Page 136 of Sterling Stone

“Taxi, slow down, baby. Take a breath.” I wait a beat. “Where are you?”

Panic surges inside, as if I know the answer before she gives it.

“I’m driving, searching for him.”

“How? Do you know where he went?”

“No.” She breathes out, exasperation seeming to hit her as hard as it hits me. “He could be anywhere,” she whispers again.

“Okay, look, first, where is Trudy?” We need to hope that Trudy stays put, so Simon can call her. She still has a landline despite the popular use of cell phones. Simon has his, although apparently, he hasn’t been answering it.

“She’s at home. Jolene is with her. Trudy called Judd. Jolene is calling the school.” Taxi exhales. “Perfect attendance. He doesn’t want to miss a day.”

Her voice lifts, hopeful that me might head to the school and I hear her blinker through the speaker of her phone.

“I’ll head there now.”

“Okay, good. But I don’t like you being on the road.” She sounds distraught, and I don’t want her getting into an accident because she’s searching the roadside and side streets instead of paying attention to traffic.

“I have to do something,” she snaps at me.

I wait another heartbeat, knowing her anger isn’t with me. Not directly. She’s upset because Simon is missing.

I need to call Judd, maybe Simon headed toward him. It’d be a long walk, but not impossible Simon went in that direction.

“Can you tell me more about the fight?”

I’ve already tucked my wallet in my back pocket, adjusted my belt and holster, and I head for the front door, listening.

“We fought about Simon. Jolene doesn’t think he should stay with Trudy.”

“Why the fuck would she say that?” My voice rises as I reach my truck and climb inside, switching my cell from handheld to speaker in the truck.

“You still there,” I ask, always worried I’ve disconnected someone. I reverse out of my driveway and head toward the sheriff’s office.

“Yeah. Jolene . . . she said Trudy was too old to raise another child.”

“She’s not even seventy,” I argue.

“That’s what Trudy said.” A faint smile fills Taxi’s voice, and I can almost hear Trudy defending her age.

“So, just to reiterate, you and Jolene had a fight, Trudy overheard. What about Simon?”

Taxi remains quiet another second. “I need to back up. I agreed with Jolene.” Then she rushes on. “Only for a second. I agreed that Trudy should be in her golden years, traveling or visiting others.”

“Who does she have to visit?” I question, thinking I know everything there is to know about Trudy Wallace. Other than distant cousins, her siblings have all passed. Her older brother dead. Her younger sister gone. Most of her foster children are scattered, and most don’t have children of their own. Simon’s the only grandchild of sorts I’d ever heard about.

“No one,” Taxi breathily admits. “Everyone important to her is in Sterling Falls.”

I sigh, knowing the sensation. “So tell me again. Did Simon hear the argument?”

“I don’t know,” Taxi sighs, frustration in her voice. “But he could have. Jolene wasn’t exactly quiet, even though I told her to hush.”

I smile, imagining Taxi scolding her younger sister, although they are both around forty.

“So, he was last seen around nine o’clock last night. Items missing,” I confirm. “And an argument about him. What time was the argument?”

Taxi calculates. “Around the time I got home, so maybe nine-thirty?”