Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
T he living room curtain flopped back into place as Esther let go of it. She turned, glancing at the wall clock. Over two hours had passed since Asher took off. She couldn’t wait any longer. It was time to contact the police.
Traipsing into the kitchen, she picked up her purse and car keys. She figured she’d get better results if she showed up at the police station rather than calling to make a report. Perhaps if she was adamant enough that something was wrong, they’d let her speak to a detective.
After stuffing her feet into a pair of canvas shoes, she exited the house through the garage and climbed into her car. Moments later, she was headed down the road.
Nerves twisted her stomach in knots and threatened to expel the meager amount of pasta she’d forced down earlier. She had a terrible feeling Asher hadn’t taken off in hot pursuit of a lead.
Just minutes after she left her house, she turned into a parking space outside of the local police station. Heron Ridge wasn’t large, and their police department reflected that. But they were large enough to have several patrol officers and a detective on staff. Hopefully, they could help her. If not, well, she’d call Edie and the cavalry. One way or another, she’d find Asher.
Warm air hit her as she stepped inside the building’s vestibule. A man at the desk sat up straighter as she entered.
“Good evening. How may I help you, miss?” His voice came through the speaker embedded in the glass, giving it a tinny, electronic sound.
“Hi. I need to file a missing person’s report.”
“Okay. Adult or child?” The man slid a notepad closer and picked up a pen.
“Adult.”
“How long has this person been missing?”
“Just a couple of hours.”
His expression shuttered, and he laid the pen down. “Ma’am?—”
Esther held up a hand, cutting him off. “I know what you’re going to say. He hasn’t been gone long enough. But if you’d let me explain, you might think differently.”
The officer eyed her for a long moment. Esther held his gaze, her back ramrod straight. She wasn’t leaving until someone heard her out.
“Okay. Explain.”
She didn’t hesitate. “My name is Esther Campbell. I’m a teacher at Heron Ridge Elementary. As part of my duties, I’m a homeschool tutor for a child who can’t attend regular classes due to a medical condition. It’s not in the best part of town, and I haven’t felt safe there lately. I told my sister about it. She’s a former military officer, and she knows people. She told one of her friends, and last week, he showed up at my door, offering to help. Part of that help is he’s been driving me there and waiting for me. Today, we did what we always do, but when I left my student’s house, he was gone. Car and all. He didn’t text or call. Never mentioned he planned to leave before I got out of the car. I don’t know where he went. I ended up calling my dad to come get me because I didn’t have a way home. You have to understand. Asher isn’t some flighty man who couldn’t be bothered to wait around. He’s a former CIA analyst with a genius-level intellect. If he left, he’d tell me.”
Again, the officer stared at her, this time with a disbelieving smirk on his face. “You had me up until the CIA part. Go home and take your meds, lady.”
“Excuse me?” Esther narrowed her eyes at him. “Listen, I am not a nut job. My sister is Edie Campbell. Do you know who that is?” In their small town, military heroes were well known. Especially ones who’d been wounded in action.
The man sat back. “I do.”
“And wouldn’t it make sense that she knows someone like that?”
“I suppose it would.”
“Great. Can I talk to the detective on duty?”
The officer sighed. “Ma’am?—”
Again, Esther held up a hand. “Please? I’m worried. This isn’t like him.”
Chewing on the corner of his mouth, the officer stared at his phone, then sighed. “Fine. But I can’t promise you he’ll do anything yet.”
Relief flooded her veins. “That’s fine. At least I’ll have the ball rolling.”
The man picked up the phone and dialed an extension. A moment later, he spoke. “Hey, I’ve got a woman up here wanting to file a missing person’s report. I think you need to hear her out.”
A beat of silence passed, then he nodded. “Thanks.” He hung up and looked at Esther. “You can come back.” He reached for the wall, then the door to her left buzzed.
“Thank you.”
Esther walked over and pulled on the handle to let herself in. She paused at his desk on the other side.
“Fill this out.” He pushed a clipboard toward her.
She wrote her name and other information on the paper, then handed it back. He gave her a visitor’s badge, then stood up.
“Follow me.” Rounding the desk, he led her through a metal detector, then down the short corridor to an office, where he rapped his knuckles on the semi-closed door.
“Enter,” came a muffled male voice from inside.
The officer pushed the wooden door inward before he stepped back and motioned for her to precede him. Esther moved forward, getting her first glimpse of the mid-fortyish detective with salt and pepper hair behind the metal desk.
He rose, revealing a tall, lanky body that said he ran a lot, and offered her a tired, but polite smile. “Come in, ma’am, and have a seat. I’m Detective J.D. Stroud.”
Esther tried to return his smile, but knew she failed. It had probably looked more like a grimace. She sat down, folding her hands in her lap. “Esther Campbell.”
The door returned to its semi-closed state as the officer left.
“Officer Weyland said you want to file a missing person’s report?”
“I do. And I want to ask that you hear me out before telling me it’s too soon. Also, I promise you, I’m not crazy.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You know, most people who are crazy say they aren’t.”
Esther let out a soft huff. “Please?”
His mouth flattened. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” Not waiting for him to change his mind, she launched into a thorough but condensed version of why she thought Asher had been abducted and hadn’t just left. Starting with her sister and how Edie knew Asher, she moved on to why he’d come to Oregon and what had happened since he’d been here. She also touched on the mystery surrounding the Tylers. By the time she’d laid everything out, Detective Stroud’s skeptical expression had changed to one of concerned curiosity.
“So, he just disappeared on you this evening? Car and all?”
“Yes. Edie told me to mention he was in a rental car. That you might be able to use that.”
“It’s possible. Do you know where he rented the car?”
“Portland Airport.” She named the company whose sticker she’d seen in the corner of the windshield.
The detective wrote it down. “Give me a description of your friend.”
“Um, he’s tall. Maybe six-two or three. Dark hair. Brown eyes.”
“Age?”
“Thirty-three.”
“What about weight and build?”
“He’s fit. He runs marathons. I’m not sure about weight. Maybe one-eighty? One-ninety?”
“Okay, what about his clothing? What was he wearing?”
Esther chuckled softly, remembering how he looked when she last saw him. She waved a hand. “Sorry. To help me celebrate my student’s birthday, Asher put on an inflatable unicorn costume. Leah loved it. The last time I saw him, he was wearing that. Underneath, he had on khaki-colored jeans and a dark purple dress shirt.”
Detective Stroud wrote that down, then nodded. “All right. I’ll get a flyer made up. Make some calls and go visit?—”
The door swung inward, startling them both. Esther turned around to see Officer Weyland.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Detective, we just got a call about a shooting and a child abduction at Little Nicky’s Pizzeria.”
Esther’s blood ran cold. That was the restaurant Leah mentioned they were going to for dinner.
“Officers are on scene, and K-9 is en route,” Weyland continued.
“Witnesses?” Detective Stroud pushed back from his desk.
“Just an elderly couple on their way out of the building. Report from the scene says the shooting victim is critical. Medical just got there.”
“Okay. Tell the units on scene I’ll be there soon.”
Officer Weyland nodded once, then ducked out of the room.
“Miss Campbell, I’m sorry, but I need to go. I promise?—”
Esther stood. “I think the cases are connected.”
Stroud paused and frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“Asher and the incident at Little Nicky’s. My student—Leah—she said her family was going to Little Nicky’s for dinner for her birthday.”
His gaze sharpened. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. She was so excited about it, I could hardly keep her on task. She hasn’t been to a restaurant in years, Detective. Years. I heard all about their plans. More than once.”
He stared at her for a beat. “Okay. On the off-chance you’re right, I want you close by to answer questions.” He rounded the desk and ushered her toward the door. “You’re coming along.”