Page 6 of Crossing Lines

Jo stood and walked up the cottage steps, enjoying the cozy feeling of being home. When Jo had first come to White Rock, she’d rented the cottage thinking her stay would only be temporary. For a long time, she’d kept it bare bones, but as she’d settled in, she’d found herself scrounging flea markets and thrift stores for items. Now the place was homey and eclectic. She’d even planted pansies and petunias in the window boxes.

When she’d first come to town, she’d figured she’d move on just as soon as she checked out the lead on her sister’s abductor, maybe work a year or two in the small mountain town, but somehow, White Rock had become home. And even though the cottage was small, she couldn’t imagine living elsewhere. She made a mental note to ask the landlord again if she could buy it. Then he couldn’t complain about the cat.

Now that her sister was coming to stay, it seemed even more important to have a permanent place to live.

It was dark inside except for the light on the fish tank that held her goldfish, Finn. At one time, the relationship with her aquatic friend was all she could handle. At least she’d progressed in that area. She picked out a green flake from the food container and held it over the water. Finn swam up and took the food from her hand then darted under the bridge to eat it.

She turned on the rest of the lights, cleaned out the antique flowered dish she used for the cat’s food, and made a sandwich.

As she ate it, she wandered into the small back room that she’d fixed up for Bridget. It was barely big enough to hold the brass twin bed she’d bought from a yard sale, but considering Bridget was used to living on the street, it would probably seem like a palace.

What would it be like to have her sister here? Would she stay clean this time?

She was looking forward to having Bridget here even though they barely knew each other. They’d been close as children, but their adult lives had taken very different paths. It would be good to get to know her again.

But Jo worried too. What if she came this far in getting her sister the treatment that she’d resisted for years, only to lose her again?

No sense in thinking like that. She had to keep a positive outlook. Besides, she had more pressing things to worry about. Like a missing teenager.

Chapter Five

Jo got to the station early the next morning. Reese was behind the reception desk, her long dark hair sprouting out of a clip on top of her head. A white donut bag sat on the corner of the desk.

“No jelly today.” Reese nodded toward the bag.

Jo’s favorite donut shop had been out of jelly donuts for weeks now. Just as well. Jo had noticed her pants getting a bit tight, so it was best she refrain from the donuts. “It’s okay. Gotta stick to salads this week.”

Reese made a face indicating her thoughts on sticking to salads and grabbed a chocolate donut hole from the bag.

Sam and Wyatt Davis were already in the squad room. They were bent over a map of the area, which was spread out on Wyatt’s desk. Lucy sat at their feet, looking bored.

“Anyone want a refill?” Jo put a dark-roast pod into the K-Cup machine and reached for her yellow smiley mug, glancing at the top of the filing cabinet where Major, the black cat they’d adopted after shooting its owner while he was resisting arrest, usually sat ready to strike.

The cat wasn’t there. Maybe that was a good sign that he was feeling more comfortable at the station and claiming more nooks and crannies as his own. She just hoped he wasn’t hiding somewhere, ready to make a sneak attack. He’d been a bit ornery since getting neutered.

As if answering her unspoken thoughts, a fuzzy pet toy in the shape of an octopus shot out from behind the filing cabinet. Lucy’s ears perked up. She darted over and snatched the toy up by one of its legs just as Major darted out from behind the cabinet in pursuit of the toy. Major stopped short, his black, fluffy tail in the air. He glared at Lucy with disdain, arched his back, and hissed.

Lucy held her ground, warning the cat with a low growl, the toy still in her mouth.

Uncertainty flickered in Major’s luminescent green eyes. He swished his tail twice then turned and trotted off, his head held high as if he wasn’t interested in the toy at all anyway.

“Point for Lucy,” Wyatt said. “They’ve been fighting over that toy since yesterday.”

Jo liked the way Wyatt had settled in. It was still weird there without Kevin, though. She should visit Kev later at Hillcrest, the long-term care facility where he’d been moved. He was still in a coma after being shot by the prime suspect in a murder case, but they were hopeful his brain would heal. Wyatt had turned out to be a good addition, and once Kevin was back, the four of them would be a solid team. But right now, they had a missing girl on their hands and were short one officer.

“I take it Kirsten didn’t show up at home?” Jo joined them, looking over Wyatt’s shoulder at the map.

“No. Talked to the mother this morning. She’s understandably distraught.” Sam glanced at her briefly. “I decided to question Jesse last night on the way home. He knows who Kirsten is and says she hangs out there sometimes but claims he doesn’t know anything about what happened to her.”

“Oh.” Sam had questioned Jesse without her? They usually went together. Was he mad about her not telling him about her sister’s investigation until now? “Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“I think so. He usually doesn’t lie to us.” Sam took out a pen and started marking things on the map. “I think we should concentrate on the area near where they usually party. Maybe she wandered off and got lost.”

“Good idea. We can split the search up.” Jo glanced at Lucy, who had retreated to a sunny corner, the toy tucked possessively between her front paws. “Lucy smelled an item of Kirsten’s last night. If she’s lost, she’ll be able to find her.”

“I called Bev Hatch, and she’s going to send a few guys over to help,” Sam said. Bev was the county sheriff. They’d worked with her in the past, and Jo liked the woman and her no-nonsense attitude.

“Sounds good. I’m ready—”

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