Page 58 of Shine On Oklahoma

Rob had found Kiley’s Jeep in a ditch about amile from their home. That’s where everyone was when Kendraarrived. Rob, Jason, Joe and Emily, Doc Sophie and Darryl, and acouple of local cops were already there. Kendra got out of her carand ran toward her sister’s little red Wrangler. It rested at acockeyed angel, and its passenger side front fender was crunchedinward.

It hit her hard, seeing that.

Dax put his arm around her, squeezed her likehe knew. Rob came to her other side. Kiley had texted him verbatim,the phone call from Vester Caine.

“She had breakfast at the diner with Vidaliaand Miss Dolly. It’s not that long between when she left them, andwhen you texted me, so he can’t have taken her far. Jimmy and theState Police have roadblocks up in a thirty-mile radius.”

Police chief Jim Corona said, “We also have alot of questions for you, Jack Kellogg. What the hell is thisabout?” Jim was married to one of Rob’s stepsisters, the sweet, shyone with the daycare business.

“Let’s focus on getting my daughter home, andthen we can talk all you want,” Jack said.

Kendra couldn’t take her eyes off Kiley’scar. “Is there—”

“No blood,” Rob said. “No sign she was hurt.But the airbag went off.”

“That could’ve hurt the baby, couldn’t it?”Her heart was breaking.

“More likely that it didn’t,” Dax said.

Kendra pressed her fingertips into herforehead. “Okay, okay, where could he take her?” She turned in aslow circle. “Wherewouldhe take her? The highway’s thatway.”

“Blocked at the next exits in bothdirections,” the chief said. “Before he had time to get that far,too.”

Kendra forced herself to look away from theJeep. “Can we track her phone?”

“We’re already tracking it.”

The Big Falls cop was good. Professional,competent. Seeing a good cop in uniform had never felt reassuringto Kendra before, but it did then.

He went on. “But a man like Caine probablyknew enough to toss it. We have helicopters on the way for an airsearch, as well. We’re going to find her. And we’ll do itsoon.”

Man, Kendra thought, her sister sure hadherself well-connected these days. If anyone could get her back,these people could. She didn’t know why she felt so sure aboutthat. It was kind of a deep, inner knowing.

Several of their phones chirped, beeped,buzzed, or jingled.

“Group loop!” Emily shouted.

They all picked up. Dax and Kendra, whosephones hadn’t made a peep, had to lean over Chief Jimmy to see his.Jack did the same with Rob, which was brave, because Rob wouldpunch him in the face if he knew the whole story.

The text message was two words.

Banana hammock.

“What the—”

“It’s our old code!” Kendra wanted to crawlthrough one of those phones to her sister. “When we were younger,if we needed rescuing from a bad date, we’d text Banana Hammock,and the other would call with a fake emergency or come and get us.”She gazed down at the screen. “Could she still have her phone?”

“No, no look!” That was Emily. She pointed atthe tiny words in pale gray that appeared above the text. “Sentfrom Kiley’s watch,’” she read aloud.

“She’s wearing her watch!” Rob shouted. Jackwasn’t beside him anymore.

Kendra frowned, looking around for him. Wherethe hell did he go?

“We can track her from my phone,” Rob said.He reached to his pocket. “Where the hell is my phone? I just hadit!”

A motor had started, then faded. That hadhappened several times as people and police came and went. But thistime was different. This time it washermotor. She lookedbehind them, where she’d skidded to a sloppy stop twenty yardsaway, outside the police tape. “Where the hell is my car?” sheasked. And then she said, “Jack! Jack is taking my car!”

“You don’t think he’d go after her alone, doyou?” Dax asked.

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