Little Girl Gone

13



After retrieving the El Camino, Logan, the members of WAMO, and their auxiliary Marine arm drove over to a café on Main Street in Santa Monica, and found a couple of tables in the back, away from the other guests.

The moment the waitress had taken their orders—coffees all around and fries for Jerry—Logan looked at Tooney, and said, “If you really want me to help, you need to tell me everything. I’ve just lied to the police for you, and nearly went to jail. That man I was running after? We both know who he was. So don’t tell me what happened yesterday’s got nothing to do with your granddaughter.”

Tooney stared at the table, his head bowed. “I am sorry, Logan. I should have never let your father talk me into involving you. It was a mistake. It’s better to just leave things alone.”

“Are you serious? Someone tried to kill you yesterday. And it’s pretty clear you were right about Elyse being missing, too. Those aren’t the kind of things that just go away if you ignore them.”

“You misunderstand me,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t want to do something. I think it may be too late.”

“You think she might already be dead?” Logan asked, not quite sure what Tooney meant.

“No,” Tooney said quickly, shaking his head. “She is not dead. She would be no use to them dead.”

Logan leaned across the table, and asked in a very low, steady voice, “Do you know who has her?”

Tooney pressed his lips together and looked away.

Harp touched his son’s arm. “Can we…?” He nodded sideways toward the front door.

Logan glared at him, not moving.

“Please,” his father said.

Logan remained motionless for a few more seconds, then pushed himself up, and walked outside.

There was a little patio area in front for customers who wanted to eat al fresco. Currently it was empty, so Logan took a seat at the table farthest from the door. His father exited a moment later, and joined him.

Before Harp could open his mouth, Logan said, “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I do know that Toony’s making a huge mistake. For God’s sake, his granddaughter is missing! If it was your grandchild, you’d do anything you could to find her.” He paused. “We both know how I feel about the FBI, but Tooney needs to call them now. You need to convince him of that.”

His dad looked resigned as he shook his head. “He’ll never call them.”

“Then you need to do it.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I…I promised him.”

“So the hell what? This is a girl’s life we’re talking about.” Logan leaned back. “Dammit, I’ll call them myself, then.”

“You can’t, either.”

“Sure I can.”

“No. I also promised him you wouldn’t.”

“I don’t care. I didn’t promise.” Logan pushed up from his chair.

“Logan, sit back down.”

Logan looked at his father, but remained standing.

Harp sighed. “If the people who have her get even a hint that the FBI, or the police, or any other organization for that matter is looking for them, they will kill her for sure.”

“Do you know what’s going on, Dad? Did he tell you?”

“Most of it.”

“Then tell me.”

“It’s not my place.”

“Then I have no choice.”

Logan pulled out his phone, and punched in the number for information. Once the connection was made, he hit the speaker button so his father could hear how serious he was. The first automated prompt asked him for the city. “Los Angeles.” Then the name. “Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Harp pleaded with his eyes for his son to hang up.

The voice gave Logan the number, then asked if he’d like to be connected. “Yes.”

Before the phone had even began to ring, his dad said, “Logan, please.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

It took two rings before his father finally nodded.

“Federal Bureau of Investigation. How may I—”

“I’m sorry,” Logan said, cutting off the voice that answered. “Wrong number.”

He sat back down, and set the phone on the table, making sure his dad knew how easy it would be for him to pick it up and call again.

“Give me three minutes,” Harp said, then stood up. “I need to talk to Tooney. He really should be the one to tell you.”

“Dad…”

His father held up his hands to stop Logan from saying anything more. “If he doesn’t, I will. Okay?”

Logan hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

It took him five minutes, not three. When he returned, the whole group was with him, each carrying a cup of coffee, Jerry with an additional bowl of fries in his other hand.

Harp and Tooney were the only ones who came over to Logan’s table. Barney and Jerry grabbed a table at the other side of the patio, while the marines all remained standing, covering the edge along the street.

Logan’s dad had brought out two cups of coffee. He set one in front of Logan, then sat in the same chair he’d been in before. Reluctantly, Tooney took the chair next to him.

Instead of waiting, Logan decided to start. “I know this is difficult, but unless you convince me otherwise, I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I hope you understand.”

Tooney gave him a humorless smile. “Of course, I understand. But, please, can’t you just trust me?”

“It’s not a matter of trust. I believe you think you’re doing the right thing, but when it’s someone close to you who’s in danger, people often don’t think straight. If your granddaughter’s in trouble, we need to get help.”

“If we do that, she is as good as dead.”

“Yeah. Dad said the same thing, but you can’t know that for sure.”

Tooney’s shoulders moved up and down as he took in a deep breath. “I can.”

“How?”

Tooney gave Logan’s dad a pained look as if he were hoping there was some way he could be spared from having to say anything more.

“Tell him,” Harp said. “That can’t hurt her.”

Tooney carefully touched his hand to his bruised face. “But what if even after I do he does call the police?”

“He won’t. I promise.”

“But what if he does?”

Harp looked at his son. “Then he’s not the man I thought he was.”

Logan let that one pass. He knew his dad was trying to guilt him into cooperating, but there was potential guilt on the other side, too, the guilt of inaction if it turned out a phone call could have saved the girl.

Tooney didn’t move for several seconds. Finally, he lifted his head, and looked Logan in the eye. “I was one of the lucky ones.”