Buddy’s mind was in overdrive. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll contact her family as soon as we hang up.”

  “And I’ve instructed my staff to notify me if any calls come in about her.”

  Buddy couldn’t reach Sammy so he spoke to Crystal, who started crying when he told her the news.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “Keep trying to reach Sammy at work,” Buddy said. “I want the two of you to drive to Atlanta in a separate car in case we can convince Reagan to come home.”

  “Where should we meet you?” Crystal asked between sniffles.

  “At the courthouse. How long do you think it will take you to get there?”

  “Sammy is working in town today, so I’ll pick him up at the job site. We can be there in thirty minutes.”

  “See you then.”

  Buddy was unable to reach Mayleah. He called her cell phone and then her extension at the sheriff’s department number. As he prepared to leave the office, he briefly told Millie and Jennifer what was going on.

  “What will you do if Reagan doesn’t want to come home?” Jennifer asked.

  “Maybe we can open a line of communication with her family that will lead to something positive in the future. Also, at least her parents can see that she’s alive and hopefully safe.”

  “Is Detective Harkness going with you?” Millie asked.

  “I haven’t been able to reach her. I’m going to swing by the sheriff’s department on my way to meet the Landry family at the courthouse. If Mayleah calls here, let her know what’s going on and ask her to get in touch with me.”

  Buddy drove to the sheriff’s department. “I need to get in touch with Detective Harkness,” he said to the woman at the front desk when he went inside. “It’s urgent.”

  The woman checked her computer. “She’s out of the office interviewing witnesses and won’t be back until around four o’clock.”

  Buddy gave the woman his contact information. “If she calls in, please ask her to contact me immediately.”

  When Buddy got to the courthouse, Sammy and Crystal hadn’t arrived. He checked his phone. Still no response from Mayleah. It looked like the detective wasn’t going to be able to help. Buddy didn’t know Reagan and was reluctant to throw mother, father, and daughter into an emotional hurricane at a CVS pharmacy. Mayleah had the kind of professional skills needed for a high-pressure situation. On impulse, Buddy got out of the car and entered the courthouse.

  * * *

  It had taken Gracie two hours to work through her morning phone calls. She always tried to strike the right balance between letting people know their questions were important and processing the communication efficiently so she could move on to the next person. People contacted the clerk’s office for help with a lot of matters outside the scope of Gracie’s duties, which meant she became a traffic cop directing inquirers to the right county department or state resource. She recommended specific lawyers only to people she knew personally. Otherwise, she provided the number for the referral service offered by the local bar association. She didn’t want to be accused of favoritism. She hung up from a sobering call with a woman who was seeking a divorce lawyer and mentioned domestic violence. In addition to the number for the bar association, Gracie suggested the woman contact the sheriff’s department. Looking up, she saw Buddy. He motioned to her.

  “I know this is short notice,” he said, speaking rapidly, “but could you take the rest of the day off and go with me to Atlanta? There’s a good chance Reagan is going to be at the pharmacy she visited the other day. Her parents are coming, but I’d rather have a third party with me to talk to her before bringing them into the situation.”

  “What about Mayleah?”

  “She’s working a case and is unavailable. And you know Reagan. I’m worried she won’t talk to me.”

  Gracie took a deep breath. After processing the backlog of phone calls, her primary tasks for the day were complete with the exception of a quarterly report for the county commissioner’s office, which wasn’t due until the end of the week. Gracie could easily meet the deadline.

  “And what exactly would I do?” she asked.

  “Talk to Reagan, either with or without me. The first priority is to make sure she’s safe and not in danger. Then find out if she’s open to communicating with her family. In the best-case scenario, she’d be willing to come home with them.”

  “Are Crystal and Sammy okay with me being there?”

  “I haven’t told them. This all came up suddenly. They’re going to meet me outside in a couple of minutes so we can go to Atlanta. I haven’t talked over strategy with them. I’m still working that out in my own mind.”

  “I don’t want to do anything without their permission.”

  “Of course.”

  “Also, I have softball practice,” Gracie started, then stopped. “But if we’re not back, I can contact the team captains and tell them what to do.”

  Gracie quietly informed Brenda that she’d be out the rest of the day. When she and Buddy left the courthouse, Sammy and Crystal were sitting in a car parked beside Buddy’s vehicle. Buddy quickly explained why he’d asked Gracie to come. Crystal, who already had a wad of tissues in her hand, wiped her blue eyes.

  “Thank you, Gracie,” Crystal said. “Reagan has always thought a lot of you. It might be best if she saw you first. I’m desperate to talk to her but don’t want to scare her off.”

  Sammy was wearing jeans and muddy boots. He cleared his throat and faced Buddy. “Like I’ve already said, I appreciate everything you’re doing. But there are some things I want to say to Reagan.”

  “Honey, we can’t start with that,” Crystal said as she placed a hand on her husband’s arm.

  Sammy cut his eyes toward his wife. Seeing the interaction between Sammy and Crystal removed any doubt in Gracie’s mind about the importance of her presence.

  “I’ll text you the address for the pharmacy in case we’re separated on the way to Atlanta,” Buddy said. “Dr. Simpson’s office is supposed to let me know if they receive any additional communication from them about Reagan. I’m going to go over strategy with Gracie and then give you a call. We should arrive with plenty of time to spare so we can discuss the situation with the employees of the store.”

  Gracie slipped into the passenger seat of Buddy’s vehicle. He pulled out of the parking space. Something rose up inside Gracie. “If it’s okay, I’m going to pray right now,” she said.

  “Go for it,” Buddy said with a sideways glance in her direction.

  Gracie’s prayer lasted all the way to the Clarksburg city limits. As she prayed, Buddy seemed to relax. He was able to take a few deep breaths and exhale. Gracie finished with an amen.

  “Can you think of anything else?” she asked when she finished.

  “No,” he said. “That worked for me. I was tied up in knots.”

  Over the next fifty miles, they discussed different scenarios that might arise with Reagan. Gracie was impressed by the creative ways Buddy suggested to respond to multiple contingencies.

  “Ready to call the Landrys?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  Buddy placed the call. Crystal was very interactive. Sammy didn’t say anything for quite a while.

  “Sammy, what do you think?” Buddy asked.

  “I don’t want to come across as harsh, but I think we should call the police and have them on the scene to arrest Reagan if she doesn’t want to come home with us voluntarily,” he replied. “They could take her to one of those places where they lock up minors for a night or two and teach her a lesson. A couple of nights should prove to her how much better life can be in Milton County.”

  Buddy looked at Gracie. He’d never seen this side of Sammy.

  “Sammy can’t take the unknown,” Crystal said. “We both want this nightmare to end, but I think you and Gracie should have a chance to see if you can convince Reagan to come home voluntarily. If we force her, I’m concerned she’ll run off again as soon as we turn our backs.”

  “Sammy mentioned the other day the possibility of Reagan spending part of the rest of the summer with her grandmother,” Buddy said. “Are you still willing to do that?”

  “She and Frances have a special relationship,” Sammy said, his voice softening. “I hate to dump that responsibility on Crystal’s mom, but she claims she’s up to the challenge.”

  Gracie looked at Buddy and nodded her head.

  “Okay, that will be something we’ll keep in the back of our minds if she’s willing to talk to us about it,” Buddy said.

  Crystal spoke: “Another thing you should know is that it takes Reagan time to reach a decision. She doesn’t make up her mind quickly.”

  “So you don’t think she ran away on the spur of the moment?” Gracie asked.

  “She had a plan,” Crystal responded. “Also, I have an older sister who lives in Atlanta. Polly knows we’re coming and can help if she’s needed. If Reagan doesn’t want to come home with us today, she might be willing to stay with Polly for a night or two before transitioning to my mother’s house. They’ve always been close.”

  They continued to talk for several minutes before ending the call.

  “What did you think?” Buddy asked Gracie.

  “That Reagan’s choices are ripping out her mother’s heart and pushing her father toward the breaking point.”

  “And the exploding point,” Buddy replied. “Sammy is an emotional guy, and he’s ready to go off on her. I may end up having to speak for Reagan in a way that sounds like I’m her lawyer. Otherwise, she’ll bolt because he’ll come across as attacking her.”

  They reached the outskirts of Atlanta. The city had been creeping outward for decades with no end in sight. Even in the middle of the day, traffic was heavy. So far, Sammy had stayed right behind Buddy. They took the exit for Ponce de Leon Avenue.

  “My heart is beating faster,” Gracie said.

  “Maybe you should pray again.”

  “No, I just need to believe what I prayed before we left Clarksburg.”

  When the pharmacy came into view, Gracie started looking for the best place for the Landrys to park so Reagan wouldn’t easily see their car.

  “Suggest the other side of the coffee shop,” she said.

  “Yeah, that should work. Any vehicle coming to the CVS would approach from this direction.”

  Buddy led the way to the spot. Sammy pulled in beside him and lowered his window.

  “We can’t see the entrance to the pharmacy,” Sammy said.

  “That’s safer,” Buddy replied. “Gracie is going to text you when Reagan arrives.”

  Gracie could see the anxiety on Crystal’s face through the open window.

  “Which won’t be for another hour,” Buddy continued. “Gracie and I are going inside to talk to some of the employees. I know it’s hard, but it’s best for you to wait here.”

  “Whatever you recommend,” Crystal replied.

  “You’re the boss,” Sammy added.

  Relieved at Sammy’s change in attitude, Buddy drove around the corner of the building and parked near the front of the store.

  “Are you nervous?” Gracie asked.

  “Yes, but let’s get started. My butterflies usually leave when I start trying a case.”

  Twenty-Six

  Buddy glanced around the store. The pharmacy department was toward the rear.

  “Let’s talk to the head pharmacist,” he said to Gracie.

  They walked down an aisle filled with decongestants and flu medicine. The store was busy, and there were three pharmacists on duty. Buddy saw the name badge for Vladimir Pushkin, the pharmacist who’d communicated with Dr. Simpson’s office. Buddy introduced himself.

  “Ms. Landry is supposed to return around two o’clock,” Buddy said. “When that happens, we’d like to talk to her. Do you have a place where we could do that?”

  “Is this her mother?” Pushkin asked.

  “No, a friend of the family who’s helping me.”

  “We don’t have a conference room,” the pharmacist said. “But I can give you access to the break room.”

  Pushkin disappeared for a moment, then opened a door near the back corner of the store. Down a hallway to the left was a simply furnished room with a round table, plastic chairs, and a kitchenette.

  “This is perfect,” Buddy said. “How can we keep from being interrupted?”

  “I’ll announce that it’s closed through the store intercom.”

  “Okay.”

  They were still standing in the break room when an announcement came over the intercom.

  “Vladimir, you have a customer waiting for you.”

  “Gotta go,” the pharmacist said.

  “We’ll hang out in the store and wait.”

  Buddy and Gracie stood before shelves of homeopathic and natural remedies. He picked up a bottle containing a substance intended to increase mental acuity and started reading the strange-sounding ingredients.

  “Buddy!” Gracie said in an intense whisper. “It’s Reagan!”

  Buddy turned around and saw Reagan at the counter waiting to speak to a pharmacist. She was wearing jeans, a loose-fitting shirt, and flip-flops. She’d added several piercings to her face and ears in the short time since leaving Milton County. Her hair was hanging down on her shoulders. Pushkin came up to her and looked in the direction of Buddy and Gracie. He said something to Reagan and turned back toward the shelves where they kept the medicines.

  “Let’s go,” Buddy said to Gracie. “You know what to do.”

  They started toward the young woman. Gracie was going to greet her in a quiet voice. They were six feet away when there was a loud cry from the middle of the store.

  “Reagan!”

  Buddy saw Sammy Landry standing in the greeting card aisle. Reagan turned and saw her father.

  “Please, baby! We want to talk to you!” Sammy called out.

  Reagan hesitated. Buddy and Gracie were now standing within a couple of feet of her.

  “That crazy man is stalking me!” she yelled at the pharmacy tech. “Call the police!”

  “No,” Buddy interjected. “That’s your father, and he just wants to know that you’re safe. I’ll ask him to leave if you agree to talk to me. You’re in a public place. No one is going to hurt you.”

  Reagan stared at Buddy and Gracie for a moment. Buddy could see Sammy approaching out of the corner of his eye.

  “Coach Blaylock?” Reagan asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

  “Stop!” Buddy said, holding out his hand toward Sammy.

  By this point everyone in the store was staring at them. Sammy stopped. Reagan looked at her father then Gracie. Buddy sensed the young woman was about to cry.

  Gracie stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice: “Reagan, I’m only here to make sure you’re okay. Nobody is going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  At that moment a slender blond-haired young woman about Reagan’s age appeared.

  “Let’s get out of here,” the blonde said brusquely to Reagan. “You don’t need the drama.”

  “Please,” Gracie cut in. “There doesn’t have to be any drama. All we want to do is talk to you for a few minutes.”

  Panic and confusion flashed across Reagan’s face. The blonde grabbed Reagan’s right hand, and in a split second the girls pushed their way past Buddy and Gracie and fled down the far aisle of the store. Buddy ran after them with Gracie behind him. The four of them went through the automatic doors in a row. The girls turned right and continued down the sidewalk. They couldn’t outrun Buddy and Gracie, who were directly behind them.

  “We’re going to have you arrested!” the blonde cried out.

  “Reagan, why are you running away?” Buddy asked. “Nobody is threatening you!”

  Reagan didn’t turn around. The girls reached a silver Cadillac SUV with heavily tinted windows. Buddy could see a young woman behind the wheel of the vehicle. Reagan jerked open one of the rear doors and hopped in. The blonde ran around to the front passenger seat, got in, and slammed the door behind her. The SUV shot out of the space and sped across the parking lot. At that point Sammy, who was breathing heavily, joined them.

  “Did you get the license plate number?” he asked as the SUV turned a corner and disappeared.

  “I did,” Gracie answered and quickly entered the information into her phone.

  Buddy was glad for Gracie’s prompt action, but his focus was on Sammy. “What were you thinking?” he asked, facing his client. “We’d agreed that you and Crystal would stay in the background until we called you in.”

  “I couldn’t sit in the car. I had to try. And then it seemed that Reagan had been standing at the counter for a long time, and I was worried that she’d leave before you and Gracie could talk to her.”

  “We were arranging a private place to talk to her,” Buddy said.

  “I didn’t know that,” Sammy answered, then pointed at the parking space where the Cadillac had been. “Whoever she’s hooked up with is telling her what to do.”

  “That may be true,” Gracie replied. “But Reagan was wavering. I could see it in her eyes.”

  Sammy didn’t say anything.

  “Where’s Crystal?” Gracie asked.

  “Over there,” Buddy said, pointing in the direction of the pharmacy.

  Crystal was walking rapidly toward them. “What happened?” she asked anxiously.

  Buddy waited for Sammy to answer. To his credit, Sammy told Crystal exactly what took place. She started to cry.

  “I’m afraid I messed it up,” he said forlornly. “It all happened so fast.”

  Gracie stepped over and hugged Crystal, who leaned into her shoulder and sobbed. Sammy stopped talking. They stood in silence for several moments. Gracie rubbed Crystal’s back until the grieving mother slowly pulled away.

  “This is just a first step,” Buddy said. “At least we know Reagan is in Atlanta.”

  “For now,” Crystal said in a quivering voice. “She might run off to the other side of the country.”

  “It’s possible,” Buddy admitted. “But Gracie got the license plate number for the vehicle she’s in. Detective Harkness just called. I’ll pass it along to her so she can track down the owner.”