THIRTY-EIGHT
Not long after Colin had left, Jessie grabbed her purse. “Come on,” she said to Olivia. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“To Woodland. I want to look Arlo Gatley in the eyes when they take him away.”
“Why?”
“It’s something I need to do.”
“What if he’s dangerous?”
“If the police haven’t arrived, I won’t get out of the car until he’s in handcuffs.” Jessie didn’t want to freak Olivia out, but there was no way she was going to leave Olivia home alone. “I always carry pepper spray,” Jessie told her, “and we can bring Higgins along for the ride, too.”
Olivia jumped up from the couch and grabbed the leash and a couple of treats for Higgins.
They had been on the highway for at least five minutes when Olivia turned to Jessie and said, “Are you all right?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You don’t look well, for one thing. I’m worried about you. The cut on the side of your face looks kind of puffy and swollen.”
“Don’t worry. I’m taking antibiotics. I feel fine.”
“I overheard some of your conversation with Colin, and I think he’s right,” Olivia said. “You should be concentrating on making sure you don’t go back to jail. I’m scared.”
Jessie’s heart sank. “I’m sorry I’ve worried you. I don’t want you to be scared, okay? Two different women have agreed to testify against Parker Koontz in court. Everything will be fine.”
“Promise?”
“Yes,” she said, wishing she felt as confident as she sounded. “But I also need to find Zee Gatley, okay? I have no idea if she is safe. She could be alone and scared. Now that her dad might be in trouble, she’ll need my help more than ever.”
“You’re right,” Olivia said. “She needs your help.”
Jessie smiled at Olivia. “You’re an amazing kid—you know that?”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard.”
They both chuckled. The rest of the ride was quiet, Jessie lost in her own thoughts and Olivia busy texting her friend.
As soon as Jessie turned down the familiar street, she saw lights flashing and pulled over to the side of the road.
“What’s going on?” Olivia asked.
“I’m too late.”
An officer had his hand on top of Arlo’s head, helping him into the back seat of the cruiser.
Higgins whimpered, the dog’s way of letting them know he needed to go to the bathroom.
Jessie pointed ahead. “The neighbors won’t mind if you take him to that empty lot over there.”
Olivia put the leash on Higgins and led him away while Jessie leaned against the hood of the car and watched three police vehicles drive slowly past. Arlo Gatley had been arrested as a possible murder suspect. She could see the neighbors peeking out windows, probably grabbing their phones and letting one another know that they’d been right all along and the bogeyman was finally gone.
Olivia was headed back her way when someone called out.
Jessie looked over her shoulder and watched the woman jog toward them.
“That’s Mrs. Goodman from the other day,” Olivia told Jessie. “You know, the lady I talked to, the one with all the kids, the one whose house I went into, and you freaked out because you thought—”
“I got it,” Jessie said, shushing her.
The woman was out of breath by the time she caught up to them. She introduced herself to Jessie and then said, “I can’t believe my luck in seeing you both here.” She had something in her hand, and she gave it to Olivia. It was the picture of Zee they had blown up.
“Not more than thirty minutes ago,” she said looking at Olivia, “my brother stopped by, saw the photo you’d accidentally left behind, and instantly recognized the man you were asking about. My brother and this guy attended the same elementary school.” She put her hands in the air. “What are the odds? First my brother stops by, and then to see you both here.”
The woman had Jessie’s full attention. “Do you have a name?”
She nodded. “Forrest Bloom.”
Jessie made a note on her phone.
“Is your brother still friends with him?”
“Oh no. I don’t think they were ever friends. According to my brother, Forrest was in class one day and gone the next. My brother said Forrest and his family used to live on a farm somewhere around here. I wish I could be more help.”
“You’ve been a great help,” Jessie said. “Would you mind if we exchanged numbers in case I think of any more questions or if I need to talk to your brother?”
“That’s fine.” They exchanged information, and then Jessie and Olivia headed for the car.
As soon as they were back home, Jessie grabbed her laptop.
“What are you doing now?” Olivia asked.
“I need to find out everything I can about Forrest Bloom.”
“You’re still going to look for Zee?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Jessie asked.
Olivia shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I thought since her father was arrested that there might not be any point.” She scratched the side of her face. “If he killed all those people, then maybe he killed Zee.”
“I had thought about that,” Jessie said, “but logic tells me Arlo wouldn’t have hired me to find his daughter if she hadn’t been missing. And my heart tells me Zee needs me more than ever now that her father is in jail.”
“That makes sense,” Olivia said. “Do you think that Forrest guy might be able to help you find Zee?”
“At this point he’s our best lead.”
Olivia pushed herself from the couch, disappeared inside her bedroom, then returned with her own laptop. “What exactly are we looking for?”
“You have school tomorrow,” Jessie reminded her. “You need to work on your report.”
“This totally counts, since I’m using Zee’s case as part of my school paper. Of course, I’ll change the names to protect the innocent.”
Jessie sighed as she returned her attention to the map on her computer. An hour later, she still hadn’t located anyone by the name of Forrest Bloom. Instead of using pay databases to try to gather information on him, she looked through her browser and clicked on a free public database. She then accessed property appraiser records in different counties, including Yolo County, searching for Forrest Bloom’s name.
His name popped up, but all hopeful anticipation was dashed when she read that the Bloom farm had been sold years ago. The problem was, none of the records stated whom the property had been sold to, which was information she could use since the new owners might be able to shed light on what had happened to the Blooms and where they had moved to.
For the rest of the night, she kept at it, checking and cross-checking, using every database she could think of until she finally hit pay dirt. Marcus Hubbard had bought a farm in Woodland from a man named Brody Bloom. She wrote down the property owner’s name and telephone number. It was too late to call now. She’d have to call in the morning.
Olivia had fallen asleep on the couch next to her. Jessie took a moment to watch her sleep. She was growing up so fast. She had a lot of the same facial features as Sophie. The same nose and full lips. If her sister was alive, did she think about her daughter? Or had she simply moved on, like their mother?