a casual friend.
ALTHOUGH SHE’D NEVER stopped grieving the loss of her missing child, Garnet Patton didn’t live in a fog. She’d seen the good-looking, dark-haired stranger hanging around outside her school. Strangers on campus often meant drug deals. Yesterday, when she saw him speak to some of her better students, her antennae had shot up. She hadn’t seen anything change hands and he hadn’t stuck around, so she felt all right about driving away. In class today she’d asked the students. They said the guy was a reporter.
She was surprised to hear from neighbors that a similar man had questioned them about her. Anna Winkleman from across the hall also said he was a reporter. He’d gotten nowhere with Hazel Webber.
So, who was he and what was really going on? It was definitely strange, but at least no one found him threatening. Which was why she didn’t totally freak out when her best friend, Jenny Hoffman, phoned and announced that very same guy had returned to campus and questioned her and Molly Eberhart. “I think it’s funny he hasn’t talked to you, Garnet. He said he’s a reporter, but Molly thinks he’s a cop or maybe FBI. That’s pure speculation, though.”
A ripple of hope ran through Garnet, which she quickly reined in. “Why do you suppose he didn’t come to me instead of poking about? If someone new has been assigned to Sophie’s case I would’ve expected Sergeant Savage to tell me.”
“Gary Savage is an arrogant SOB, Garnet. It would kill him to share a case.”
Garnet was used to Jenny’s dismissing the sergeant. “Hmm. And why would the department let a new man go over old ground?”
“The new guy is so hot, whoever he is. Very yummy! By the way, I invited him to come by the Silver Springs tomorrow after school.”
Garnet’s heart sped up. “He’s coming?”
“He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no, either. I’m giving fair warning. If he shows up I have dibs on him.”
“Jenny! If he’s reopening my case, don’t distract him. Oh, but…I’m getting way ahead of myself. Could they have a lead on Dale? Gary told me months ago that all the tips had dried up. I wonder…”
“Don’t. Guessing doesn’t get you anywhere. Isn’t that what we tell our students? I’d hate to see you get your hopes up, Garnet. What if he really is a reporter?”
“I can’t help myself. Sophie should start first grade in September. From the day she was born I imagined how we’d mark each milestone in her life. Like starting school, going on her first date, graduating and…” Garnet’s voice broke.
“Don’t torture yourself, Garnet. Anyway, I have to go—I’ve got a date in fifteen minutes with Steve the Stud.”
“On a school night?” Garnet dragged her thoughts back to her friend. “Are you and Steve getting serious?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t get serious about a man whose ego is bigger than his IQ. And before you say Jenny in that shocked tone, let me say Steve knows the score. I love having a man around. That’s why I hit on the new guy. Would you believe it, Garnet? Neither Molly nor I got his name. Mr. Yummy has that lean, hungry look that appeals to my baser instincts. I suppose it’s too much to hope he’s more intelligent than most of the men we meet.”
“Jenny, you are so bad. Steve’s no dummy. If you’re going to date him, you should give him a little respect. It takes skill to be a good plumber.”
“Mama and Daddy wouldn’t let him past their front door.” Jenny sighed.
“If you’d wanted to live by their standards, you’d still be in Chicago. You can’t please them and yourself, Jenny. I came to Alaska for the same reasons. Isn’t it time you stopped spinning at the end of their rope?”
“Oh, right, like I’d want the heartache marrying Dale Patton brought you. I’ll romp with bad boys, but when I marry someone, he’ll have read something other than the Sunday comics, and he’ll know which fork to pick up first at a banquet.”
The hum of the dial tone told Garnet Jenny had hung up in a huff. They’d met in college. Garnet’s dad was a self-absorbed astronomer, Jenny’s father, the president of an elite private school. Both sets of parents were livid when their daughters went off to Alaska, a state many Easterners still thought was uncivilized.
Garnet’s family hadn’t spoken to her since she’d announced her intent to marry Dale, who’d worked on the pipeline then. They’d had a couple of good years, but Garnet had to admit that the man she’d fallen in love with had changed drastically after he lost his job. Her friends believed their arguments were all about Dale’s newfound biker buds. But Garnet didn’t object to his motorcycle. There was a time she’d loved riding on his bike. She’d thought Dale’s pirate looks added to his charm. Under the tough veneer was a soft-spoken gentleman, until suddenly he seemed to do a one-eighty turn. Certainly he’d been upset over losing his job; he hated not being the family provider. Add that to her friends’ attitude. Looking back, she accepted that the divorce had been partly her fault. Still, the last thing Garnet expected from the man she’d loved, shared her innermost feelings—and a child—with, was that he’d deal her the most hurtful blow a mother could ever experience.
She realized she was still clutching the phone. She dialed Sergeant Savage from memory. A dispatcher answered. “This is Garnet Patton. Could I speak to Gary Savage please?”
There was a brief pause before Sergeant Savage came on.
Garnet plunged straight into the reason for her call. When she’d finished, the silence went on so long she thought the connection had broken. As she was about to hang up and redial, Savage cleared his throat. “Sorry, Garnet, you took me by surprise. We haven’t hired any new officers, nor have we had any new tips on Dale. I know school’s nearly out. May I suggest using your break to get out of Anchorage? Leave a number where I can reach you and I’ll be in touch if anything comes up. I’ll reiterate what I said before. I have the necessary controls in place. I believe we’ll find Sophie. Dale will get careless, or he’ll be arrested for something else and his prints will crop up in a database. Just be patient, my dear.”
Garnet impatiently waited for Sergeant Savage to finish his spiel. “If this guy isn’t from your department, who is he? My students think he’s a reporter. Other people say he has cop written all over him.”
“We’ve talked about how there’ll be people coming out of the woodwork in cases like yours. Some have a mean streak, and some believe they’ll be able to do what cops haven’t. Then there are psychics who set out to either test their so-called powers or wait in the wings until the victims get desperate enough to hire them. Tell you what, Garnet, I’ll put out feelers around town. But I’m betting this joker falls into one of those categories. Can you give me a description?”
She offered one to the best of her memory, and heard the scratch of Gary’s pen.
“Be careful, Garnet. A few of these jerks are pure nuts. Rest assured, if anything new turns up I’ll let you know. If you set eyes on this imposter again, phone dispatch. I’ll leave a standing order to bring him in.”
Garnet hung up, more discouraged than ever. She knew there were people who preyed on the misfortunes of others. The fact remained—there’d been nothing alarming about the man she’d glimpsed at school. Anna Winkleman used the word charming to describe him. And Jenny…but Jenny had different
