“I’m on my way. Probably twenty or thirty minutes out.”
“I’ll let them know.”
I hit end without another word. “Dad, I need your keys. I got a callout.”
“But it’s your day off.”
I abruptly shook my head. “I need to go. Can you keep Koda?”
He tossed me his keys. “Of course. I’ll have your mom pick me up, and you can come get him at the ranch when you’re done.”
Everly’s eyes were sharp and assessing as if she could already read my tone and movements. “Everything okay?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m sorry I have to bail. I’ll come back tomorrow if I can.”
“No need, if you’re busy. I can handle this on my own.” She turned away and started around the barn, my father and Koda following her.
Why the hell did it feel like I’d let her down? I muttered a curse as I picked up my pace to a jog. In less than a minute, I was heading down the mountain. But the look on Everly’s face stayed with me.
As soon as I hit the two-lane highway, my foot pressed the accelerator. I’d only worked one kidnapping since I’d started working for the sheriff’s department. I’d been a deputy sheriff at the time, and it had rocked me. It had turned out to be a custody dispute, a man simply taking off with his son. But my mind had been full of all the worst what-ifs.
I adjusted my grip on the steering wheel, turning onto a back road to avoid going through town. I worked my jaw back and forth as I slowed my breathing. By the time I pulled to a stop by the lake, I had my mask firmly in place.
A number of squad cars and SUVs littered the small parking lot, and an ambulance sat with its back doors open. Tourists and locals alike gawked at the scene. I slid out of the truck and looked at one of our youngest officers trying to hold them all back. “All right, you guys, back up. Please move to the picnic area at the other end of the beach.” I motioned for another deputy. “Sergeant Ruiz will be with you in a moment to take your statements.”
I got a few scowls but far more sheepish looks as if people knew that what they were doing was just a little heartless. Officer Williams sighed as he turned my way. “What is wrong with people?”
“They’re just curious. Want to know what happened.”
“It’s not their business.”
“You’re right there.” I glanced towards the assembled group and caught sight of Cammie’s tear-streaked face. “If anyone comes back, send them on their way. If they refuse, arrest them.”
“Okay, Sheriff.”
I strode towards Young and Cammie. I was glad Young had been the one who responded to the call. She was green but had a way with victims that made them feel more at ease. Cammie looked up as I approached, and I caught sight of what would soon be a hell of a shiner. I swallowed back the curses I wanted to spew. “You okay, Cam?”
She nodded, the movements jerky. “I just want to go home.”
Hadley appeared next to her fellow EMT partner and popped an instant ice pack. “Let’s get this on that eye now that it’s clean.”
I watched as she gently placed the ice pack in Cammie’s hand and guided it to her face. “Does she need to go to the hospital, Hads?”
“I don’t think so. No sign of a concussion. But she’s a little shocky. Some juice wouldn’t hurt.”
Cammie’s best friend, Katie, shot up from where she was sitting on a bench nearby. “I have some Gatorade in the back of my car from when I do my long runs. Would that help?”
Hadley gave her a gentle smile. “That would be great.”
Once Cammie had a few sips of Gatorade, I bent forward to meet her gaze. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“S-sure. Katie and I paddleboarded across the lake with a picnic. It’s the perfect day for it, but we wanted to avoid the tourists. We ate lunch and then, uh, I had to pee. So, I walked off a ways. I was just looking for a good spot. But someone grabbed me. H-his hand went around my mouth before I had a chance to scream.”
Cammie shuddered, and Hadley wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. “I was so scared. I just froze. He started dragging me off, and that’s when everything kicked in. My dad makes me take a self-defense class every summer. I always thought it was so stupid.” She let out a laugh, but it was almost manic. “I guess parents really do know best.”
“A lot of the time, they do. Then what happened?” I asked.
Cammie’s gaze went a little unfocused. “I bit down on his hand and threw my elbow back. It stunned him, but he recovered quick. He caught me with a punch as I was trying to run away, but he lost his balance, I think. I heard a crash, and I just kept running. I screamed the whole way.