Page 68 of Husband Missing

Josie swallowed, mouth still overproducing saliva. “Trinity has a still from one of my neighbor’s security cameras of a man wearing those same clothes, walking up and down my street about two hours before Noah was abducted.”

Gretchen smiled. “I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that. The state police have the same still.”

“What about the blonde?”

“She was behind Gina.” Gretchen’s expression turned serious. “We think Gina was shielding her but like I said, the footage was taken from a moving vehicle and it’s only a few seconds long.”

Had Gina known the woman or had she seen her being assaulted on the sidewalk and intervened? Questions arose in the back of Josie’s mind in rapid fashion, but she kept them to herself. Gretchen was already telling her more than she should.

It physically hurt her to admit it, but the Big Cry had cleared Josie’s head a bit. She felt more like her old self than she had since Noah’s abduction.

“Tomorrow, Paula’s going to suggest that your families start putting up fliers around the city,” Gretchen said. “She’s afraid if we don’t give them something to do, your mother might beat the piss out of your sister-in-law.”

Josie smiled weakly. “I’d kind of like to see that, honestly.”

Gretchen laughed. “Wouldn’t we all.”

Josie tore off a length of toilet paper and blew her nose. Her sinuses were going to be on fire tomorrow. Just what she needed.

Gretchen used her foot to nudge Josie’s leg. “Go get some sleep, if you can.”

“Thank you, Gretchen.”

Her friend merely nodded, staying on the floor as Josie left and headed back to the bedroom she was sharing with Trout and Trinity. Both of them were snoring now, their breathing patterns opposite so that when one went quiet, the other filled the momentary silence. It was a symphony. Josie didn’t think she’d be able to sleep but the moment she climbed into bed, fatigue hit her like a freight train. She reached up and turned off the lampon the nightstand. Curling on her side, she found Noah’s shirt and held it against her chest. As sleep dragged her under, her brain cycled through everything she knew about Noah’s case, the armed robberies, and now the Phelan case. Clues and leads and questions about all the things she didn’t know because they were being held back from her.

Then there was Lila, wandering into Josie’s disjointed dreamlike state, beckoning her. What did she want Josie to see?

Her mind wanted to stay awake and sift through all the facts again, but her body had taken over tonight, demanding release earlier and demanding rest now.

FORTY-SEVEN

There wasn’t enough ibuprofen on the planet to stop the throbbing inside Josie’s sinus cavities. The Big Cry had made room in her brain for a more clinical approach to Noah’s abduction and the potential link to Lila’s past, but the pain it left in its wake was hard to think clearly through. In addition, her face was puffy and her eyes bloodshot. More reasons she detested crying. When she entered Gretchen’s living room at eight thirty in the morning she found Shannon, Christian, Patrick, Theo, and Laura gathered around the coffee table, dividing up the flyers Paula had made.

Laura took one look at her and said, “Getting drunk is not going to help bring my brother back.”

Josie hadn’t touched a drink in years.

In that moment, she desperately wanted a bottle of Wild Turkey. Not to drink but to bean Laura over the head with. She would have done it, too. There was no doubt, given the way the rage deep inside her woke screaming. A veritable war cry.

But Josie didn’t need a bottle.

Shannon saw red, lunging straight over the table for Laura, fists flying. Hundreds of flyers featuring Noah’s smiling face danced through the air, scattering. Shannon movedwith impressive speed, but Christian and Patrick were faster, scurrying over the surface of the table and hauling her away before she made contact with Laura’s shocked face.

“Say one more word about my daughter,” Shannon snarled, fighting against the hold of her son and husband. “One more word! You willnotlike the consequences!”

Theo clamped his hands over Laura’s shoulders and dragged her toward the kitchen. “That’s enough. You need to stop!” he told her. “You’re making everything worse.”

“Shan, calm down,” Christian said.

“Let’s get some air, Mom,” Patrick suggested, turning her toward the front door.

It was only then that Josie noticed Trinity standing beside her. “Huh,” her sister said. “Looks like you got your temper from Mom. Who would have thought?”

Josie pressed her fingers into her aching forehead. “I need to get the hell out of here.”

“At least poor Trout didn’t have to see that,” Trinity said, jangling keys in Josie’s face. “I’ll text Paula to let her know what just went down and to apologize for the fact that we won’t be here to manage the aftermath.”

Josie snatched the keys and fled through the front door. The cool morning air calmed her nerves but did little to soothe her headache. Her parents and brother were at the far end of the porch, oblivious to Josie’s presence. Shannon paced between Christian and Patrick, her movements stiff and jerky.

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