Love To The Rescue (16 page)

Chapter 11

By the first Monday in September, autumn hovered around the corner. But Amy would never have known it by the mercury in the outdoor thermometer nailed to her deck.

The neighborhood kids were days away from returning to school. Everyone in Amy’s circle of friends had returned to the city from cottages and holiday vacations. There would be no more spur-of-the-moment backyard parties, no more lazy days at the beach. And Amy loved the idea of returning to a normal routine.

However, hosting her annual Labor Day backyard barbecue was Amy’s favorite party of the year. At least thirty of her writing pals, friends from the food bank, or lifelong friends like Leslie and their families attended. Guests lounged in her back lawn, played croquet, or tossed a Frisbee with the assortment of dogs, or threw a baseball back and forth. Several guys loved shooting baskets on the front driveway, and the annual tournament started after Amy served her special cake—the theme changed every year. This year, an assortment of edible dog images covered the chocolate-iced vanilla slab, in honor of Rover’s adoption.

She always supplied burgers and steaks flavored with her secret sauces. All of her friends brought salads and side dishes. The makeshift bar she’d set up on the portable metal table out on the deck sagged under an ice-filled cooler of assorted brands of beer and an array of wines and liqueurs that everyone contributed to the occasion. A cooler with bottled water and pop for the kids stood under the table within the children’s easy reach.

By six o’clock Amy was stuffed to the gills with the delicious meal, and she leaned back in a wooden Adirondack chair. This was her first opportunity to sit down all day.

“I’m so proud of Rover, Leslie.” Amy smiled and sipped a lite beer. “He growled at a couple of our friends’ husbands when they first arrived, but as soon as I assured him they were a friend, his tail started wagging and he settled right down.”

“He turned out to be such a good dog.” Leslie clinked glasses with Amy and toasted the canine. “And he’s the perfect pet for you.”

“I don’t see him around here, but I bet he’s totally exhausted from chasing after a dozen children all day,” observed Kevin, slumping into the vacant chair and surprising the hostess.

“You made it!” Amy felt a broad smile burst into bloom on her face. “Are you hungry? There’s a ton of leftovers.”

Kevin popped the tab on the can of beer he’d grabbed out of the cooler before he snuck up and surprised Amy. He drank deeply and pressed the ice cold can to his forehead. “Let me savor this beer, first. Rover isn’t the only one who’s beat. I hate working on holidays.”

“Rough day?” Amy patted his hand.

“People do the damn stupidest things. I caught a guy jogging down Memorial Drive in a pair of skimpy boxers, claiming it was too hot to exercise in clothes. I wrote him up a ticket while we had a discussion on the merits of swim trunks and cargo shorts. A TV crew happened to be driving by. I heard he made the six o’clock news.”

“We did hit a record high today for September,” observed Amy.

“My luck the guy buys himself a Speedo at the used clothing store. Remind me to avoid Memorial Drive until the snow flies.” Leslie shook her head as if attempting to rid her mind of the image the jogger made. She finished off her iced tea and clambered out of her chair. “Well, I’m heading home. It’s been another wonderful party, Amy. Of course, it wouldn’t be Labor Day unless I spent it here with you and the gang. I’ve got a ton of laundry awaiting me, however, and the salon is booked solid next week. Parents are still sprucing the kids up for the return to school.”

“Bye, Les. Call me tomorrow, and you and Rick should come for supper. Help me finish off the leftovers.”

Leslie hugged Amy and headed down the sidewalk. “I’ll call you at four and let you know if we’re coming or not. Thanks for the invite though.”

“Drive safe, Les. And remember we leave in two weeks for our annual spa week vacation. I’ve already arranged with Tiffany to keep Rover. He loves her kids and gets along well with their dog.”

“I’m already half packed. I can’t wait. I only had one beer hours ago, and we’ll drive safe. The hard part will be dragging Rick off that basketball court out front.” Leslie chuckled and waved as she disappeared out of the backyard.

 “Come with me, sir. After serving and protecting the public all day, you deserve a big juicy steak.” Amy grabbed Kevin’s arm and hauled him toward the kitchen. “You and Sarah should come for leftovers tomorrow, too.”

“I’ll see what time I get off work. If I don’t have to stay late, you’re on. Where’s Sarah?” he asked.

“She played with Rover all day. And she got along famously with the other kids. Of course, she’s been playing with Tiffany’s kids all summer.” Amy gazed across the yard, “She’s here somewhere.”

“Sarah!” called Kevin, leaning over the railing.

“Sarah! Rover!” Amy moved to stand beside him.

Kevin and Amy exchanged glances and their faces paled. The backyard was empty, except for two ladies who were picking up the pop bottles, beer cans and a few paper plates strewn about the ground.

“Tiffany, have you seen Sarah or Rover?” called Amy.

Her friend glanced about as if she expected the two of them to materialize at her side. “No, Amy, but they were here awhile ago. My kids were tuckered out. They said their goodbyes to Sarah and I sent them home with Dave for a bath and early bedtime. I didn’t notice where Sarah and Rover went. Maybe they’re out front watching the guys play the basketball tournament.”

Kevin and Amy scurried down the deck stairs, hurried through the back gate, and ran around to the front of the house.

“Have you guys seen Sarah or Rover out here?” asked Kevin.

A dozen heads swiveled in their direction. Four guys were competing in the finals for this year’s title while their wives or girlfriends watched. A small baby wrapped in a blue blanket slept in his mother’s arms, totally oblivious to the nail-biting competition going on around him.

“No, man, I haven’t seen them.” Tiffany’s husband, Dave, answered. “But then again, I just arrived back here. I haven’t exactly been watching either. Too distracted by the game.”

“I thought you took the kids home for a bath?” asked Amy.

“I did. But I made the basketball finals, so I called the Taylor’s daughter to babysit. They live two doors down from us. Janie jumped at the chance to make more money for back-to-school clothes.”

The woman holding the baby chimed in. “To be honest, I haven’t seen them for awhile now. Sarah helped me feed the baby his bottle about a half hour ago. But I haven’t seen her since I wandered out here to watch the game.”

“Damn,” exclaimed Kevin. “Where the hell could they have gone?”

“Rover wouldn’t leave the back yard,” offered Amy. “I’ve left the gate open while I weeded my flower beds and he’s always obeyed my command to stay in the yard.”

“But if Sarah wandered out, he’d follow in order to watch over her.” Kevin grasped Amy’s hand, and she felt his shiver.

“You’re right,” said Amy, trying bravely to keep the panic out of her voice.

The basketball game ground to a halt, and Dave strode across the driveway to stand beside Kevin. “I’ll walk up and down the street,” suggested Dave.

“Thanks,” said Kevin, who’d become good friends with Amy’s neighbor’s husband.

“Hey, your daughter is over at our house playing with my girls all the time. You’d do the same for me.” Dave jogged across the lawn and disappeared down the sidewalk, calling Sarah’s name.

Tiffany had arrived out front in time to hear the conversation. “I’ll slip home and ask Janie if they showed up at our house hoping to play with our girls before bedtime,” she called on her way across the lawn, heading toward her house. “If they’re not at our house, they may have gone to the park. I’ll check over at the playground, too.”

“Thanks, Tiff,” called Amy.

“We need to find Sarah and Rover, and we need to find them now! Amy, call 9-1-1 and I’ll call the guys at my district office. They’ll help, too.” Kevin yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in the number.

Amy charged into the house, grabbed her cell phone off the kitchen table, and punched in the three numbers. She couldn’t believe she was doing this again so soon after her house had been burglarized. She charged through the house, in case Sarah had wandered in to use the bathroom or watch TV, while waiting for the call to connect.

“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?” asked a male voice.

“My boyfriend’s daughter and my dog are missing.” Amy took a deep breath. She was prepared to play all her cards to increase the chances the two of them would be found. “The missing girl is Sarah Robertson, Constable Kevin Robertson’s daughter.”

“I’ll dispatch as many units as possible right away. Stay on the line, please.”

“Okay, thanks. Tell them to hurry. She’s only seven-years-old.” Grasping the phone in a death grip, Amy raced upstairs and checked the bedrooms next.

Nothing.

She flew downstairs to the main floor, and then charged down to the basement and checked the laundry room, furnace room and TV/games room.

Nothing.

She stepped out the front door. Just then a squad car pulled up to her house—it couldn’t have been more than two or three minutes since she’d called—and she heard the officers inform Kevin another two cars were roaming the neighborhood.

Amy still clutched her cell phone in her hand. The dispatcher must have heard the sirens. “Have the police arrived?” he asked.

“Yes. They just pulled up to the curb,” confirmed Amy.

“I’ll hang up now. Good luck.” The dispatcher cut the connection.

Amy’s eyes overflowed with tears, spotting her tan t-shirt. “I’m so sorry, Kevin. I should have paid better attention to what Sarah and Rover were doing. This is entirely my fault. You trusted me with the most precious thing in your life, and I’ve lost her.”

“Have a little faith. It’ll be okay. If Sarah is with Rover, then you know he’ll watch over her. Rover loves Sarah so much that he won’t let anything happen. I have to believe that.” Kevin reached for Amy’s hand.

“What if somebody grabbed her? Stuffed her into a car and…”

“Then Rover would have raced back here, barking and carrying on.” Kevin shook his head. “They’re still together. I’m certain of it.”

Amy knew Kevin well enough to realize he was holding on by a thread. Despite his reassuring words, she saw the worried expression on his face, noticed the fear in his eyes. “I hope you’re right. If anything happens to either of them…”

“Don’t go there. Just positive thoughts, okay?” Kevin wrapped his arm around her shoulder, squeezed her tightly against him.

“Just positive thoughts,” repeated Amy in a whisper.

But would positive thoughts be enough to discover the whereabouts of the little girl and the dog, both of whom she loved so dearly?

Chapter 12

“Have you searched the house?”

Amy spun around, recognizing the familiar female voice. “Constable Wilson. I’m so glad to see you again.” Amy smiled through her tears. Sally was a friend, but Amy addressed her formally with the other police officers nearby. “Yes, I ran through all the rooms while I talked to the 9-1-1 operator.”

“You’re certain the two of them aren’t hiding in the house somewhere? Has Sarah ever hidden on you before, played hide and seek?”

“I don’t think she’d hide, intentionally ignore us, knowing we were calling her. She’s sensitive to other people’s feelings and would consider such behavior mean.”

“Let’s double check to be sure.”

Amy hadn’t realized there were so many nooks and crannies to hide in until they started searching her home. Sally pointed out places a child might slip into undetected that would have never crossed Amy’s mind. What a wonderful home to play in, she thought. Maybe someday she’d be searching for her own children, during an innocent game of hide and seek, when no one’s life might be in jeopardy.

When they discovered the upstairs empty, they quickly checked the main floor and then worked their way down to the basement. Painted bookcases with cupboards below served as a feature wall in her TV room. Amy prayed Sarah would pop out and shout ‘surprise’, but no such luck. The laundry room and furnace area didn’t provide any hiding spaces and were quickly ruled out.

Nothing.

The house was totally empty except for the two ladies who’d been cleaning up the backyard and were now filling the dishwater with glasses and cutlery in the kitchen.

Amy and Constable Wilson returned to the back deck.

“No luck?” questioned a male officer Amy didn’t recognize.

“No,” answered Amy.

“There isn’t any sign they’ve been in there either,” added Sally.

“It’s going to be dark in another hour or so. If we don’t find them before…” A fresh batch of tears slipped down Amy’s cheeks. She couldn’t feel worse if Sarah was her own flesh and blood. And Rover trusted her to care for him.

“How could this have happened? They’ve been playing with the other children in the backyard all afternoon. Sarah sat with me during dinner and we shared a dinner roll. She fed Rover his kibble after she finished her own meal. I just assumed they returned to the games they’d been playing with their new friends.” Amy’s throat constricted and she couldn’t continue for a minute.

“Some of the guests thanked me for a wonderful party right after we ate and then left for home. Could Sarah have wandered out of the yard in pursuit of one of the children? Rover would have accompanied her for sure.” Amy’s hands were visibly shaking.

“Don’t panic, Amy. We’ll find them.” Sally squeezed Amy’s arm.

“Kevin walked up and down the street with Dave when we first discovered they were missing, but there wasn’t any sign of them. No one had seen them. Dave’s still out there looking. It’s like they disappeared off the face of the earth.” Amy’s stomach flipped, and she feared she might be sick. “Somebody took them, and it’s totally my fault. What if…”

“It’s too early for what if. Just hang in there. There are a lot of officers looking for them. Someone is bound to come across them or find someone who’s seen them.” Sally grabbed Amy’s hand and led her down the deck stairs. “Let’s search the backyard, see if we can spot anything. A shoe left behind, Rover’s collar or anything out of the ordinary.”