Page 21 of Come Home to the Lawmen

“I’m worn out emotionally,” Jordan said, hoping they would digest the case over food. “What would y’all think if we picked up a pizza and took it home?”

“Works for me,” Ely said.

Camila was quiet and he wondered if she wanted to go back to the office.

“Do you want to keep working, Camila?”

“What?” she asked.

He gazed up in the rearview mirror at her. She was staring out the window, her brows drawn together.

“No, if anything, I’d like to read a couple more cases tonight and then I’d like to take a break. This stuff can get to you if you don’t step away from it.”

God, that was true. The thought of someone stealing one of his children would devastate him. Right now, he didn’t have children, but someday he wanted a family. And any family dealing with a missing child was heart-wrenching.

With a sigh, Ely pulled out his phone and ordered a pizza for pickup.

By the time they had the pizza and reached the ranch, the sun had set and the moon was beginning to rise. Marta had now been missing for twenty-four hours. They might never get her back.

“Let’s eat outside on the patio,” Ely said. “We can gaze at the stars.”

The man loved to eat out of doors and Jordan had installed a mosquito repellant to keep the nasty little critters away. Here in this part of Texas, they were almost big enough to carry a man away.

Soon they were sitting outside with the tiki torches lit, eating pizza, and sipping on cold beers. It was the perfect time of day to relax and yet his mind kept returning to the case.

“What did the car rental place tell you?” he asked Ely.

Ely told him what he and Camila had found out about the car. For a moment, he let that information sink in.

“Are there any private airstrips around here? Where is the nearest airport?” Camila asked. “I’m just wondering if they took her to a plane and flew her out.”

Jordan mulled over her question. He didn’t know if anyone had an airfield, but sometimes the farmers would hire a crop duster. So there must be a runway somewhere near here.

“Don’t know,” he said. “But that’s something we should check out.”

“This is a far-fetched question, but would a pedophile abduct a child?” Ely asked.

There was silence at the table before Camila answered. “We should check, but normally, they kill their victims. I’m sure Blessing has its own list of men and women who acted inappropriately with children.”

It wasn’t that long of a list, but still, they should probably check it out. Most got in trouble for looking at child porn, which was still disgusting. How could someone even consider doing that to an innocent child? Those were the criminals he wanted to lock in the jail and throw away the key.

She gave a shudder and he wanted to tell her he felt the same way.

Just then a mosquito sneaked through the barrier and landed on his arm. He slapped the dang critter. “Time to go in.”

They were finished with their beers and pizza, and it was getting late. Camila wanted to read more case files, but Jordan needed a break. He wished he could turn off his mind to the case, but it was so damn gut-wrenching, he couldn’t get the thoughts out of Marta and her family out of his head.

After they picked up their dishes and the empty box, they walked into the house.

“Let’s get in the hot tub,” Ely said. “I think we could all use some relaxation.”

She glanced at the men. “You have a hot tub?”

“Yes,” Jordan said. He would love to sit next to her naked in the bubbling water.

“I didn’t bring a suit,” she said.

“You don’t need one,” Jordan replied, thinking this was an excellent idea.

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