Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie

Author:Catherine McKenzie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2023-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Back at the SAR site I go to the picnic table to monitor the radio for updates from Ben and Gareth. Mia’s there, cleaning up after a meal.

“How was your rescue?” I ask.

“Minor sprain. No big deal.”

“That’s good.”

“Gareth and Ben are almost at the end of the trail. No sign of them.”

“That’s not good.”

“Nope.”

“Maybe some of the people camping there will have seen them?”

“Here’s hoping. I do not want to do a full-scale search.” Those searches were exhausting and can feel endless. Every trail has to be checked. And the longer it goes on, the more you know you’re never going to find them alive.

I sit at the table. “I hear you.” I take out my phone. “I’ve got to call Jada’s mother.”

Mia grimaces. “Those calls are no fun.”

I put in the number Eric gave me.

“Hello! Hello!”

“Mrs. Johnson?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“This is Cassie Peters. I’m from the Park Service in Yosemite. I’ve been asked to call you with an update.”

“You found them?”

A lump forms in my throat. “No, ma’am, I’m so sorry. Jada and Jim do seem to be missing. We have a team looking for them now.”

“Oh my God, oh my God, I knew it. I knew it when she didn’t call me on my birthday. My baby girl, my baby girl.”

I swallow down my guilt. “Ma’am, I want you to know that most people are recovered without any significant injury. She hasn’t been missing for long. We’re doing everything we can to find her. And Jim.”

“Oh my God. Oh my God.”

“Are you in contact with Jim’s family?”

“Yes, yes, I have their number somewhere.”

“Can you give that to me?”

“I… I’d have to look for it. I… I can’t…”

“Mrs. Johnson is there someone there with you?”

“No, it’s just me.”

“Mr. Johnson?”

There’s a bitter sound on the line, followed by a sob. “He’s gone too. Long gone.”

“Is there someone you can call? A friend, a relative? Someone to be with you?”

“Yes, yes, okay.”

“I will let you know as soon as I have an update. You can call this number anytime, or the other number I gave you.”

“Where is she? Where’s Jada?”

My heart squeezes. “We don’t know, ma’am. Hopefully we’ll know soon.”

“I… I have to go.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as we know something. And if you can ask Jim’s father to call me…” But the line is dead.

“That sucked,” Mia says, her eyes full of sympathy.

“Yeah.” My hands are shaking as I look down at the screen. I should’ve taken Eric up on his offer to leave this case, but I can’t do that. “Can I use your phone for a minute?”

“Why?”

“I want to check Instagram. I wrote to Jim’s dad there. It doesn’t work on this.” I shake the phone in my hand.

“Sure, okay.” She hands me her phone, putting in the password first.

I sign into my Instagram account. I look at the red heart, the number of messages in my inbox. All those notifications I noticed earlier. Am I strong enough?

I hold my hands steady as I check the message I sent to Jim’s father first.

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