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Gina turned to her son. “Cade, go get Betsy’s stuffed kitty.” She glanced at Ellie. “She’s obsessed with cats.”
Ellie offered an understanding smile.
The boy ran inside the cabin, then returned a minute later carrying a white stuffed cat. His hand trembled as he handed it to Cord.
“Thanks, man,” Cord said. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
The boy shifted onto the balls of his feet. Cord gave him an encouraging pat then strode over to the search team. A minute later they fanned out in different directions, Cord and Benji leading the way.
Ellie addressed the family again. “Tell me exactly what happened. When did you last see your daughter?”
Gina cleared her throat. “We spent the day playing in the lake and had dinner out here, then I was cleaning up in the kitchen.”
Ken pinched the bridge of his nose. “Cade and I went down to the cove to fish.”
“I thought Betsy was with them,” Gina said miserably.
“And I thought she was inside with my wife,” Ken said. “The fish weren’t biting so half an hour later, we gave it up and came back,” Ken said. “The minute we realized Betsy was gone, we started looking.”
“What if she fell in the water?” Gina cried.
“Would she go swimming without one of you?” Ellie asked.
“She knows not to.” The father stood. “It’s our number one rule. No one swims alone.”
The boy looked away for a minute and Ellie’s skin prickled. “Cade? Do you know where your sister is?”
He shook his head. “Betsy likes to wander off,” he said, eyes fearful as he gazed over the murky water. Dried leaves and twigs bobbed in a ripple created by a passing boat. The water was unusually low, the grass on the bank dying. Brown leaves and twigs floated on the surface.
“Ranger McClain is the best tracker I know,” Ellie assured him. “We’ll find her.”
Although, even as she said it, doubts crept in. Betsy could have fallen into the lake. Drownings happened here every summer. There was also another possibility…
“Did you see anyone else around here today?” she asked.
Gina’s face grew pinched. “Another family was here picnicking,” she said.
“But they left before we had dinner,” Ken added.
“Anyone who looked suspicious?” Ellie asked. “Someone who showed a special interest in Betsy?”
Fear flashed across both the couple’s faces. Cade sidled up to his father, his face paling.
A sob escaped Gina and her legs buckled. Her husband helped her to one of the folding lounge chairs by the firepit. “Oh, my God,” she wailed, “do you think someone took our little girl?”
Ellie couldn’t answer that. If she was lost, they would find her.
But if she’d been abducted, she could be long gone by now.
NINE
Lorna Bea couldn’t tear her eyes away from the commotion at the lake. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air. Hear a note of fear in the voices. The woman had been crying. She and a man shouting.
Then other people had showed up and everyone started yelling and moving along the edge of the dark lake as if searching for someone.
The man in the hoodie darted between the trees. She tried to follow his movements but lost him in the patches of overgrown weeds and bushes.
The voices came again. More movement. This time frantic. “Betsy? Where are you, honey?”
