearly strong or tough enough.

  She pulled into the parking lot at the gym. Dozens of other cars were already there. This much support from the community buoyed his hopes. They made their way to the gym and as he’d expected judging by the number of vehicles in the lot, the crowd was pretty big. The smell of hamburgers and French fries had his stomach rumbling.

  “Look,” Tara said, pointing up ahead, “Delilah’s got her crew from the diner serving food.”