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I ran toward Pixie and hopped onto her back. I kicked her sides, lurching her toward the other side of the property. I could hear Paul hollering for Elsie as I kept my eyes peeled. But Delia and I had just rode around this property. If Elsie had been out there, I would’ve seen her.
I pulled out my cell phone and called the last person I knew to call. I was going to need everyone’s help in tracking down what the hell had happened to my sister. My hands were shaking as I twisted my hand into Pixie’s mane, her legs running as fast as she could as my phone rang in my ear.
“Drake! How’s every—”
“I need you to call road security and get the streets blocked off,” I said.
“Drake. What’s going on?” Hank asked.
“Elsie’s missing. She’s not in the house, and the more I gallop around the ranch the more I think she’s not out here, either. Delia’s checking the barns and Tammy’s double checking the house, but she’s not here, Hank. Something’s wrong.”
“I’m calling everyone I can now. Gimme ten minutes to get people out there.”
“Make it five,” I said.
I met up with Paul in the middle of the property and we ran through the fields. Straight down the middle, not giving a shit as to what we were trampling in the process. Hank kept sending me text messages, updating me on the road security crew and when they had things blocked off. My eyes were darting around the property, looking for any sign of Elsie at all.
“She’s not out here,” Paul said. “And these horses need water.”
I could hear Pixie whinnying underneath me as her muscles began to twitch.
“She’s not out here,” Paul said again. “She’s not.”
I stopped in the middle of my two hundred acres and screamed her name. I screamed myself hoarse as the sound of sirens flooded my ears, with lights flashing in my vision back up at the house. I looked over at Paul as our horses began to grow weak, buckling underneath us as I felt them rocking on their legs.
“Come on. Let’s get them back to the barn,” I said.
CHAPTER 36
Delia
The clock said it was night time, but it sure as hell didn’t feel like it. Drake’s entire yard was lit up with floodlights. The cops were setting up grids to do a formal search after Hank’s troops couldn’t find Elsie at the back of the property. I went inside to comfort Tammy.
One minute she was crying and the next minute she was catatonic, staring out the window at all the lights and police officers directing people on what to do. Everyone was in the house, looking at pictures of Elsie as dogs sniffed around for her scent. Drake kept handing off articles of clothing to the K-9 units, hoping they could pick up on some sort of scent trail.
“They’re gonna find her. I promise,” I said.
I rubbed Tammy’s back as silent tears poured down her face. Paul and Drake were still galloping around the property, just in case Elsie came out of some makeshift hiding place. I could feel Tammy trembling underneath my ministrations. I had to try and keep her calm. I had to try and keep her from falling apart. Because when we found Elsie, she was going to need Tammy’s comfort. No matter how scared we were, Elsie was ten times more scared.
And she would need her rock when we found her.
Outside of comforting Tammy, I didn’t know what to do. So, I defaulted to the one thing my mother used to do when people would come over. I kept the drinks and food flowing. The coffee pot was constantly brewing coffee and I had hot water for those who wanted tea. I set out honey and creamer and sugar and kept chopping up fruits and vegetables for people to eat. I found things to bake a couple of casseroles and heated up some leftover pizza. Anything I could put on the kitchen table and on the porch to keep everyone refueled and ready for action.
Because no one was leaving here until Elsie was found.
I placed my hand on my stomach as the twelfth pot of coffee started to brew. Tammy was sitting next to me on the porch, mindlessly sipping her tea. She was out of it again.
The hours rolled by and Elsie was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t at the creek, she wasn’t in the woods, and she hadn’t surfaced on the property. Night time blended into the morning as the sun just started breaking over the trees, taunting us with the time that had passed without Elsie’s presence.
And it was the sunrise that caused Tammy to begin crying again.
Reaching out for her hand, I took it within mine. I could feel her trembling as her tea mug clattered to the ground. It shattered against the porch, ricocheting glistening ceramic everywhere as I stood to my feet. I pulled her into me, holding her close as her hands dug into my back.
Then, I heard it.
I heard Drake shouting from across the road.
“I found her! I’ve got Elsie!”
