Page 23 of Fallen Creed

“No.”

This time when Maggie tried to wait out the silence, she realized Nora had nothing to add.

“Do you know what she took with her?” Maggie asked.

“Girls these days don’t carry purses,” Nora said with an attempted smile that didn’t stick. “I didn’t see her little wallet. She usually puts it in her back pocket of her jeans.”

“Cell phone?” Maggie asked.

“No, I haven’t seen that either. I can’t imagine her going anywhere without it.”

Then Nora’s eyes widened, and she turned to her husband. “You can track her cell phone, can’t you?”

Just at that moment, there was a soft tap at the back door before it opened. Creed stayed in the doorway. His eyes searched out Maggie’s then slipped over to Spencer.

“Sheriff, you mind coming with me for a few minutes?”

“You found something!” Nora jumped up, almost knocking her chair over.

“I just need your help for a few minutes,” Creed repeated.

“Nora,” Maggie attempted to distract the woman. “Do you have any photos of Libby? Perhaps on your phone?”

Spencer had already gotten up from the table and was grabbing his ball cap.

“Stay put, Nora,” he told her. “For once, just stay put.”

He headed out the door with Creed. When Maggie caught a glimpse of Nora Spencer’s eyes, she could see a fresh panic there.

—19—

“Your dog found something?” Spencer asked as soon as they were outside.

“I’m hoping you can tell me,” Creed said.

He led the way, and when Spencer realized they were going toward the barn and not the road, he seemed relieved. That was not the reaction Creed expected, but he took only glances at the man.

“You think she’s been hiding out in the barn?” Spencer asked.

Dusk was quickly stealing away the last light of day.

“No. She’s not inside the barn.”

When the sheriff still headed for the breezeway, Creed veered right and gestured for him to follow.

Grace had stayed outside the gate, waiting for him. She was throwing and catching and gumming her reward toy. Creed guessed the scarf had Libby’s scent on it, enough that it distracted Grace. However, Grace didn’t alert to the scarf.

Before Creed had gone to get Spencer, Grace tried to lead him back toward the cornfield, her original destination, before the detour to the back of the barn. Creed told her they were finished for the day. No way was he letting her track through rows and rows of corn in the dark. At best, they had a half hour before he needed to bring out a flashlight.

Now standing at the dilapidated gate with Spencer next to him, Creed asked, “What is this place?”

“Nora used to garden out here, but it’s been a few years. Too many hours at the hospital. She gets tired.”

Creed watched the sheriff. It didn’t take long for him to notice the purple scarf flitting around the post like a ghost, the flimsy material matching the color of the sky. Spencer furrowed his brow and stared at it without a word.

“Was this used for anything else?”

Spencer’s eyes scanned the area, then came to rest on Grace. She squeaked her pink elephant in rhythm at the honking of geese above.