Chapter 20
TWENTY
Lydia stared around at the cabin where she and Elsie had stayed with River and Frankie for two days.
The cabin consisted of two bedrooms and a large room that served as a living room and kitchen.
From the bedroom where she and Elsie slept, she could hear River playing with Elsie and Frankie in the living room.
She smoothed the blankets over the bed. They’d only had time to grab a few things for Elsie from Lydia’s house on the way to the cabin, but River had been coming up with games for Elsie to play ever since they’d come here.
Keeping a three-year-old child inside and out of sight was proving to be a challenge, but River seemed to be up to it.
Unfortunately, Elsie seemed to have grown used to confinement. Frankie let out a happy-sounding yip.
Lydia entered the living room and kitchen area where River had twisted together what looked like a makeshift tug toy for Frankie. She stared down at one of the long-sleeved shirts River had brought with him, which no longer had any sleeves. He must have braided the sleeves together to make the toy.
“Wasn’t that one of the new shirts we got at the store before we came out here?”
“I can still wear it.” He turned his attention back to Frankie. “I think we needed this more. Dog and child were getting restless.”
Elsie squealed with delight as Frankie tugged and growled. She clapped her hands. “Let me do it.”
River handed Elsie the tug toy, cupping her hand and placing it in her palm. Elsie waved the toy up and down until Frankie took it. The dog seemed to adjust to Elsie having less strength than River, tugging lightly.
The picture of the three of them together warmed Lydia’s heart. River seemed to have a natural ability to connect with children. Or maybe it was just that he connected with Elsie.
Lydia hurried over to the kitchen. “Elsie, are you getting hungry? I’ll make us a snack.”
“Sure, Mama.”
“I need to take Frankie out for her potty break anyway.”
River headed outside with Frankie. From the kitchen window, she watched River head down a trail. This cabin was one of three that looked out on a lake and was used by the police to keep witnesses safe. The other two cabins were not occupied. At night, a Ridge police officer was parked outside.
Lydia was beginning to wonder if Norm had just decided to save himself and leave the country. She longed for her and Elsie to get back to their home and normal life. She opened a package of crackers.
Elsie moved toward the table. “I think Mr. Binkins would like a snack, too.”
Lydia set the crackers on the table along with a box juice. “I’ll go get him. You get started on your snack.”
Mr. Binkins had always been a source of comfort to Elsie and she was glad she’d thought to grab the teddy bear.
She picked the bear up off the bed and returned to the kitchen. She stuttered in her step as shock spread through her. The door was open, and Elsie was gone. Heart pounding, Lydia ran outside in time to see Norm feet away from a car that was partially hidden by another cabin.
She ran toward her daughter.
Norm turned around and fired a gun in her direction.
* * *
From the lake where he’d been letting Frankie get some exercise, a child’s faint scream reached River’s ears.
Had he even heard right? He scrambled up the trail.
The sound of a gunshot made his stomach lurch.
He couldn’t believe that Norm had found them.
After so many days, he’d begun to think Norm had fled to save himself.
In response to the gunfire, he pulled out his own weapon.
With Frankie by his side, he burst through the trees in time to see Lydia lying on the ground.
She lifted her head and pointed. He heard the sound of a car starting up but didn’t see it until it pulled out from behind one of the other cabins.
Adrenaline surged. He could see Elsie through the window on the passenger side. Her hands pressed against the glass. Fear etched in her features. He couldn’t risk hitting her to take out Norm.
He aimed for the tires, shooting twice.
Norm did a sudden turn, zooming toward him. He heard Lydia scream as he jumped out of the way.
He sprinted toward Norm’s car as it reached the edge of the parking area, firing off three more shots. The car pulled out onto the dirt road. Frankie kept pace with him as he ran through a field to try to cut the car off.
He fired more shots, two at the engine and two more at the tires. He had to stop Norm. The car disappeared around a corner. He kept running. When he got around the curve, River didn’t see the car. He wasn’t about to give up. His bullets must have disabled the vehicle in some way.
He heard a car behind him. Lydia in the patrol car. He swung open the passenger’s-side door, commanding Frankie to jump in. Lydia pressed the gas before he’d even closed the door, a look of hard-rock determination on her face.
She floored it, causing the back end to fishtail. She rounded another curve. Up ahead, Norm’s car was on the side of the road. Steam rolled out of the engine. They got to the car and jumped out. River held his gun. “Stay back. Let me check it out.”
The car was empty, and the passenger’s door had been left open. When he glanced across the narrow field by the road, he saw Norm, carrying Elsie, stepping into the trees. Frankie had already taken off across the field. He followed with Lydia close behind him.
When River entered the trees, Frankie had disappeared. Erratic and intense barking reached his ears. With his gun still drawn, he rushed toward the sound.
Frankie circled Norm, who had set a frightened Elsie down. The dog growled and leapt at Norm as he raised his gun to shoot.
“Don’t you dare.” River had Norm in his sight. “Drop the gun.”
Frankie was still circling and lunging toward Norm.
“Get your dog to back off.”
“Drop the gun and I will.”
Norm complied, lifting his hands in the air. River commanded Frankie to stop. The dog sat back on her haunches, but her behind was not on the ground, as if she was ready to spring at any moment.
Norm looked sideways at the dog, clearly fazed by the near attack.
Lydia came through the trees and ran to her daughter, scooping her up and holding her close as she glared at Norm. “This is not how a grandfather acts.”
“You should’ve been a better wife. You drove him to drink.” Norm’s voice faltered. “Sloane was devastated when you got sole custody. We just thought if he could have his child back…maybe he’d get his life back on track.”
River saw in that moment how distorted Norm’s thinking was and how a parent’s love could become so twisted.
Crying, Elsie snuggled close to her mother’s neck as Lydia walked back toward River, who moved in to handcuff Norm.
After River called for another patrol car, he marched Norm through the trees and secured him in his car.
River, Frankie, Elsie and Lydia waited on the side of the road.
Lydia’s hand slipped into his. “It’s over. Thanks to you and Frankie.”
Elsie had come around to his other side. Her little hand slipped into his. She tilted her head up toward him. “Thank you, River. Grandpa was bad.”
He stared down into trusting green eyes, just like her mother’s. “He won’t ever scare you again.”
“Promise,” said Elsie.
“I promise.” As he stood with both his hands being held, he thought that this was the most loved he’d ever felt.
Love? Was that what he was feeling?
Once the other patrol car came to get Norm, River drove to the cabin to get the few things they had there and then headed for Ridge.
He’d texted Emmett that Norm was in custody.
Emmett texted back right away, congratulating him and asking him if he could be at the Denver FBI office within the hour.
Now he’d be able to put his full attention on Mia’s case and finding the culprits who were killing young women.
He stopped in front of Lydia’s house. Elsie was in the back seat with Frankie.
Lydia stared at her house. “I can’t believe we get to go back to our home, Elsie girl.”
“Thanks to the nice policeman.” From her car seat where she sat in the backseat of the car, Elsie raised her arms in the air.
Lydia locked River in her gaze. “Yes, thanks to the nice policeman.”
The intensity of the affection he saw in her eyes made his heart flutter at the same time fear entered his awareness. “I’ll walk you two to your door.”
Lydia unlocked the door. The kitchen still showed damage from the blast that had probably been Norm’s doing. The rest of the interior was undamaged except for a burnt smell that hung in the air.
Elsie ran inside screaming, “Hello, beautiful house.” Her gaze rested momentarily on the damaged kitchen.
Lydia laid her hand on Elsie’s shoulder. “We have a little bit of fixing up to do.”
Seeming to shake off her confusion about the kitchen, Elsie came back to the open door, pressing her foot against her calf and tilting her head. “Can Frankie come in and see my room?”
Lydia glanced nervously at River. “I think that she and River have to get back to work, right?”
River studied her for a long moment, memorizing every freckle on her face and the way the light danced in her eyes. “Right.”
It would be good to feel like he was fully contributing to the task force mission, but he found himself not wanting to leave Lydia and Elsie. Seeing Frankie interact with the little girl who had such an affinity with animals made the burdens he bore seem lighter.
Elsie disappeared inside the house.
Lydia reached out and touched his arm. “Well, I better go.”
He nodded. She fell into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you for everything.” Having her so close warmed him to his marrow.
A tiny arm wrapped around his leg and Elsie stared up at him.
Lydia pulled free of the hug and picked Elsie up. “Come on, Pumpkin, we got to let River and Frankie get back to work.”
River made his way down the walkway to his car. When he looked through the window as he pulled away, Lydia and Elsie were still standing on the porch, waving.
Frankie whimpered from her kennel.
“I agree, girl, those are two of the most loving people I’ve ever known.”
As he drove to the edge of Ridge and took the exit that would lead him to Denver, thirty minutes away, a hollow feeling settled into his bones.
Maybe it was just because the case was over.
There was always a sense of floundering once an investigation wrapped up.
Though he was overjoyed that Elsie was safe and home the feeling was bittersweet knowing that Noah would never be returned to his mom.
He had come to realize that the nature of police work could be both heartbreaking and victorious. All of it was in God’s hands.
His car clipped past the sign that said Denver was getting closer.
This feeling was different somehow than just seeing a case to a close. Even as he parked by the FBI facility where Emmett worked and where there was a training center for the K-9s, he couldn’t shake the emptiness he’d felt since he’d pulled away from Lydia house.