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“Annie?”Stunned, Jolie closed her eyes. Of all the kids she knew, surely Annie wouldn’t have done something so stupid.
“Two of the girls took cosmetics. One of the boys slid a magazine inside his jacket. Agnes said she’s been noticing stock disappearing for some time and had become suspicious of the after-school crowd. She’s had her clerks watching.”
“I can’t believe Annie would do that.”
Rafe gave a short laugh. “The kids all denied it, of course. But they did have the merchandise.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Annie tells me you’re a good friend of her dad’s.”
“We’re neighbors.”
“She says that he calls you if he’s running late, because she and Charlie often hang around your clinic after school. You’ve helped him out a time or two.”
“That’s right.”
“If he calls, let him know that he needs to come to my office to get his daughter. I hope he gets back in good time. I’ve made reservations at a dinner theater for Thea and me in Bozeman, and I hope to leave the office early.”
“Calving must be slowing down a little. Are you going out to celebrate?”
Rafe cleared his throat. “Well, not exactly...”
Jolie could hear the tinge of embarrassment in his voice.
“It’s our...uh...three-month anniversary.”
Despite her best effort, a chuckle escaped. “You old romantic.” From the pause that followed, she guessed that the deputy sheriff of Garrett Bluff didn’t want it widely known. “My sister is a lucky woman.”
“No. I’m the one who’s lucky.” Rafe’s voice grew husky. “And there just hasn’t been much time to let her know.”
Hearing the emotion in his voice, Jolie guessed that he’d already shown it in many ways, in many small acts of affection and caring.
Jolie felt the empty place in her own heart expand. What would it be like to share life with someone who loved you that much?
“Let me come and get Annie. It’s almost four-thirty, and this way you might be able to finish up on time and get going. I’ll see that Matt brings her back in.”
“I shouldn’t do that.”
“Look, you certainly know Annie will be safe in my custody. As I said, she’s scheduled for an appointment with me now, anyway. And I can promise that Matt will take this very, very seriously. Please—I want Thea to have a wonderful night out with you.”
The last plea did it. As soon as he capitulated, Jolie headed for the front door of the clinic. The sheriff’s office was in the basement of the courthouse, just two blocks up Main. An easy walk...one that would give her time to talk to Annie on the way back.
At the front desk, Irene was seated at the computer with Mandy beside her, learning to do invoices. Both heads looked up in surprise at her rapid approach.
“Irene, I’ve got to leave for a few minutes. If Matt Dawson calls, tell him to call again in an hour, okay? I need to talk to him.”
ANNIE SAT ONthe bench in the sheriff’s office. The other kids had already gone, picked up by parents who’d shown up right away. Dad hadn’t answered his cell phone, and she had no idea where he was.
She felt so cold. So alone. So sick with dread.
The deputy had said the old witch at the drugstore might press charges. What would happen then? Reform school? Her name and picture in the newspaper?Jail?
No one had believed that she’d bought the lipstick in her purse. Without the receipt, she couldn’t prove it, and she couldn’t remember which clerk had sold it to her the week before. Even if she could, how would a clerk remember one small item that many customers ago?
Feeling a little woozy, she dug into her backpack for a package of saltine crackers and started nibbling them, though even the thought of eating made her stomach churn.
Dad is going to kill me,she thought miserably.He’ll yell for a week straight, and then he’s going to kill me.
