Calder Born, Calder Bred (Calder Saga 4)

But he clammed up and wouldn’t explain. “After the long day you’ve had, you must be pretty tired. I’ll put clean sheets on my bed so you can turn in.”

“But—”

“I don’t sleep much anyways,” he said before she could protest. “When I get tired, I’ll just catch a nap on the sofa.”

“Then let me fix the bed.”

“You just sit there and finish your coffee and cookies,” her uncle insisted.

25

The sheriff leaned forward in his swivel-based office chair, his barrel chest pushing at the edge of the desk he res

ted his arms on. “Look, I’ll explain it to you again, Mr. Calder,” he said with weary patience and began ticking off on his fingers the points as he made them. “Now, the law says you can’t file a missing-persons report until the individual has been missing for twenty-four hours or more. And the school told you that they didn’t discover your sister was not in her room until suppertime last night, which is only fourteen hours ago. You gotta wait ten more hours to file your report. Legally there’s nothing I can do until then.”

“Then, dammit, do something illegal!” Ty demanded, coming to his feet and placing his fists on the desktop to lean on them. “I want her found! And I don’t intend to wait ten hours before someone starts looking. I’ll finance a private search for her if I have to!”

“You have to understand the law’s position.” The sheriff settled complacently back in his chair. “Juveniles run away all the time. After a night alone, they usually call home, crying and saying how sorry they are. You go on home and wait for that phone call,” he urged with a touch of smugness. “If she don’t call in ten hours, you come back and see me.”

“If anything’s happened to her, I’ll come back to see you in hell!” Tired from no sleep and frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the authorities, Ty swung away before he followed his threatening words up with action.

Long slicing strides carried him out of the newly renovated sheriff’s office, courtesy of the new tax revenues generated by Dy-Corp coal workers. Blue Moon was expanding as fast as they could put in streets, sometimes faster, with mobile homes sitting on a plot of ground fifty yards from a road and accessible by a path worn into the grass.

In his pickup, Ty gunned the motor and pulled onto the dirt street. A dog ran out, barking angrily and biting at the tires, chasing the truck until satisfied it was leaving the neighborhood. When Ty reached the two-lane highway, he had simmered down. It was plain he wasn’t going to get any efficient outside help to look for Cat. He’d have to organize something himself.

After he swung the pickup onto the highway, he made almost a full U-turn to park in front of Sally’s Place. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he climbed the steps and entered the cafe. The place was half full with morning coffee drinkers. None of them he knew, but he heard his name being passed around. He paused at the counter, not taking a stool.

“Hello, Ty.” Sally Brogan looked mildly surprised to see him. “How’s your father? I was up to see him last week and he seemed to be doing so much better.” Without asking, she poured a cup of coffee and set it in front of him.

“He is improving. My sister hasn’t been around here, has she? Last night, maybe?”

“Cathleen? No. Why?” She noticed the haggard and raw lines in his face, and concern began to filter into her expression.

“She’s missing—ran away from school.” He took a quick sip of the hot coffee. “Can I use your phone? I want to check back at the ranch and see if they’ve heard from her.”

“Sure. Just go on through.” She motioned toward the swinging door to the kitchen. “I’ll ask around the tables and see if anyone here remembers seeing her.”

“Thanks.”

When he entered the kitchen, the cook, DeeDee Rains, gave him a big smile. “It’s been a long time since you’ve been around. What can I fix for you? Bacon and eggs? Some hashbrowns, maybe?”

“Nothing, thanks,” Ty refused as he reached for the wall phone just inside the door.

“I made doughnuts this morning.” She wiped her hands on the white apron and used a napkin to wrap two frosted doughnuts. “Your uncle came to the back door earlier and took a batch home with him while they were still hot. He wouldn’t come inside and eat anything, though. That crazy Culley, he’s quite a character.”

The doughnuts still had a warm smell that reminded him he hadn’t eaten in some time, so he smiled his thanks to her and accepted the doughnuts she handed him. The distant ring of a telephone finally stopped and a voice sounded in his ear.

“Yeah, let me speak to Stumpy.” With his forefinger, he pushed at the front of his hat brim to tip it to the back of his head.

“Is that you, Ty?” The voice belonged to Jessy.

“Yeah, it’s me. Has there been any word from Cat?” He tiredly leaned an elbow against the wall.

“Nothing as of twenty minutes ago,” she said. “Same for you?”

“Yeah. Let me speak to your father.”

“Sure.”