Come Dark by Steven F. Havill Page A

easily, and offered a smile. “But who knows? How’s little Adrianna doing? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
    â€œWonderful. I’m afraid one of these mornings I’m going to wake up and find out that she’s a teenager.”
    Estelle laughed. “That’ll happen, Eddie.”
    He shook his head in bewilderment. “We got another one in the pod…did we tell you that?”
    â€œHow exciting!”
    â€œGrandparents are nuts enough with one. Imagine with two, huh?”
    â€œAnd due when?”
    â€œEarly spring. I don’t know how you do it with those two of yours. They must keep you hopping!”
    â€œThey make life easier for me, actually. You’ll see.”
    â€œIs the concert kid coming home for the big party?”
    â€œWe thought he was. But it turns out he has a recital at school that he can’t miss, a bunch of paperwork, all kinds of things. He really wants to come, you know. Both he and Carlos are really close to their grandmother. And a hundredth birthday is a rare event. He hates to miss it, but…” she shrugged… “he has to do what he has to do.”
    â€œWish your mom my best, all right?”
    â€œI will do that.”
    â€œDo you want me to have Dana give you a call when she gets home?”
    â€œYes, please. And if you have the phone number for her folks, I’d appreciate that, too.”
    â€œAnd ditto Stacie, if I see her? I mean, usually I do, but not always.”
    Estelle smiled. “Sure. Why not.”
    With one more base to cover, Estelle drove back to the Sheriff’s Department and woke up her computer, then called Todd Stewart. He answered on the first ring.
    â€œWhat’d you find out?” he asked immediately.
    â€œThat Stacie did not have lunch with Dana, at least not at the Don Juan, sir. I’m told that Dana and her daughter went to Las Cruces to visit her mother. I’ll be checking in with her in just a minute. What I need from you is Stacie’s e-mail address.”
    â€œHer e-mail?”
    â€œShe isn’t answering her cell phone, but who knows? We might get lucky. Some folks live with their e-mail.”
    â€œWell sure. I’m probably one of ’em, in my business.” He rattled off the address. “What if she doesn’t answer? I mean, what do we do in a case like this? I mean, if she doesn’t come right back?”
    â€œThen we try to find her.”
    His silence sounded miserable. Finally, voice diminished, he asked, “When these things happen…I mean…is there…?” that was as far as he could marshal his thoughts.
    â€œMr. Stewart, it isn’t rare when someone decides to take a walk, for whatever reason, or whatever complicated flock of reasons. I know that sounds harsh, but you need to know that.”
    â€œSomebody might have…abducted her?”
    â€œThat’s also a possibility. I personally think, given the circumstances, that an abduction is unlikely. The store was reasonably crowded, and the staff witnessed no altercation of any kind. Stacie is fit and strong. And she knew her child was outside in the locked car. Her being abducted just isn’t likely.”
    â€œThen what is likely?”
    â€œAt this point, I wouldn’t want to speculate, sir.” It would be easy enough to tap into the small-town gossip vine, where some helpful soul might supply several possible answers to Stewart’s question.
    â€œShe might have just left, you mean?”
    â€œThat is a possibility that we’re exploring.”
    â€œBut she left Ginger in the car.”
    â€œYes, she did. But we don’t know the why, Mr. Stewart. We know that the child and puppy were left in the car, that’s right. But we don’t know all of the circumstances.”
    The phone fell silent for a moment, and Estelle let the man think. “What should I do?”
    â€œStay home with Ginger. Stay near the phone.