Her Silent Cry (Detective Josie Quinn #6)- Lisa Regan Page 0,116
here. The sun would have come up over there and she would have known that the sun comes up in the East. She would have flown home to the west-facing wall of her home.”
Gretchen put her flashlight under her chin, illuminating her face. “At the risk of sounding like Chitwood, are you serious?”
Josie put her flashlight under her own chin and grinned. “We’ll get one of the dogs, and see if they can capture her scent from the Overlook. Betcha the dog heads west.”
Josie made a few calls. Luke was closest to them, with Blue. Ten minutes later, he and the dog had thrashed their way through the woods to the Overlook. Blue greeted Josie with a long, wet tongue on her hand. “Hey boy,” she whispered.
They waited with bated breath while Blue tried to pick up Lucy’s scent at the base of the Overlook. Finally, the dog found something, racing off into the darkness.
West.
They dove into the thick trees after him, calling out Lucy’s name with more urgency. Josie’s feet began to ache. She didn’t know how long they’d been out looking, but it felt like an eternity. Then came Blue’s low bark. Josie and Gretchen froze, sweeping their flashlights around to locate him. The dog barked again. And again.
“This way,” Josie said.
They raced toward the sound, Josie flying fast and sure-footed over the forest floor, just like she had in childhood, running through Denton’s woods with Ray. Gretchen labored behind her. A flashlight beam came into view. It was pointed toward Blue, who sat at the base of a tree.
Luke said, “He found something. Blue, quiet.”
The dog stopped barking, and all three of them listened. Josie stepped past the tree, her flashlight searching out any sign of Lucy. “I don’t see anything,” she said.
Gretchen said, “Shh. Listen.”
From close by came the faint sound of whimpering. Josie spun in a circle. The sound came again. “It’s above us,” Josie said. She turned her flashlight upward into the trees. “She climbed the tree. Lucy!”
A sharp intake of breath sounded from over their heads. Then more quiet whimpering. All three of them shined their lights above until finally, amid a mass of branches, a small, sneakered foot came into view. Josie’s heart stopped for two counts and then thundered back to life at double time. “Lucy,” she called. “It’s the police. We’re here to take you home.”
Nothing. Josie wished she could see the girl’s face. “Lucy, please. We’re here to take you to your mom and dad. We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Where’s Natalie?” came a small voice.
“She had to go away,” Josie said. “But she wanted me to take you back to your parents.”
“You’re lying,” Lucy said. “All grown-ups lie.”
“Not me,” Josie said. “I just want to take you home.”
“Did he hurt her? Gideon? He’s a bad man. He acts like he is good, but he’s not.”
Josie said, “I know, Lucy. I’m sorry. I met Gideon today. I didn’t like him at all.”
Her voice was so small, Josie had to strain to hear it: “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” Josie said. “He didn’t hurt me. He’s in jail now. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
“But he made Natalie go away, didn’t he?”
“I’m sorry, Lucy, but yes, he did.”
She didn’t say anything after that, but Josie heard soft sobs and the creak of a branch. “Lucy,” she called. “Please come down and let us bring you home.”
Still she wouldn’t come down. More of the searchers—alerted by phone by Gretchen—began to arrive. Josie tried again, “Lucy, your mom and dad miss you so much. We’d really like to take you to see them.”
“My dad probably isn’t even home,” she said.
“Yes, he is,” Josie said. “He has been home since you were taken. Looking for you. Just like your mom. They love you so much and want to have you home with them.”
“You don’t really know my mom and dad.”
“Yes, I do,” Josie said. “I was there that day you went on the carousel. Do you remember me? I had a little boy with me, Harris. He was coming down the slide and you were going up?”
Josie shined her flashlight onto her own face. A few seconds passed. Josie thought she saw a lock of blonde hair in the branches. Lucy said, “You don’t look like you.”
Josie touched her cheek. The black eyes. “I fell,” she said. “On my face. But I’m okay. Do you remember me?”
No answer.
“Your mom wants you to come home because you have to release your butterflies soon. The ones