Page 159 of Peaks and Promises

“Not yet. Nothing from Gunnar, either.”

“What do we do now?”

“We should check around and see if anyone has seen Nate. They had to have beat us here. Maybe they stopped for food, gas, something.”

“New shoes,” she said.

“Actually, that’s a good point. Although they probably got into town before most businesses were open.”

Since we were both sleep deprived, we grabbed coffee before setting out to search the town. We asked the baristas if they’d seen Nate, but they hadn’t.

The guy at the first gas station we came across had only been there for half an hour, and he hadn’t seen anything. We kept going and drove by a thrift store, but it was closed.

Food seemed like a probable option, especially if there were any restaurants that opened early. We didn’t see any fast-food chains on the map, but there was a bakery that had opened at six thirty, so we stopped there. Dead end. No one had seen him.

We got back in my SUV and Summer checked the map again. “There’s a diner that serves breakfast. They could have gone there. And there are a couple more gas stations.”

I nodded. My phone buzzed with a text. Hoping it was good news—or at least anything but bad news—I checked.

Garrett: Car found abandoned near Kellogg, ID. Local agency is searching the area in case they’re on foot.

I shook my head. So much for the Amber Alert. “The car they were in was found abandoned.”

“Where?”

“Kellogg, Idaho. They’re searching the area, but he probably just stole another car.”

She rubbed her hands up and down her face. “They could be anywhere.”

“No, not anywhere. Idaho means we were right, and they were heading east. Dumping the car just means he’s being careful.” I looked out over the street. “They’re here somewhere.”

“We should check this breakfast place. Locals hang out in diners. Maybe someone knows a Gunderson.”

I nodded while Summer relayed the directions. It was only a few streets away. Seemed like the town was even smaller than Tilikum.

We pulled up outside the diner. An open sign hung in the window and a handful of cars were parked out front.

Inside, it smelled like buttery toast and coffee. My stomach rumbled. As much as I didn’t want to take the time, food was probably a good idea.

“Maybe we should get something to eat,” Summer said, echoing my thought.

“That’s what I was just thinking.” No sleep was one thing, but no sleep and no food was going to catch up with me. With us.

A sign said seat yourself, so we chose a booth next to one of the front windows. A server came and poured coffee while we glanced at the menu.

“Meat omelet,” I said. “No hash browns, no toast.”

The server—a young guy with a sparse mustache—blinked in surprise.

“We’re in a hurry,” I said.

“Sure, no problem,” he said. “What about you, miss?”

“Can I just get a plate of bacon?”

“Yeah, of course. Anything else?”

“That’s it.” She met my eyes and shrugged. “Nothing else sounds good.”