Глава №1. Огородная слобода и Чистые пруды – между двух царских дорог. Андрей Монамс

himself thinking about someone besides himself and his personal battles. “It’s going to be okay.” He only had to convince himself of that, and it was threatening to become an impossible task.

      TWO

      The shadows of the night whipped past Sarah’s headlights as the depth and warmth of Nick’s reassuring voice continued to echo in her head. The rhythm of his words soothed her into a near-trance. Her eyes were half shut when a deer flitted across the road in the far reach of the high beams, shocking her awake. She hit the brakes, glad the lateness of the night had emptied this highway of most automobiles. This part of Missouri was notorious for its nightlife; nocturnal animals could outnumber cars on the road.

      Another deer leaped past the beams, and another, and she braced herself, pressing harder on the pedal.

      The chirp of her cell phone claimed her attention as the small herd disappeared into the blackness of forest south of the road. When she answered, she heard John’s wide-awake voice.

      “Got something, Sarah. Are you hands-free?”

      “No, but there’s no traffic.”

      “Pull over so we can talk. I’ll wait.”

      “John, stop being such a policeman. I’m practically stopped already.” No need to mention the deer. She pulled far off the shoulder into the grass beyond. “Just tell me what you’ve got.”

      “Listen, how much time does Emma spend online? I’ve warned her about the danger of predators.”

      Already startled awake by the deer, Sarah felt her muscles tense. “What did you find?”

      “I’ve got a couple more names and addresses for you. Did you know a man by the name of Alec Thompson? His comment on Nick’s blog was, ‘Emma, I know your family.’ It was as if he was trying to lure her into a conversation. I’m getting ready to call Sheriff Moritz over there to give him a heads-up on—”

      “No, don’t. Alec’s okay.” The lack of sleep, the worry about Emma, the reconnections to the past were all catching up with her.

      “You know the guy?”

      “His family owned several businesses in Jolly Mill when we lived there, and he dated a friend of mine. You know, I haven’t been there in over sixteen years, but I still think of Jolly Mill as my hometown. We’re talking about a small community, where everyone knows practically everyone else. The thought that someone I might have known could’ve been a killer—”

      “And that Emma’s headed there?”

      Sarah gritted her teeth. Yes. Exactly. “And she won’t answer her phone.”

      “Sorry she’s doing this to you. I know you think your old hometown’s the best place on the planet, but things change over the years.”

      “Not so much. Those explosions would have stirred up the whole community, even though we’ve been gone since Emma’s conception. People are going to talk, and when they talk, some questions might be answered. Nick’s blog was a good idea.” Sarah opened the window and allowed the cool night air to rush into the car. “Emma wasn’t there when I called Nick.”

      “I’m sorry, cuz. You know we’ll all be praying for you to have a safe trip.”

      “I’m not even sure I can make it there tonight.”

      “Why not?”

      Sarah took a deep breath of fresh air and watched the fog of moisture drift through the moonlight when she exhaled. “I barely slept after a little tiff with Emma last night. It’s catching up with me now.”

      “Where are you?”

      “Close to Cabool.”

      “Only halfway. You’d better get thee to a safe hotel and get some rest. You won’t do Emma any good if you have a wreck.”

      Sarah needed coffee. The clock in her dashboard told her it was nine-thirty. Two and a half more hours of driving, and she still had no idea if she would find Emma when she arrived at her destination.

      “I checked out Nick a little more thoroughly,” John said.

      “How?”

      “It’s all about computers these days, cuz. It’s there—you just have to find it.”

      “So...what did you find?”

      John chuckled. “Can’t help yourself, can you? I have a feeling you might be carrying some glowing embers for the guy.”

      She felt herself smiling in spite of everything. “John.”

      “Sorry, but if Nick wants you to know about his business, he’ll have to tell you himself.”

      “Did you read his blog?”

      “Yep. Cuz, don’t freak, but I’m afraid he might be onto something. He asked for information about a toxin leak many years ago in a river about twenty miles from Jolly Mill, but unless he comes up with more there, I think that’s a no-go. Still, something’s up.”

      “Nick didn’t say anything about that.” She shoved open the door, stepped out into the cool night air and was nearly sideswiped by a speeding motorcycle. She ran around the front of her car and into the ditch on the other side, her footing precarious.

      “Breathe, Sarah.”

      “I’m breathing.” But this was feeling too real.

      “What’s wrong?” John asked.

      “Someone intentionally called Edward just before the explosion. Everyone in town probably knows about the bad cell reception in that conference center, so they must have known he would step outside. Our parents were best friends. Those meetings they had every year? They used to hold them in a place on Spring River until that toxin scare. After that, Dad made the decision to change the venue to the conference center at Jolly.” She stepped from the soggy, weed-filled ditch into the heavier darkness of the woods. “The man who owned the place on the river killed himself after the dioxin spill at Verona, and Dad blamed himself.”

      “What? Why?”

      “Because when Dad withdrew from the Spring River center, others did, too.”

      “That’s no reason for Uncle Mark to blame himself. He was protecting people.”

      “What if someone else blamed him for that poor man’s suicide? The guy lost his income and lost hope.”

      There was a hesitation. “Okay, listen, Sarah, I’ve got some vacation days coming to me. I could call the chief, see if—”

      “No, you don’t need to go to Jolly. You need to get that detective position.”

      “This is getting a little too much for nonprofessionals to handle.”

      “Nick told me there’s an ex-cop he’s working with.”

      There was a heavy sigh. “Guess you know where to find Nick.”

      “I practically lived at their house half the time when I was a kid.”

      “I’ll update you if I find anything else. You stop and rest. And, Sarah—”

      “I know. You’ve got my back.”

      “That’s right, cuz, I’ve got your back.”

      * * *

      The gentle melody of Sarah’s voice echoed in Nick’s mind instead of the scrape of the hasp he eased over one of the push mower blades. She was coming here. The last time he’d seen her in person she’d had long, Goth black hair and her beautiful eyes had been overwhelmed by the heavy makeup. How would she look as a grown woman?

      He realized he wanted to see her, looked forward to it.

      Once again breathing in the scent of motor oil, dried grass