Chapter 4
FOUR
Sam unlocked the door and hung her keys on the designated hook on the wall to the left. Bella’s keys weren’t hanging where they should be. “Bella?”
She turned and flipped the deadbolt, then tossed her bag down next to the recliner and toed off her shoes before wandering down the hall.
“Bella, you didn’t hang up your keys.”
She was constantly reminding the teen to do simple things. Keys got hung on the key hook so they didn’t get lost in the tornado of clothing littering her bedroom floor.
Bella’s bedroom door was open, and the light was off. Unease filled her gut. It was after six. She should be home.
Sam flicked on the light in case Bella had lain down and fallen asleep after school. It had been known to happen. Although not so much now that she was in high school.
Bella’s bed was a mess, the comforter was halfway off, and three different shirts lay crumpled on top.
How were they sisters?
Sam liked her things to be neat and orderly. Everything had its space. Keys on the hook. Clothes in the closet. Bed neatly made every morning.
No sign of Bella’s backpack either. She pulled her phone from her pocket and started to dial Bella’s number but was interrupted by the doorbell.
That better not be the police bringing her home.
Wow. That was a huge jump from vaping in the bathroom. She dismissed the thought. Long day much?
Sam peered through the peephole to see who it was and spotted her landlord on the porch. She stepped back, undid the deadbolt, and opened the door. “Dr. Torres.” She didn’t know what kind of doctor he was. She just knew he’d introduced himself as a doctor when they’d met the first time.
“Good evening, Ms. Williams.” Dr. Torres smiled. He was a slender man in his fifties with some gray threaded through his black hair.
She looked past him, hoping to see Bella strolling up too, but it was just the doctor. “What can I help you with?”
He never stopped at their house—especially not in the last month or so. Maybe something was wrong? He didn’t micromanage, pretty much left them alone. Of course, she’d been a good tenant and not given him a reason to make appearances. Except for the time the water heater had gone out.
He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around, as if nervous.
“I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I’ll be going out of town for a little while and to give you some contact information for the man who will be handling all of my rental properties while I’m gone. His name is Daniel White.”
“Sure, come in and I’ll get a piece of paper and pen.” She stepped to the side to let him in, then scanned the street again. Couldn’t this have been a telephone call? She needed to find her sister. They’d lived here six years, and this was the first time he’d shown up unannounced.
“No need for you to write anything down. I’ve got it all right here.” He held out a piece of paper the size of a postcard, his smile a little too brittle.
She took the paper and read over it.
“Just keep paying your rent like normal. But if you have any issues or maintenance needs, give Danny a call.” He tapped the paper in her hand. “He’ll help you out.”
“Okay, I will.” She kept the frown to herself.
That would be the worst-case scenario, right after she looked for how-to videos on the internet or asked one of the guys from the station for help.
She didn’t want strangers in the house with Bella here.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had Dean come fix something.
“While I’m here, is there anything that needs to be taken care of before I leave town?” He looked around the living room, probably checking for evidence they’d gotten a dog or something. Why else would he be nosy?
She didn’t have time for this. Not with her sister MIA right now. “Nope, everything is fine.” She shook her head. “I should go. My sister will be home soon.”
“Good. Good.”
“Knock, knock,” a woman’s voice called from behind Dr. Torres.
He stepped out of the way, revealing the woman the voice belonged to. Aubrey, the Marshals’ office admin, stood next to the handsome marshal from the motel shooting.
Lead filled her stomach, and her vision blurred. Why were they here? Had something happened to Bella?
Sam swallowed. “Is—”
“Hi.” Aubrey’s bright smile seemed intended to reassure. “Sorry to intrude on your evening, ma’am, but my Mr. Whiskers escaped, and I was hoping you’d seen him.” She thrust a missing cat poster into Sam’s hand.
The lead melted away, and Sam took a deep breath. She’d been told early on that if the Marshals needed to make contact with her for a reason unrelated to her case, they would use a missing cat.
“I’ll just be on my way.” Dr. Torres stepped up to the doorway.
“Have you seen Mr. Whiskers?” Aubrey handed Dr. Torres a poster. “I live a block over, and this goof”—she nodded to the marshal—“left the front door open and he escaped.” She sniffed. “I’m so worried.”
Dr. Torres studied the poster and shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen him. Sorry.”
“Please call the number if you do.” Aubrey pleaded with her eyes.
“I will. Goodbye, Ms. Williams. Remember, if you have any issues, contact Danny.” Dr. Torres tipped his head and exited her house.
“What about you?” Aubrey asked. “Have you seen Mr. Whiskers?”
Sam studied the flyer. “I haven’t.”
Aubrey let out a squeaky cry as a tear rolled down her cheek, then started to sniffle before turning into the marshal’s chest.
His eyes widened as he awkwardly wrapped an arm around her. “It’s okay.” He patted her shoulder.
“You poor thing.” Sam stood back, watching Dr. Torres get in his car. “Why don’t you come in, and I’ll get you a tissue.”
“That’s so kind of you.” Aubrey slowly entered the house, the marshal on her heels.
Once everyone was inside, the marshal shut the door.
“Sorry to surprise you, but we’re having a staff change in the office, and I wanted to introduce you to your new handler.” Just like that, Aubrey’s tears were gone. “Samantha, this is Deputy US Marshal Liam Roberts. Deputy Marshal Roberts, this is Samantha Williams.”
The marshal stuck his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you again.”
She shook his hand. “I hope everything is okay with Deputy Marshal Butler and the other injured marshal.”
Aubrey smiled. “Deputy Marshal Butler is fine, just taking some leave for a few days. And Deputy Marshal Albright will be fine too.”
“That’s a relief.” Sam had wanted to ask about the man she’d treated but knew she wouldn’t get any answers.
Various laws protected his health information.
She didn’t understand how he’d survived until the ambulance arrived.
Had he made it to the hospital? It wouldn’t be the first time the unexplainable had happened.
Like the drunk driver with severe injuries who survived when the victim with seemingly minimal injuries didn’t.
“Is Bella here?” Aubrey asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
Sam gritted her teeth. “No, she’s out of the house.”
It wasn’t a lie, but she wasn’t going to tell them she had no idea where her sister was. That would make her irresponsible. Another thing to add to the conversation she was going to have with Bella.
“That’s okay. You can tell her about Deputy Marshal Roberts.” Aubrey smiled.
“I have the telephone number that was assigned to Deputy Marshal Butler, so the only thing changing is the person that answers.” Deputy Marshal Roberts smiled reassuringly. “Everything else is the same. Call me if you need me.”
Aubrey shifted on her feet. “Sorry, I hate to ask, but can I use your restroom?”
“Sure.” Sam pointed to the bathroom.
Aubrey handed the stack of flyers to Deputy Marshal Roberts and walked away.
Deputy Marshal Roberts stood tall, projecting calm authority.
“I want to assure you that even though I’m new to Renegade, I’m not new to law enforcement or the Marshals.
I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
I entered the police academy the day after I turned twenty-one.
And I worked as a police officer until I was hired by the US Marshals six years ago.
” He kept his eyes on her, steady and attentive. “Do you have any questions for me?”
Sam studied the man in front of her. She had questions for him, but she highly doubted he’d answer them.
Sam shook her head. “Not at this time, no.”
“Paperwork is two-dimensional. It tells us who you are but not who you are. Is there anything specific to you or your sister that’s not listed in your files that you want me to know? Are there any questions or concerns about your situation?”
She took a deep breath. “It’s probably nothing, but Bella is usually home by now, and as you can see, she’s not. She didn’t answer her phone when I called.”
Concern filled the marshal’s face. “Is that typical for her?”
“No. She knows the rules. She’s supposed to come straight home from school.”
“Does she have any extracurricular activities that might have run late? Any friends she likes to hang out with? Perhaps they lost track of time.”
“No extracurricular activities. She has friends. It’s possible she could be with one of them.”
“Any reason to believe she could be in danger because of your past? Threats or anything of that nature?”
She shook her head again. “No.” Sam was confident Bella would have told her if she had received any.
“Okay. So it’s possible that this is just her losing track of time or something simple like that.”
Possible? Yes. Uncharacteristic? Also yes.
“I’m here to protect you and Isabella. How do you want me to respond to this? I can and will scour the city for her if that’s what you want, or I can stay in the background and let you handle this until you tell me otherwise. It’s your decision.”
While this wasn’t like Bella, she had gotten into trouble at school today, so her being late could be tied to that. “Thank you. I’ll wait a bit and go from there.”
“Be sure to let me know if or when you need me. Even if it’s the middle of the night. In the meantime, I’ll pray for you.”