The Holly & the Ivy by B.C. Deeks

Author:B.C. Deeks [Deeks, B.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, women’s fiction, small town, Christmas, Holidays
Publisher: WriteAdvice Press
Published: 2017-05-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

After they raced into the patrol room, Joey first asked if she could get Mayor Lincoln anything to eat or drink. He shook his head, incoherent sounds gurgling up from his throat. There was no evidence of the suave politician in the distraught father pacing the patrol room. His blonde hair stood on end from raking his fingers through it, his face was marble white, and his eyes were glassy with shock. He swiped his lips with his tongue and gripped her arms with both hands. Desperation wafted off him as he pleaded, “Help me. You know him better than I do. You can find him for me.”

Chief Slayton handed her a torn off sheet of lined, yellow paper. She felt Fletch at her elbow as she read it.

I can’t take this anymore.

If you won’t accept me for who I am,

then there’s no point trying anymore.

I’m sorry I’ll never see you again.

Fletch steadied her hand with his as she read it over a second time, hoping there was a clue to the boy’s whereabouts hidden somewhere in his words. Their personal differences slipped away without conscious thought, replaced by the demands for their training and skills.

“What does it mean?” The mayor slumped in a chair someone had pulled up for him, and Taylor handed him a glass of water. Wedge stood by, looking from his boss to Joey and then Fletch, ready to move as soon as he was given orders.

“Trouble,” she and Fletch said under their breath, but then Fletch signaled Joey to take the lead. Easier for the parent to focus on questions from one person.

“Mr. Lincoln,” Joey snapped, hoping a sharp voice would break through his shock. “When and where did you find this note?”

He straightened in his chair and looked at her, clearly working to give them what they needed. He looked at his watch and replied in a careful, hoarse whisper. “Fifteen minutes ago. It was on his bed.”

“When did you last see Sammy?”

“About ten o’clock this morning—” He looked at Chief Slayton. “—not long after your call.” His chin sank onto his chest. A sob racked him. The chief gripped the politician’s shoulder tightly which seemed to give him the strength to continue. “We had words and it got ugly. He was mad I’d fired Verna Belmont. I didn’t see why it was his business.” He gulped in another sob. “He told me Belmont’s daughter was his girlfriend. I just couldn’t believe it, and told him not to see her anymore.”

“Did he give you any indication—” Joey looked for a softer word, but had to push on. “—he might want to harm himself?”

The bleak pain in the father’s eyes told her he’d been asking himself that same question. “I just don’t know.” He shook his head from side to side like a caged animal. “I guess I haven’t been paying much attention. I just don’t know anything about my son anymore. We didn’t notice he was missing until my wife went to see if he was hungry.

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