Finding Heather by Alison Ragsdale

Author:Alison Ragsdale [Ragsdale, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503939899
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2016-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 28

Murdoch’s Land Rover bumped along Home Farm Road for the fourth time. The headlights flashed ahead, revealing nothing but a few pools of water that had accumulated in the potholes and the occasional prick of yellow as the beams reflected off some night creature’s eyes. He and Fraser had split up, Fraser taking the roads north of their crofts and Murdoch focusing on the ones south, between Achachork and Portree. He knew that his nephew couldn’t have gone too far, especially as he didn’t know his way around the island. The only places Max had been so far were into the village with Elspeth and Heather, back and forth to school, and out to Murdoch’s croft, which was three miles from the Forge—too far for Max to have made it on his own in the dark.

Murdoch peered into the darkness and bit down on the inside of his cheek. He had dropped the ball. He should have seen something like this coming. Max had been hovering close to the edge for weeks, going back and forth between being quiet and being totally uncommunicative. The fight incident at school had been yet another setback. What kind of father figure did he hope to be if he couldn’t focus on the kids and see what was happening? He shook his head.

Chick sat on the passenger seat. Seeming to sense the urgency of their unusual nighttime foray, the dog was alert, his nose pressed up against the cold glass, his ears pricked forward.

“Keep ’em peeled, boy. He’s got to be here somewhere.”

Murdoch slammed his foot onto the brake as a small deer ventured out into the road up ahead. Chick lurched, his front legs tensing against the forward momentum, and then he widened his stance to steady himself.

“Sorry, lad. Didn’t see that.”

The dog sniffed the air and then resumed his watch out the window.

Murdoch’s phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket.

“Anything yet?” It was Fraser.

“Nope. Nothing. I’m back on Home Farm Road. Where are you?”

“I’m up on Shepherd’s Road. It’s so bloody dark, though. I keep thinking I’ve seen him, then it turns out to be a fox or something.”

“Aye. Me, too. I’m going to call Heather again, see if the police have been back to the Forge.” Murdoch indicated left at a junction even though there was no one behind him in the blackness. “Thanks, pal. Really appreciate this.” His voice wavered.

“Don’t mention it. How’s your mum?”

“She’s sleeping. I called the hospital a while ago. They said she’ll be out until the morning. A blessing, really.” Murdoch frowned.

“True enough. Well, call me when you’ve spoken to Heather, OK?” With that, Fraser was gone.

Heather’s phone only rang twice before she answered. The police had called her to say that they had not seen or found anything yet. They were planning on waiting until morning, then forming a search party, with officers and local volunteers, to walk the moor from Portree to Achachork.

When Murdoch had spoken to her, Heather had

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