Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad Page B

arranged around it. A natural lace runner ran the length of the table and a vase stood in the middle with blue plastic flowers. Along the left wall, there was a glass-topped buffet and on the right a large photo of ayoung blonde girl Edith had said earlier was her daughter, Doris, taken some forty years ago.
    Edith had no sooner turned on the light than the sheriff and Conrad came through the archway leading from the living room. The sheriff took off his Stetson and Conrad started taking off his jacket.
    The lawman looked serious so Katrina figured this was not a good report.
    “Please, have a seat,” Edith said to everyone.
    The sheriff sat on one side of the table and Katrina was pleased that Conrad sat on the side with her and Edith. He sat to her left; Edith to her right. Katrina took a deep breath. Her nephews were upstairs watching a cartoon video with Charley so she didn’t need to worry about them. She was not surprised when Edith reached out and took a hand, but then when Conrad took her other hand she almost burst into tears.
    The lawman took her cell phone out of his pocket and handed it back to her.
    He didn’t say anything, though.
    Everyone was silent for a few moments.
    “Do you mind if we pray first?” Edith asked the sheriff and then looked at Katrina with a worried face. “I won’t if you’d rather not, but—”
    “No, it’s fine,” Katrina mumbled. She didn’t think it would make any difference, but if it made Edith feel as if she was doing everything she could, Katrina would not stop her. She barely got her eyes closed before the older woman began.
    “Our Father,” Edith said with so much intimatewarmth in her voice Katrina almost opened her eyes to see if someone had entered the small room. “We need Your help for our beloved Katrina and her sister and brother-in-law. We pray for Your protection to surround them, Father, wherever they are today. Give the sheriff and his colleagues what they need to know to unravel the troubles at the Rain Tree household. Be with us all as only You can be. In the name of Jesus, Our Precious Lord and Savior, amen.”
    No one said anything as they opened their eyes and settled back into where they were.
    Finally, the sheriff cleared his throat. “They ran the tests on the blood from the doorjamb. It’s not yours.” He looked at Katrina. “And it doesn’t seem to match either Leanne’s or Walker’s, either.”
    Katrina took a deep breath. “So I’m cleared?”
    “Let’s just say you are continuing to be less of a person of interest in the case—if there is a case,” the sheriff said with a small smile. “We’re not any closer to figuring out what happened, though.”
    “There haven’t been any reports on my car?” Katrina asked. “I have a feeling if we find the car we will find Leanne.”
    “I put up that sign we talked about,” Conrad said. “Right by the Dry Creek exit. But no one strange has driven into town.”
    “And it takes time to locate a car using an all-points bulletin,” the sheriff said.
    “Not around here it doesn’t,” Katrina muttered. “When I drove Leanne’s car into Dry Creek, thesepeople were all over it. It can’t have been reported stolen for more than a few hours at that time.”
    “Well, not every town has a neighborhood watch like those men at the hardware store,” the sheriff said with a quick grin before turning serious again. “I wish they did. In the meantime, I’m wondering if you’d let me look in Leanne’s car. Maybe there’s a clue there. Even something as simple as a gas receipt might help.”
    Katrina nodded. “Of course. The keys are at Conrad’s station where he keeps the keys of the cars he’s working on. There’s a yellow disc at the top of the key chain that advertises some hotel.”
    “Maybe—” the sheriff began.
    But Katrina was already shaking her head. “That hotel is in Texas and the key chain is old. Leanne would have told me if she was going that far away. There’s