A Dark and Lonely Place by Edna Buchanan

Author:Edna Buchanan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Bobby pedaled to the railroad yard. When no one was watching, he dragged his bicycle and a long package wrapped in blue paper into an empty boxcar on a southbound freight.

No one noticed until suppertime. Leugenia fixed Bobby a plate and listened for his quick steps on the porch; she became alarmed after dark. “This isn’t like Bobby,” she said.

“He’s been gone since breakfast,” Laura told her. “Did he go fishing?” But his fishing pole still hung in place in the barn.

Joe looked for him, had no luck, and came home scowling.

Bill and Lucy had come for supper. “That boy just craves attention,” Lucy said. “When he finally straggles home, somebody should kick his butt!” She gave them a sugary smile. “You all have more than enough to worry about these days with all John’s problems. How dare that spoiled young ’un show his ass like this.”

“Bobby’s never been a problem.” Leugenia wrung her hands. “There are bears, rattlers, cougars, and Indians out there. What if he’s been hurt? Or went swimming and drowned?”

“Bobby’s smart,” Laura assured her. “He’s an excellent swimmer. He probably just lost track of time.”

Bill promised to watch for him on the road, as he and Lucy left.

An hour later, Joe and Frank took their best tracking hound out to pick up his trail, while Ed rode to a married sister’s house to see if Bobby might be there with his nieces and nephews.

The dark woods and dirt roads echoed with their calls. “Bobby! Bobby Ashley! Bobbeee!” No one answered. The hound treed a wildcat. His nephews swore they hadn’t seen Bobby in days.

“Should we send for the sheriff?” Leugenia asked, at 3 a.m.

The men nixed the idea for the time being. None trusted the law after all that had happened. If deputies found him, he might be arrested for his role in the train and bank robberies. “Let’s wait till morning. Maybe we can find him first,” Frank said.

“Yeah, if he’s not home by dawn,” Ed agreed.

Laura suggested they ask the Lummus girl when she last saw Bobby.

“Who?” Joe frowned. He had no idea who she meant.

“That little blond-headed girl he always looks at in church,” Laura said.

“With her sneaking looks back,” Leugenia added.

“That’s the one,” Laura said. “What is her first name?”

“Rachel, I think,” Leugenia said.

“Ben Lummus’s girl?” Joe looked perplexed. “Thought all he had was little ones.”

“Time flies,” Leugenia said. “She’s the oldest girl of five.”

“Kids grow up too fast these days,” Joe said wistfully.

At 4 a.m. they left a light in the front window and tried to catch a little sleep before dawn.

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