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“I can handle both of those here in the office. Anu won’t have to worry about others hearing she might have a problem. I’ll do the ultrasound myself and the CA-125 will be part of her screening. I pray you’re wrong.”
“Me too.” Jon rose and shook Ben’s hand. “I’d ask to stay in the loop, but that’s Anu’s call.”
“She’ll let you know. Anu isn’t one to hide her trials.” He glanced at his watch. “If you head over to the Suomi now, you’ll catch her having breakfast. Enjoy the pulla.”
“I have celiac so that’s out for me,” Jon said without thinking.
When the doctor’s smile dropped, Jon realized he’d just let the doctor know he was Kylie’s father. The guy was smart. He would put two and two together.
He beat a hasty retreat and headed over to the café, where he saw Anu sitting with Max Reardon at a back booth. Seeing Max there made Jon pause. Should he say anything in front of him? Anu seemed to have stars in her eyes around him.
He started to back out, but she saw him and lifted her hand. The place was bustling as usual, but he saw no one familiar as he made his way to her. “Hi there. Mind if I join you?”
Anu’s eyes brightened. “Good morning. It is good to see you. You know Max.”
“Good morning.” He nodded at the older man and sat across from them in the booth. He waited until he could order coffee as well as scrambled eggs and bacon, no toast. “I have something, um, upsetting to talk to you about, Anu. I hope you won’t think I’m prying or am out of line. It’s personal, and we can discuss it privately if you want.”
Max stiffened, and his brown eyes went flat. Protective instincts or anger?
Anu put her hand on Max’s arm. “I have no secrets from Max.” Her blue eyes took him in steadily. “I would never think you are prying. What is your concern? Is it about Bree or the children?”
He shook his head and reached across the table to take her hand. He spread her fingers out. “See that purplish rash? It’s called dermatomyositis. It’s a rare inflammatory disorder. I wouldn’t be unduly concerned except for the way Milo has been acting around you and the bloating I noticed in your stomach. It’s most likely nothing, but I’ve asked Dr.Eckright to check you for ovarian cancer, just to be safe.”
Max inhaled and leaned forward. “You can’t be serious. That seems an unlikely thing to worry her about.”
“It’s unlikely,” Jon agreed. “But it’s worth checking out. Milo’s mother was trained to detect cancer by smell. I think Milo might have picked up that ability.”
Anu still had not spoken, and color came back to her pale face. “What has he done? I have not noticed.”
“He tries to burrow against your stomach. That’s when I noticed the bloating. I don’t want you to worry, but I’ll feel better if you get checked. Dr.Eckright can do an ultrasound and a blood test that will tell us a lot. If it happens to be ovarian cancer, we’ve most likely caught it very early, which is good.”
He tried to make his words reassuring, but the shock registered in her face. Her warm fingers held on to his like a lifeline, and he wished he hadn’t had to mention it.
She took a deep breath and pulled her hand away to reach for Max’s. “I thank you for your concern, Jon. It is very brave of youto intervene. Most people would not have cared enough. I will do as you say and see Ben right away. And I will pray for God’s will, whatever that is.”
She was such a strong and brave woman. Jon intended to pray along with her for God’s mercy.
Eighteen
It was a good day for a search. They’d come back to the area where they’d found Shainya. Even this morning, Annie had spotted cougar scat and tracks. Maybe they’d get lucky.
Annie had taken the soiled sheet from Michelle’s car for a scent for the dogs, and she prayed it turned up something. Bree and Samson took the lead while Annie and Jon followed close behind. Naomi and Charley headed the other direction. The SAR team had been together for over ten years, and the golden’s great nose matched Samson’s.
Mason had called first thing this morning with the info Shainya’s mother had given them about a missing seventeen-year-old girl on an illegal moose hunt. The girl had never been found, but the sheriff up that way discounted the idea that anything sinister had happened. On occasion accidents occurred in the North Woods, and people never came back from an adventure. Nothing strange to see, according to the sheriff.
“Was Kylie okay with being left behind today?” Jon asked.
Annie swatted away a black fly. “Lauri agreed to keep all the kids. They love her. She was going to take them swimming.” Kade’s sister’s maturity had come a long way the past few years, and she was good with the children.
Would the dogs find a scent today, or would this search befor nothing? Even finding a cam with some images would help them.
The sound of a glad bark came from up ahead. “I think Samson has a scent!”
The dog’s prowess was renowned in the US—in the world really. Bree had flown with him to several countries after disasters, and the success of his nose was unsurpassed. Annie tried to temper her hope. There was no telling if they’d find Michelle alive. Or if they’d find her at all.
She and Jon broke into a run to catch up with Bree and her dog. She caught a glint of Bree’s red hair before she disappeared into the trees. “That way.” She jogged to the left.
Her breath burned in her lungs by the time she was five feet behind Bree. Jon breathed heavily beside her, too, but the exertion would be worth it if they found anything. A long howl came moments later, and Annie’s heart seized.
