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“Nice to see you, Colonel and Mrs. Sinclair.” Cass waved.
“Bye, Mum. Dad,” Lyle called as they walked away.
Cass pulled to a halt when they were out of sight of his parents. “Are you really returning to active duty?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know. Look, we have a fun day planned and I don’t want to talk about that. Let’s concentrate on putting up a tree.”
Cass studied him a moment then smiled brightly. “Works for me.”
He would miss that smile when she returned to America. A stab of pain shot through him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He didn’t, wouldn’t, do long distance. It didn’t work. He’d learned that the hard way. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from holding onto what time he had left with her.
Cass came to another sudden stop at a stall selling Christmas-tree skirts. She fingered a navy one with silver stars sewn closer to the trunk of the tree and sloping mounds of white depicting snowy mountains. Was she thinking of the night he had found her sitting on the rock wall? Lyle smiled. Even then he had been captivated by her.
“Get it, if you want it.” He pulled out his wallet.
“I wasn’t asking you to buy it.” She gave him a concerned look.
He gave her an indulgent smile. “I know that, but every good tree needs a skirt.”
A few minutes later they left. Cass carried their purchases with a happy look on her face.
On their way back to his cottage they stopped at a place on the outskirts of the village to buy a tree. He had to remind Cass that his ceilings weren’t that high when she admired a ten-foot tree. With an exaggerated expression of disappointment, she located a six-foot tree that he still hoped would fit through his doors. Cass’s happiness with her choice made him keep his concerns to himself.
They made one more stop at a shop and bought a tree stand and lights. They spent the remainder of the day putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it. Done, they switched off the main lights and sat by the fire with a hot cup of tea.
Cass laid her head on his shoulder. “What kinds of family Christmas traditions does your family have?”
“You already know about the Christmas pudding. One year when I was off on the other side of the world Mum posted one to me. I hate to admit I was pretty lonely that year.”
Cass said softly, “It was the year you got the letter.”
For once the mention of what had happened to him didn’t include pain. “It was. I sliced the pudding and shared it with the patients in my unit and we had a right fine celebration.”
Lyle looked at Cass. To his amazement she had tears in her eyes. “What’s all this about?”
She took his hand and tenderly rubbed it. “I just hate to think of you away by yourself at Christmas.”
“Aw, honey, I’m home now. My Christmases are happy. This one will be especially so with this tree.” What he didn’t say was that he wished she would be there as well. He wouldn’t think about that; instead he would enjoy what he had at this moment. She would be leaving soon. They had an agreement. Still the need to keep her there pulled at him.
A heavy knock at the front door broke the moment. Lyle opened it to find one of the local police officers standing there.
“Lyle, a five-year-old girl has gone missing. She wandered off from the market. We need your help to search.”
“Missing?” The low sound of Cass’s voice held a looming note of fear.
He forced himself to concentrate on what the policeman was saying. Cass he would soothe later. “How long has she been gone?”
“Two and a half hours.” The policeman was wasting no time in giving answers.
His next question made him sick to ask but it was necessary. “Do you believe someone has taken her?”
The man’s lips thinned. “Right now, no, but we’re ruling out no possibilities.”
“What do I need to do?”
“We’ve made a grid of the area.” He handed him a map. “We need you to look here.” He pointed to a square.
Cass came to stand in front of Lyle. “Do you have a piece of the child’s clothing?” she asked in a determined voice. “I can help.”
“You are?”
“This is Cass Bellow. She’s trained in search and rescue,” Lyle offered.
Cass let him say no more. “Time’s of the essence. Do you have something or not?”
The officer glanced at Lyle. He nodded. “I can get something.”
“Then we’ll meet you at the market cross in twenty minutes.” She made that announcement, turned and started putting on her coat.
“We’ll see you then,” Lyle said.
The officer looked unsure, but nodded and left.
Lyle closed the door and asked Cass, “What’re you thinking?”
“One of the dogs at the center has past search and rescue training. I’ve been working with him. He knows me. He might be able to help.” She wrapped her scarf around her neck.
Lyle had to admire her. Working with a dog on a search had to take all her fortitude. For her to even volunteer said something about what kind of person she was. “You sure you can handle that?”
“Don’t really have a choice. A child is missing.” She jerked her hat down around her ears and opened the door.
“Hey, wait for me.” Lyle snatched up his scarf and hat and hurried after her.
CHAPTER NINE
“KOMM!” CASS COMMANDED Hero out of his pen at the canine center. She had made friends with him over the past couple of weeks so she had no trouble encouraging him to come to her. As he exited the cage she clipped on the leash. “Fuss.” Hero walked beside her to Lyle’s car.
He opened the door and Cass said, “Komm,” and Hero jumped into the backseat.
Less than a minute later they were on their way into Cluchlochry.
Cass clutched her hands in her lap. It hadn’t been long since she’d had an assignment and worked with a dog, yet it seemed like years. She was a bundle of nerves. What if she broke down? What if they couldn’t find the girl? What if...? All that fear and sadness that had held her heart in a vise had returned. If Rufus was here she’d have no doubts about locating the girl but she didn’t know Hero well or his abilities. Still, she had to try.
Lyle drove faster than the speed limit, but every minute mattered. Hero sat calmly in the backseat of the car. Lyle pulled into a parking space close to the market cross. With the market over for the day, there were plenty available.
The policeman who had come to Lyle’s cottage was waiting. As soon as they joined him, he handed Lyle a small orange jacket. “I understand she was wearing this earlier today.”
“So she has no coat on?” Lyle asked, concern lacing his words.
Cass shivered as much from the cold as from her fear for the little girl.
The officer’s face was grim as he said, “From what her parents tell me, she’s wearin
g a jumper, jeans and boots. We don’t know if she still has gloves on or a hat, or anything like that.”
“Then we need to worry about exposure as well.” Cass’s words were flat and to the point.
“I’ll get a thermal blanket and my medical bag out of the car.” Lyle wasted no time in doing so.
“May I see the jacket?” Cass reached out her hand.
The policeman handed it to her and she knelt so that Hero could get a good sniff of the clothing.
Lyle returned with a satchel on his hip, the strap across his chest. He looked at her. “Ready?”
“Yes. You have a blanket?”
He patted the satchel and clicked on a large torch.
She gave the command to find. “Voran.”
Hero started off across the village square with his nose close to the ground. Cass followed and Lyle was close behind.
Hero led them down a side street and out into a lane. Cass remained encouraged because he acted as if he had located a scent.
Her hand stayed on the leash as they continued walking at a brisk pace. Well outside the village Hero headed off the road and onto a path.
“It looks like he’s taking us to the ruins,” Lyle said, walking close beside her.
Her leg began to burn as the gradient grew steeper. She would push through it; she had no choice. When she faltered, Lyle supported her with a hand on her forearm. “Let me take the lead. I know this path.”
“Okay. I’ll let Hero go off leash.” She unclipped the dog and he moved ahead of them.
Lyle took her hand and they worked their way up the path. It became more difficult to maneuver the closer to the Heatherglen Keep ruins they climbed.
Occasionally Hero would stop and look back at them. He acted impatient for them to join him. He didn’t have the same trouble with the steep terrain. Soon Cass’s leg went from aching to really hurting but she wouldn’t let on. She was the expert in this work. A little girl’s life depended on her.
Now that the sun had gone down it was pitch black. There was no natural light from the moon. Making matters worse was the fact that clouds were rolling in. It would snow tonight.
