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Nervous now, but more sure of what she would do, Holly rang Joe’s doorbell. She hadn’t answered his texts or calls, and she regretted that. She hoped she could make it up to him.

Listening to her mother, and her own words about Joe, she decided she wanted to work out their differences through compromise.

The Mustang wasn’t in the driveway, but he could have put it in the garage, which was closed. Or he wasn’t home. Carrying the present she bought him, she went to the front porch.

Buzz, buzz. No answer.

Buzz, buzz. No answer.

She checked the time. Hmm, nine p.m. Where was he? He’d told her the team went out for supper. She should have said she’d join him for that. Damn it. She needed to tell him. On a whim, she tried the handle.

And was shocked when the door opened. Should she go in? What the heck, in for a penny...”

She walked inside. “Joe?” she called from the foyer.

Nothing.

“Joe.”

She was thinking he might be asleep. She’d check the bedroom. She was at the entrance to the corridor when Joe came down the hall zipping up his jeans. When he reached her, she could see his beard had darkened, and his eyes were red, really red. And he...smelled!

“Hi,” she said.

He scowled. “What  the hell are you doing here?” Even his voice was gravelly...like it got after sex.

“Looking for you.”

A defiant expression spread across his face. “Why? You didn’t answer my calls or texts all day. I assumed you were with Rossi.”

“No, I wasn’t. I went to see my mother instead of going over to his house. I—”

A woman appeared behind him. Holly recognized what she was wearing: one of Joe’s shirts.

Holly gasped.

He looked over his shoulder.

His expression when he turned back to her made the pieces fall into place.

Joe had slept with another woman! In the same twelve-hour period he’d been in bed with Holly. She dropped the package and ran out of his house and over to hers, stumbling through the garage and kitchen. When she reached her room, she threw herself on the bed.

Joe leaned against the wall. He’d never expected Holly to come here. Of course, after the beer and shots he’d downed at Pelican’s, he wasn’t thinking straight anyway.

“Who was that?” Pricilla asked.

“My next-door neighbor.”

“What did she want?”

“I don’t know. Look, Cilla, I have to go over there. You have to go home now.”

“What? Why? We were going to have a good time after a little nap.”

His head was clearing some. “You have to go home.”

“We don’t have our cars here.”

“Call an Uber.” He struggled to remember how he’d gotten home as he pulled some money out of his jeans. “I’m sorry, really.”

He headed for the bedroom. She followed him. “I don’t understand what happened.”

He grabbed a T-shirt out of the drawer and poked his head through it. “I’ll explain all this to you later. I have to go.” He found his shoes, slipped into them and hurried out.

Thankfully, Holly’s garage door was still open. And like most people, she left the one leading to the house unlocked. He stepped inside and listened for her. Nothing. Going through the kitchen, he glanced into the living room—not there—so he found his way to the bedroom. She sat on the bed, her back against the headboard, her face buried in her arms, which were propped up on her knees.

From the doorway, he said softly, “Holly?”

She looked up. She wasn’t crying. There was fire in her eyes. “Get out of here.” Despite her anger, her voice was full of hurt.

“Like hell. We need to talk.” He edged inside and sat on the bed. “Let me explain.”

“Explain what? Why you slept with someone else so soon after you were in this very bed with me?”

“I didn’t have sex with her. We had too much to drink and fell asleep as soon as we got back to my place. I woke up when I heard you call out.”

Her gaze narrowed on him. “But you would have, when you woke up, wouldn’t you?”

They’d been naked, he discovered when Holly had come to the house. What would he have done when they sobered up? He said, “I don’t know. I was mad at you.”

“And you think that’s a good explanation for this?”

“I tried to contact you all day. You didn’t answer. I knew you were going to see Greg and thought maybe you’d changed your mind about me.”

“So you just found somebody else to screw?”

“You didn’t call me back!” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I had a lot to drink.”

She sniffed. “You smell terrible.”

“I’ll shower.” He got up and took steps toward her bathroom.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Showering.”

“Not here. Never here again. Do you honestly think I can be with you now after what you did today?”

“Well, I didn’t really do anything. So yeah, I think we can work it out.”

“Man, you are something else.” She bolted off the bed. “Get out of my house, now. Out of my life.”

He started to approach her. She grabbed her phone. “Don’t you dare come near me. I’ll call 911 if you don’t leave.”

“What the hell, Holly?”

“I said get out!” Now she was yelling.

He’d call her bluff. “No way am I leaving. Call the cops if you think that will stop me from making you see reason.”

“Somebody’s calling the cops?”

They both turned to see Priscilla standing in Holly’s bedroom doorway.

Dane hung up the phone. He’d stayed with Chase while the police scoured the neighborhood.

“No luck, Chase. Unless she was hiding in the bushes from the police cars, somebody picked her up.”

He sighed heavily.

“It might not be Nancy.”

“Oh, God, that’s worse.”

“We have to cast a wider net. Meanwhile, I’ll go to headquarters and put out an Amber Alert. Then I’ll oversee finding Nancy.”

“All right.”

Dane squeezed his arm. “Hang in there, buddy.”

After he showed Dane out, Chase couldn’t face Colette and Melinda, so he went back to his den. He closed the door and picked up the phone. Vanessa answered on the second ring.

“Sorry to call so late.”

“It’s only eleven.”

He cleared his throat. “Something’s happened. I needed to talk to you.”

“Tell me.”

“Kassie...she’s gone.”

“Gone where?”

He explained what happened.

“This is terrible. What can I do?”

“Dane’s handling it. For ordinary citizens, it’s too soon to create a team for this, but he’s made an exception.”

“I have connections at the FBI I could call.”

“Let’s see what he does first.”

“Fine.” She hesitated. “I’m coming over to your house.”

“You can’t do that, honey.”

“I certainly can. Be right there.” And she hung up.

He didn’t have the strength to call her back. To stop her. Instead, he went upstairs. Knocked on Colette’s door. It eased open.

Melinda said, “Shh, she’s asleep.”

“Let’s go downstairs.”

Once in the living room, he told Melinda what had happened. “Oh, Chase. I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his arm. “I should stay overnight.”

“Maybe. In case I have to leave. But someone’s...coming over. I don’t have time to explain it all to you.”

“Who?”

“The mayor.”

“Oh, wow. Okay.”

The doorbell rang. He strode to the foyer and opened the door. Vanessa reached out and hugged him. “I’m here for you.”

“Thanks.” He drew back. “I need you.”

“I know.”

“My sister’s here.”

“That doesn’t matter. Nothing does but finding Kassie.”

They walked into the living room. “Mel, this is Mayor Jordan.”

“Madam Mayor.”

“Vanessa, please. I’m a...friend of Chase’s.”

“So I heard. I, um, think I’ll go to the spare room and settle in.” She kissed Chase’s cheek. “We’re all here for you, buddy.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

When she was left, he looked at Vanessa. “I’ve never been as glad to see anyone as I am you.”

“Well good. Because I’m staying until you find her.”

“I reckon you are, darlin’.”

They sat on the couch in the living room to wait. He put his arm around her. Kissed her head. If Chase hadn’t had Vanessa by his side, he didn’t know how he’d manage the next few hours.

So, it was done.

Holly heard the door close behind Joe and his girlfriend, and refused to cry. Refused to call her mother or Grandma, even Lizzie for help. She was almost thirty years old, and she’d handle this by herself.

Instead of dissolving, she changed into comfortable pajamas and went to the kitchen to make tea. As it steeped, she sat down at the table and knew she had to do two things: make sense of what Joe had done and her part in it, then decide the future.

She got out a pen and paper and made two columns: Me and Him:

They’d made exquisite love this morning. Remembering it, she felt her eyes fill. No, Holly, none of that. You have to buck up about his. It made her sad that even her alter ego agreed with her.

Next, they’d disagreed over volunteering, and then the argument about the stupid volleyball game. A thought came to her: why didn’t she go? She’d be with him tonight if she had. But she hadn’t because he was being stupid and she didn’t want him to think he could bully her into stuff, and okay, she was scared about their relationship anyway. So a check for them both. They were both at fault in that.

The calls had come twice and two texts. She should have answered them. He’d reached out, and she’d ignored him. A check in her negative column.

He’d gone to the beach, apparently went out with his team buddies, including the woman, whose name she now knew was Priscilla, and he’d gotten drunk. A big red checkmark in his column. His fault.

Since she didn’t answer his attempts to contact her, he said he thought she might be with Greg and chosen him over Joe. Another check for her.

He’d taken that woman home, passed out with her and didn’t know what he would have done when they awakened. Several angry red marks for him.

Did this all even matter? she thought, putting her pen down. Could she ever be with a man like this—one who did things like get drunk and almost sleep with another woman when she disagreed with him? No, she couldn’t. In that moment of clarity, when the clock struck twelve, she realized she’d come to her final conclusion: she was done with Joe Santori.

It was then that she let the tears fall.

At midnight, the doorbell rang and Chase eased Vanessa away from him and strode to the foyer. She followed him. Dane Corrigan stood on the stoop.

Kassie was not with him.

Chase said, “Come on in.” After he closed the door, he said, “No luck?”

He glanced at Vanessa then turned back to Chase. “Some. We think we’ve found out where Nancy Talbot might be. But we have no idea if Kassie’s with her.”

“At least that’s something.”

“Why don’t we all go sit?” This from Vanessa.

He nodded to her. “Madam Mayor.”

“It’s Vanessa, Dane. I came to support Chase.”

If he thought that was unusual, he didn’t say anything.Back in the living room, they took seats. Dane said, “I’ve got a team outside, and we’re going to an RV park in the west side of the city.”

Chase asked, “You think Nancy’s there?”

“Yes.”

“Can I come?”

“Yes, because if Kassie is there, she’ll need you. You shouldn’t drive yourself, though.”

“I have my car. I’ll drive him.” Vanessa looked at Chase. “You’re too upset and angry to drive. Let’s go.”

“Follow us,” the police chief told her. “But stay in your car and wait for us to do our work. I need your word on that, Chase, that you won’t interfere.”

“I won’t. I promise. Let me go tell my sister.”

In a few minutes, they were in Vanessa’s car, heading west. “Do you think she’s with Nancy?” he asked her as they trailed behind the police car. The fleet used no sirens as they didn’t want to spook Nancy and her asshole boyfriend.

“No way to tell, Chase. We have to hope she is.”

“If she isn’t with Nancy, that could be worse. Someone could have gotten her...”

Reaching over she grabbed his hand. “Don’t go there, Chase. Not yet.”

“You’re right. I’ll distract myself.” He managed a smile. “Thank you for coming to me, but Dane will know something’s up now.”

“I don’t care. Our situation is untenable. When you called tonight, I decided I wasn’t going to let you go.”

“Wow!”

She held his hand the rest of the way to the park.

The scene was right out of a police movie: in the dark of night, several cars eased down the gravelly road that ran through the motor home park. At one point, they pulled over to the side. A swarm of men and women wearing Kevlar vests with POLICE on the back crept out of the vehicles and toward a small trailer. They surrounded it. Dane Corrigan walked up the four steps and knocked on the door. Chase kept his promise and stayed in the car on the road, but he’d rolled down the windows and they witnessed the scene unfold. They were close enough to hear the conversation, too.

Dane called out, “Rockford Police Department. Open up, Ms. Talbot.”

Lights flicked on in the motor home.

“What do you want?” a female voice called through the crack in the door. Nancy.

“Open up, or we’ll break down the door.”

After long seconds, the door was drawn back. “I don’t know what y’all want.” Nancy, in pajamas, used a whiny, feminine voice. “I’m not feeling so good and went to bed.”

Dane brushed past her. Officers followed. A commotion inside. Then a cop came out holding onto Nancy’s arm. She was cuffed. He led her to a vehicle. Soon, Dane came out too, and crossed to Chase’s car. “The bathroom door’s locked from the inside. We’re pretty sure Kassie’s in there. We called out to her, but there was no response. And we did hear crying. Come in and see if you can coax her out. I don’t want to traumatize her further by breaking the door down.”

Chase bolted out of the car and raced into the trailer. The space was tiny, and it stunk to high heaven—of weed, he thought. At the door to the john, he said, “Kassie, honey, it’s me. Grandpa. Unlock the door. You’re safe.”

Through the thin wood, he heard, “Is he still here?”

“Who?”

“Randall. The man with my mother.”

Chase looked to Dane, who’d followed him in. “Nobody else is in the trailer.”

He relayed the message to Kassie. And heard a lock snick. She opened the door. Her face was puffy and not only from tears. Someone had struck her. He held out his arms. “It’s okay, baby. Come here.”

She threw herself at Chase. He held on tight. Behind him, he heard people talk about vacating the premises. He sensed the cops leaving. But he held on tight to his child.

When she could, she pulled back. “I’m sorry for what I did, Grandpa.”

“Shh. All that matters is you’re safe. Let’s get out of this awful place.”

Slowly, they made their way out of the cramped and disgusting space. There were steps down to the ground, where the cops waited.

Holding Kassie close, he was thinking he’d never ask God for anything else now that she was all right when he heard the roar of a motorcycle. Dirt kicked up as the bike headed straight for the trailer.

Chase caught the glint of steel in the overhead light. He threw himself on top of Kassie.

A shot rang out.

Piercing pain as the two of them fell down a few steps.

More shots. Screams.

Then the world went black.

The cacophony began: the nearest police, guns drawn, converged on Chase and Kassie, forming a perimeter around them. Other officers raced to the motorcycle guy who lay on the ground, his bike overturned. Out of the car now, Vanessa rushed forward, but another cop halted her progress about ten feet away from Chase. “Please, let me at least go to the girl.”

“Are you her mother?”

“No, Officer, I’m the mayor of this town.”

“No matter, ma’am. You can’t go over there yet. One of the cops is a medic. Let him do his thing.”

In minutes, the officers backed off Kassie and Chase. Vanessa could see a heap on the ground, two figures kneeling over it. Oh my God.

Then the medic yelled, “The girl’s okay. The man is shot. Get an ambo or fire truck to take him to the hospital.”

“Can I go to her now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Vanessa ran to the trailer and saw Kassie on her knees, bending over Chase.

Take care of the child. That’s all you can do. She went to Kassie, grasped her shoulders and drew her up.

“Grandpa!” she wailed. “I have to stay with Grandpa.”

“We’ll stay right here, but we have to give the police room to work.”

Vanessa looked down then. Chase lay on the ground on  his back. No blood. Hope surfaced. Then she saw it seeping out from beneath him. Someone raced over with a blanket and covered him. Sirens sounded in the background and soon a fire truck arrived.

Four men hurried over with a backboard. “Make way, guys,” one said. Vanessa recognized him as Dylan O’Roarke.

He slid the backboard he carried to the ground and asked the other the medic, “How is he?”

“Bullet went in the upper fleshy part of his chest close to his shoulder, near some important vessels. I didn’t turn him to see if it came out.”

To one of his men, he ordered, “Give me packing for the wound.”

When he had what he needed, they eased Chase over on his side; blood rushed out before Dylan could prevent it. He stuffed a large, white gauze cloth onto Chase’s back. “I need to hold the packing on him, but he has to go to the hospital STAT. You three lift him carefully.”

“Grandpa!” Kassie screamed. “I gotta go with Grandpa.”

O’Roarke looked over. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, there isn’t room in the rescue truck.” He caught Vanessa’s gaze. “Can you bring her to Memorial?”

“Of course.”

Carrying Chase on the backboard, the men and one woman hurried away. Crying, Kassie turned into Vanessa. She held the girl while she sobbed. “Let it all out, honey.”

Dane approached them. “We’re going to need a statement from Kassie.”

“Of course. But could you meet us at the hospital and ask her there? She’s inconsolable now.”

“Whatever you say, Madam Mayor.”

Her arm tight around Kassie, they made their way to the car. She eased Kassie onto the front seat and buckled her in.

Then she went around the other side and got in.

Together, the two females who loved Chase Talbot began the drive to Rockford Memorial.