The Water Keeper(56)

“That afternoon.”

“And when did he happen to mention that he worked for a pharmaceutical company? That his area of specialty was pain management?”

She nodded. “Said he had worked in physical therapy before going back to pharmacy school. He looked at my ankle. Gentle. Caring. Gave me something for the pain. Didn’t charge me.”

“Does any of this strike you as coincidence?”

She thought about it. “Not really.”

“That’s why people like them prey on people like you. ’Cause you don’t think like them. You believe people are good and so are their intentions. Let me ask you this—if you were a bad person, looking to lift little girls, and you wanted to reduce the number of parents who were looking for them, would you do what he did? Remove suspicion and cause them to feel somehow indebted? Guilty even?”

“You think—”

“You were set up. Happens all the time. It’s all part of the emotional warfare that takes place prior to the abduction.”

For the first time, anger swept across her face. “You mean—”

“It was never about you. It’s always been about Angel. You just fit the profile. They’d probably been studying you for weeks. And they sure as shooting slammed the car door on your ankle when the opportunity presented itself.”

She sat back as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. She shook her head. “What kind of sicko—”

“The kind that trades in people.”

Moments passed. “Why?”

“There is no good answer to that. They’re just evil.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I need to know if you think worse of me. Am I defective goods?”

The question did not surprise me. I’d heard it before. More than once. “Why?”

“’Cause I’m a good mom. Not perfect, but I love my daughter and—”

“My answer will only convince your mind. Not your heart. And that’s the answer that matters. So give it time . . .”

“What happens when we find her?”

“That will go one of two ways. We snatch her back, which will be more difficult now that they know we’re looking. Or we are willing to pay more than someone else.”

“You mean like actually pay money?”

I nodded.

“What will that cost?”

I stared at her. Then out the window. “Everything.”





Chapter 24


My phone rang. My faceplate read “1:47 a.m.” I tried to answer it, but even though it was ringing, no one was calling. That’s when it occurred to my foggy brain that my other phone was ringing. I answered the sat phone. “Hello?”

Her voice was loud, obnoxious and slurred. “Padre! Whussup?!”

Summer heard Angel’s unmistakable voice and sat upright. Eyes wide.

I tried to get her talking. “I was hoping you’d call. You having fun?”

“You should see this place. It’s off the . . . off the train.”

Evidently the pharmacist was keeping her highly medicated. “I’d love to see it.”

“You should come join us. I’m a good kiss . . .” She trailed off.

With my other hand, I dialed my cell phone, and when he answered in Colorado, Summer gave him the number Angel was currently using to call me. I tried to keep her talking while he located it. “Tell me about it.”

“It’s this cabin.”

“You’re not on a boat?”

“No. We got off the boat.”

“When?”

“I don’t know. What is this? Twenty Questions?”

“No, I just thought the boat was the place to be. You know, the bomb.”

“No, no, no. Thiz place is the bomb. Out here in the Neverglazed. We rode an airboat with a big-a— Oops. Sorry. Forgot you wear the collar. Gotta clean up my mouth. Anyway, this boat had a huge plane propeller on the back. Looked like something out of Indiana Jones. Then we saw some alligators with some big fri— I mean big teeth, and then we rode on a truck, like the monster kind, tires bigger than me. This is the party of all parties.”

“Sounds like it.”

I could hear her making noises with her mouth again. “You should meet my momma. She’s one he—” She swallowed. “She’s a good dancer, but you might have to wait ’til her ankle heals ’cause it’s been hurting for a while and she tried to hide it from me. I said some things to her I shouldn’t have said.” She paused. “Padre? You ever said stuff you wish you hadn’t?”

The words returned. “Yes.”

Summer covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out. My cell phone dinged with a text message showing coordinates and a location pin. The text read, “Tough to get to, but it can be done. A little over two hours from where you are now.”

I returned to Angel. “Sounds like you’ve had quite the adventure. Where are you headed next?”

“I don’t know. Keys. Islands. Wherever. Why do you care?”

“You called me, remember?”

More mouth noises. “Padre, I’m a good . . .”

Her voice trailed off but the connection stayed live for another few minutes. I could hear her snoring. Other people talking in the background. Music. Laughter. This young girl was in a bad way, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, I think something in her knew she was in over her head.