Page 137 of Sterling Stone

Had it been that late? Had Taxi and I lingered in bed that long? When I consider what we’d done, how I kissed her by the dining room table, and then laid her out on it, among her paints and brushes, thinking I’d only get her off first. But then we ended up in the bedroom, and I confessed my greatest sin . . .

The sky had been dark. It had been late.

“Okay.” I clear my throat. “Has anyone called the department?”

“I-I don’t know.” Taxi’s distrust rang through her hesitation. “I called you first.”

Something swells in my chest. Relief that her first thought was me. That she remembered I’m always here for her, no matter what.

“Maybe Jolene could call a few of his friends, see if any of the other kids have heard from Simon. You said Judd knows?”

“Trudy called him.”

“Good. I’m gonna call this in, and then I’ll start searching as well.”

“Where?” Taxi asks.

“Everywhere.” I turn a corner. “You keep to the school and then double back. Be careful, Taxi. Watch the road. Traffic.”

“Yes, Sheriff Stone.” A tiny tease registers. The slight edge of relief because humor might be the only thing she can grasp right now. Her nephew is missing.

“We’ll find him, Taxi,” I state, confident, determined. I will not let anything happen to that child.

“Thank you.” She exhales. “Stone, I . . .”

“Later,” I state. “We can talk later. Simon is the priority.”

“Yes.” In my head, I see her nod, agreeing with me.

“I’ll call you back in a bit,” I say as I reach my office, setting my truck in Park. The first parking space is reserved for me. “Be safe, Tallulah.”

We hang up without saying goodbye. It’s almost a relief. I’m not ready to say goodbye to her.

Simon is the first priority.

Stomping into the department, I’m a man on a mission. “Crupkey. Crowley.” I bark as I enter the bullpen and head straight for my office. The two young deputies lurch out of their chairs and follow me. When we enter my office, I tell them to close the door. I pace behind my desk.

“We have a missing person. Amber alert. A child. Simon Gilbert. Age ten. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Last seen last night around nine.” Fuck. It isn’t much to go on.

The two are scrambling to type notes on their devices.

“Family members are contacting the school, friends, and important family members.” I pause looking at Crupkey, his name not lost on me. He takes the heat for having a famous last name related to a fictional cop in a classic musical.

“My family members,” I reiterate. “Simon is close to my brother Judd.” I rattle off Judd’s address. “I’m going to assume he might have gone there.”

Crowley lowers his tablet. “Boss, is the kid missing?” he hesitates. “Or did he run away?”

“What’s the difference?” I snap, knowing that voluntarily leaving his home isn’t the same as being taken involuntarily. Either way, a ten-year-old is out there somewhere, having possibly left in the dark. The mountain nights are growing colder as autumn approaches. Even if Simon knows his way to Judd’s, any number of things could have happened to him. He’s on foot.

Brown bears. Mountain lions. Another person.

Crowley and I meet eyes. My hands rest on my hips. “There was a possible kidnapping in Wrightwood.” Several cities away, a child went missing weeks ago. His shoe turned up in a field near Sterling Falls.

My stomach drops to the floor.

“We need to find Simon.” My fists clench at my sides. “Now,” I bark when I hardly ever raise my voice. My team is a good group. They work hard. They show compassion, empathy for others, and self-reflection.

I won’t ever allow another Andy Whitehall to work for me. My department is clean.