Gudenkauf, Heather - The Overnight Guest by Gudenkauf Heather

Author:Gudenkauf, Heather [Gudenkauf, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Park Row Books
Published: 2021-11-05T16:15:54+00:00

25

August 2000

Margo Allen sat on a chair in her kitchen while her estranged husband, Kevin, paced the floor. The deputy that brought her home had suggested that she call a neighbor to come over and take their younger children while they waited for word. Margo shook her head. There was no way she was going to let her kids out of her sight. Four-year-old Toby was sitting on her lap playing with the silver cross on her necklace while ten-year-old Addie sat across from them, staring intently at her handheld video game.

After seeing the medical examiner pull into the Doyles’ drive, Margo nearly passed out. She had never felt such fear before in her life. It was as if someone had reached right down her throat and snatched her breath away. The sheriff wouldn’t say who was dead, only that it wasn’t Becky. The sheriff murmured a bunch of promises and then handed her off to another deputy, who was little or no help.

When she begged the deputy to take her to Becky, he had to admit that they had no idea where she was, just that everyone was doing everything they could to find her. Margo had lost it then and tried to run into the Doyle house. It took three officers to hold her back. She hadn’t meant to cause a scene; she just wanted to see for herself that Becky wasn’t in the house.

A deputy drove Margo home while another officer followed behind in Margo’s car. By the time they arrived at the small gray house on Laurel Street, it was to find her husband sitting at the kitchen table and the babysitter gone.

“Why haven’t we heard anything?” Kevin wanted to know. Like Margo, his eyes were red from crying. Someone was dead, Josie was whisked off to the hospital, and Becky had disappeared.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Allen, I’m sure the sheriff will touch base soon. Are you sure there is no one that you’d like me to call for you? A family member or a friend?”

Margo shook her head. She knew that she should call her parents but they lived in Omaha and would insist on making the four-hour drive. She wasn’t ready for that. She willed Becky to come bouncing through the front door, out of breath and apologetic for making them worry. Then Margo could call her mom and complain about how Becky was turning into one of those teenagers.

There was a rap at the front door, and Margo quickly stood and then sat back down. Becky wouldn’t knock. She stood in the kitchen doorway while Deputy Dahl went to answer the door. He went outside and several minutes later came inside with a woman Margo didn’t recognize. She introduced herself as Agent Camila Santos from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.

“Have you found her?” Kevin Allen asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Agent Santos said, glancing down at the little boy Margo held on her lap. He kept patting at his mother’s face, wiping away the tears.

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