Stranger in Town

CHAPTER 36





If the man on the other end of the line did have Olivia and Savannah, and they were alive, I wasn’t sure they’d stay that way for long. He was in the business of pickup and delivery, not parenting. He’d already proven he had no problem killing old ladies and adults, and he may have spared the children for now, but for how long?

Several hours had passed without me hearing from Cade. I thought about trying his number, but I wasn’t sure what happened after he’d dropped me off and went to the station. With the feds in town, I had no way of knowing how everything would play out.

I remembered the business card Cade’s father had given me and decided I’d try him instead. I took it out of my wallet and made the call, but the phone was answered by a woman.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I believe I have the wrong number.”

“Who are you trying to reach?”

Her voice was low and quiet, making it difficult for me to understand what she was saying.

“Detective McCoy,” I said.

“This is his phone. Who’s calling?”

“Sloane Monroe.”

“You’re my son’s friend,” she said, “aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“It seems I’m always out running errands when you stop by.”

“I was looking for Cade. I thought your husband might know if he is still at the station or not.”

“He’s here,” she said. “Would you like to speak with him?”

“Are you all at home?”

There was a pause and then she said, “No, dear. We’re at the hospital.”



Over the next several minutes I had an inner debate with myself, trying to decide whether it would be appropriate for me to show up at the hospital offering my support. I’d gotten to know Cade and his father to a degree, but it was a small one, and I wasn’t family. Maybe he hadn’t contacted me because, right now, he didn’t want me around.

Still, we’d become friends over the past several days, and I never did very well sitting idly by while a friend was in need. I picked my jacket off the edge of the sofa and walked out the door.

The first person I saw when I entered the hospital was Shelby, Cade’s daughter. She took one look at me and her face turned fifty shades of pissed-off teenager. I thought about avoiding her, but to my surprise, she got out of the chair and walked over to me.

“I’m not trying to cause any problems by being here,” I said.

Shelby crossed her arms in front of her. “Yeah, whatever.” She half-pointed to a side room. “My dad’s in there.”

“Are you okay?”

She looked at me like I was crazy.

“Why? Are you going to do something for me if I’m not?”

She was hurting. Now was the time to keep my mouth shut. I smiled and walked away.

Cade was inside the hospital room with his mother. They were holding hands as she dabbed her nose and eyes with a tissue. At that point, I didn’t even know if Detective McCoy was still alive. But I didn’t feel right about being there. I backed out, hoping no one would notice I was ever there.

I passed by Shelby on my way out and waved, trying to smile. She held the back of her hand out like she was going to flip me off, but instead made a gesture like she just wanted me to go away—fast. I walked out the door feeling like an idiot for meddling in someone else’s private business. The inner dialogue of self-criticism continued while I walked until I realized someone had been calling my name.

I pivoted on my heeled shoe. Cade was standing in front of me, out of breath. He didn’t say anything. He just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight. I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, neither of us speaking, just me supporting him with a friendly embrace. Maybe I was needed after all.

When Cade released me, I resisted the temptation of asking the question, and instead waited for him to speak.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “I was going to call you, but—”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with me right now.”

“My dad, he’s not making any sense. One minute he’s talking to me about things that happened when he was a child, and he has a perfect recollection of past events. The next minute, he looks at me like he doesn’t know who I am. He called me Joey. I don’t even know a Joey. None of us does. I knew it was going to get bad and, they’d prepped us for it, but I never expected this.”

He was still alive.

I knew it would be hard for me to look Cade in the eye; it always was in a situation like this, but I had to. His eyes were pale and wet, but I knew he wouldn’t cry. He was strong—too strong to let his emotions show right now. They would come later, when the dam finally broke, allowing his pent-up feelings to come flowing out.

“How long has it been since your father has eaten anything?” I said. “He looked so thin when I stopped by last.”

“Two—three days. I’m not sure. He lost his appetite. My mom’s tried everything; he’s not interested.”

“Maybe eating makes him feel sick,” I said.

Cade’s mother stepped into the parking lot and looked at him. “He’s asking for you,” she said.

“I’d better go,” I said, “but you can call me anytime you need to. I mean it.”

Cade’s mom shook her head. “Please don’t go. He wants to speak to you both—together.”

I didn’t think it was for the best, but there was no way I could turn her down, or him. We walked together to his room, my apprehension growing with every step. I’d never cared much for hospitals, but then, who did?

Detective McCoy mustered a smile when we walked in. He looked pleased to see both of us. I hoped the conversation we were about to have was one of his more coherent ones.

“Come in, come in,” he said, motioning both of us over to the bed.

We did what he asked, standing next to the bed, and awaiting his next statement.

“Chief Rollins tells me they found the people who took Savannah,” he said, his voice surprisingly strong.

“And Olivia, the other missing girl from Sublette County. Neither one of the children were there when the feds searched the house, but they found photographic evidence that both girls had been living there, among other things.”

Cade and I looked at each other. I tried to act surprised.

“The chief said they lifted a lot of usable prints which he’s running now.”

“I thought the feds didn’t want us involved?” Cade said.

“We’re not. But they don’t mind sharing a few bread crumbs with Rollins.” Detective McCoy looked at me. “Cade shared some other things with me earlier today.”

Cade and I exchanged looks.

Detective McCoy took my hand in his, grabbing Cade’s with the other. He put them together, mine on the bottom, Cade’s on top. For a moment it didn’t feel like I was standing in front of a hospital bed. It felt like I was in a church awaiting the marriage ceremony to begin.

“What’s this about, Dad?” Cade said.

“It’s about the two of you seein’ this through,” Detective McCoy said. “I’m too weak to continue on, not that the feds would have let me anyway. But, if it wasn’t for my illness, I would have found a way. It’s up to the two of you now. Don’t let that man kill those girls. Once you figure out who he is, you find them.”

“We’ll do everything we can,” I said.

Detective McCoy looked at me and then at Cade. “Promise me. Both of you. No matter what happens to me, you’re first priority is Savannah and Olivia.”

Cade squeezed my hand, looked at his father, and said, “We promise.”