that decision was strange. They had a car. Tony had the truck, so he took all the equipment, but his truck had a front and a back seat. There would have been plenty of room for all three of them,” Macie said.
Charlie’s frown deepened. This story wasn’t making sense.
“I’ll definitely do everything I can to help, and I will stay in constant touch, because I know this is a hard time for the both of you.”
“Thank you,” Macie said. “We’re grateful.”
“What kind of a retainer do we need? Whatever it is, we’ll pay,” Baxter said.
“Wyrick will deal with that before you leave, and get contact info from the both of you so we can stay in touch. She’s also my ace in the hole when it comes to research.”
Wyrick stood. “If you two will follow me, I’ll get your info and a receipt for the retainer.”
Charlie shook their hands, then watched Wyrick usher them out with quiet grace. She was a walking dichotomy. A freaking warrior of a woman hiding her reality behind a bizarre appearance, daring someone to cross her, before they decided to do it on their own.
A short while later, he heard them leave, and the moment they were gone, Wyrick was back in his office.
“I sent the names and addresses of the two boys to your phone, but they’re both in school right now. It will be evening before they’re available to question. Do you want to wait?” she asked.
“No. My gut says there is a lot wrong with this story and they’ve made their statements. How long would it take to get your chopper ready?”
“I already notified Benny to get it ready. It’ll take a couple of hours to get you there. If you need more info, all you have to do is call. I can research from home or at work.”
“Then I’m going home to pack. Text me with a timeline. I’ll meet you at the hangar,” Charlie said, and put his jacket back on and grabbed his Stetson.
“Don’t forget to pack your sat phone,” Wyrick said.
“Yes, ma’am,” he drawled, and left her standing.
She took a moment to admire his wide shoulders and sexy butt, then looked away. Too much of a good thing was never wise.
* * *
Trish Caldwell couldn’t sleep, and trying to eat made her sick. The knot in her stomach was almost as big as the ache in her heart. Having Tony go missing like this was the worst thing that had ever happened in her seventeen years of living, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
Her mother kept telling her it was all in God’s hands, but that felt like giving up. It felt like she’d already written him off as dead, and it was just a matter of finding his body.
But Tony Dawson was so sweet, and handsome, and funny. She wouldn’t let herself believe that he was gone.
She’d refused to go back to school today, unwilling to face well-meaning friends, and cried herself sick. The only people who seemed to understand how she felt were Randall and Justin. They were just as upset as she was, and were organizing a prayer vigil tonight at the high school football field.
As Tony’s girlfriend, everyone expected her to be there, but the thought of it was overwhelming. Everyone would be looking at her to see if she was crying enough, or if she was hysterical, and then they’d all talk about how hard she was taking it.
They thought he was dead, too. She didn’t want to hear it. Not even an insinuation of it, and yet she knew she would hear that and so much more. She was scared. Scared that their beliefs would become her truth.
When Randall called, offering to take her to the vigil, she agreed. At least she wouldn’t be there on her own, and he and Justin could run interference for her. She was still holding the phone and staring out her bedroom window at the park across the street, remembering that was where she and Tony had shared their first kiss, when there was a knock at her door. Then her mom appeared in the doorway.
“Hey, honey, who was that on the phone? Was it news about Tony?”
Trish shook her head. “No, just Randall offering to take me to the prayer vigil at the field house tonight.”
“Are you going?” Beth Caldwell asked.
Trish’s eyes welled. “I have to, Mom. If I don’t, people will think I’ve already given up on him.”
Beth sat down beside her