Page 38 of Graveyard Dog

Michael tilted his head in thought. “You know that whole don’t-ask-don’t-tell thing you had going with Charley?”

“Okay,” she said, changing the subject. “I have three possibilities on the Jeep.”

“Way to bury the lead. Wait, Santa Fe has three beat-up, gray Jeep SUVs?”

“Apparently. Farr and I will check them.”

“Who’s Farr?” Michael asked.

“Really?” the man said, going through Izzy’s and Emma’s go-bags. He looked at Carson. “I need sustenance first.”

“I’ll get something ordered.” Michael was no five-star chef, but pizza was always a crowd-pleaser.

He nudged Izzy. “Does Emma like pizza?” Her attention was glued to her phone. “Iz?”

She snapped out of it and laughed. “Sorry, what did you ask?”

“Who is that?”

“Who?” she asked, setting her phone face-down on the table a little too nonchalantly.

“The person texting you.”

“Oh,” she said, laughing out loud. “That was Mr. None of Your Business, Mr. Nosy Britches. He’s a close, personal friend. You can call him Nunya for short.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “I thought you didn’t have any friends.”

“Of course, I have friends. Just not any around here. Yet,” she added, holding up an index finger. “What did you ask me?”

“Pizza good?”

“Wonderful. Let me ask Emma what kind she wants.”

“You don’t know already?”

She snorted as she stood. “Have you met my daughter? Her tastes change as often as her name does.”

“Ah,” he said, studying her intently.

“Be right back.”

He nodded as she turned and walked to Emma’s bedroom.

“We could split up,” Carson suggested to her partner. As they discussed their plans, Donovan and the doctor came back in.

He sat, and the doc went to Emma’s room.

Eric was busy making small talk with Halle, so Michael left them alone. He and Donovan had barely decided on how many pizzas to order when the doc came out. “What’d I miss?” she asked, grabbing her purse to check her phone.

“Not much. Did Izzy get Emma’s order?”

“Izzy?” she asked.

“Yes.” A sharp sense of dread twisted up Michael’s spine. “Where is she?”

The doc blinked. She turned a full circle, looking for her. “Wasn’t she with you?”

“Damn it.” He pushed away from the table and walked to Emma’s room and then Izzy’s. Nothing. He checked the bathrooms and even a closet or two before realizing the window in Izzy’s room was unlatched again.

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