A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(69)

She nodded but decided to press her luck with every ounce of strength she had. She knew how much these things cost. Budget was always a concern in New Mexico, and when weighing the cost against the odds, the cost usually won.

“I’ll tell you what. You give me four and I’ll give you a home-cooked meal.”

“You cook?”

“Hell no. But my mom is a savant.”

The soft laugh was promising. Sun held her breath as he thought about it. “Three. It’s the best I can do, but you have to keep a woman named Wanda away from me.”

Sun chuckled. “Deal. Thanks, Will.”

“My team doesn’t need to worry about that escaped convict, does it?”

“Not even a little. I’m going to head back to town, but I’ll join the search in a couple of hours.”

He nodded. “Stay alive. I’m going to be hungry later.”

Apparently, Levi had already talked with the field coordinator and the incident commander, letting them know which areas he’d covered. She looked up just as a search team took off on horses, their breaths fogging in the air.


Sunshine walked into the station just as Agent Fields was finishing up his interview with Mr. and Mrs. St. Aubin.

He motioned for her to join them and welcomed her with a handshake. “Sheriff.”

“Agent Fields. Mari.” She held out her hand to Mari’s husband. “Mr. St. Aubin. I am so sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances.”

“Forest, please.”

They took seats in the conference room so she could go over what they’d discussed and ask any questions of her own.

Forest St. Aubin was younger than she’d expected, especially since he was so successful running a vineyard and winery. The only clue to his age was his salt-and-pepper hair, which placed him in his early forties, but he looked more like late thirties when she focused on his face. In fact, he looked a little younger than his wife.

“Have you heard anything?” he asked her, and she couldn’t miss the agony on his face.

“I’m sorry.”

“What about that Ravinder kid? Jimmy? Do you suspect him?”

“We aren’t ruling anything out at this juncture. We have a search party looking for him right now.”

“Do you think . . . do you think she’s up there with him?”

“She’ll freeze to death,” Mari said from behind closed fists.

“We don’t know. But if she is, we’ll find her.” Her words did absolutely nothing to ease the couple’s distress. She looked at the agent beside her, then back to the man on the verge of tears. “Did you guys come up with any other possibilities?”

Mari wasn’t on the verge of tears. Her cheeks were soaked with the things, her dark hair in a state of turmoil, her nose red.

“Like I told Agent Fields,” he said, “I can’t think of anyone who would do this. Or why anyone would do this.” He pressed a thumb and index fingers to his eyes.

She gave him a moment. No need to ask his whereabouts. She could read Fields’s report. His people had probably already checked his alibi. Sun was more interested in the man’s thoughts on Sybil’s prediction.

As though he read her mind, he said, “I guess you know about Syb’s premonition?”

“I do. What do you think about it?”

He scoffed, the sound bitter and resentful. “I think I’m an asshole.”

Not the direction she’d expected. “Why do you say that?”

He drew in a deep breath to steady himself, then explained, “All those years, all those times she tried to talk to us about it, and we just dismissed it. Like it meant nothing. Like her fears meant nothing.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t think that.”

“She has to. It’s the truth.”

“But you believe her now?”

A light sob escaped him. “How can I not?”

His phone rang, and he checked it. When he didn’t recognize the number, he looked between her and Fields. The agent pressed a button on the digital recorder and nodded to him.

The man swallowed, then answered on the fourth ring with a shaky, “Hello?” He frowned at them when no one spoke. “Hello? Do you have my daughter?”

Sun leaned over to the agent’s laptop as he tried to locate where the call originated from. Because the number had come up on the caller ID, he could put it in the program and track it with GPS.

“Who is this?”

Mari pressed her hands over her mouth to squelch a sob.

“Mr. St. Aubin,” Fields said softly, the lines on his face hardening. “It’s coming from your house.”

Without even a hint of hesitation, Fields took the phone, and the two officers scrambled out of the conference room.

“Quincy—Deputy Cooper,” she corrected, “follow us with the St. Aubins.”

“You got it, boss.” He grabbed his jacket as she and Fields ran for her cruiser.


Sun skidded to a halt in the St. Aubins’ drive, careful not to disturb any fresh tire tracks. Snowy footprints on the walkway led to the front door, but the St. Aubins entered and exited through their garage. The tracks were definitely not theirs, though there were any number of law enforcement agents they could have belonged to.