“Cassidy is missing.” He told him what the note said.
“Oh, fuck. What can I do?”
“Do you have the number of that burner phone you gave her? I want to call her.”
“Sure. Give me a second to pull it up.” The tapping of keys sounded louder than usual. “Got it. It’s 406-555-2341.”
“Thanks.” He disconnected, though he should have spent more time telling Mason everything. He dialed the number and then stilled.
“It’s coming from the bedroom,” Mike said.
“Damn it.”
Mike rushed into Cassidy’s room and returned shortly with the cell in his hand. “I don’t think she wants us to follow her.”
“She might want that, but that’s not going to happen.”
"Do you think she went back to the cabin?" Mike asked.
"I was by there this afternoon, but I didn't see any footprints in the fresh snow. I'm calling Mason back."
“Did you find her?” his brother asked.
“No, she left the cell here. It's possible she's headed to Thomas Ridge, Wyoming to make peace with Doug, though I find that hard to believe."
"I agree."
"I don't see her hitching a ride with the first person willing to pick her up, but if she did that, Cassidy could be on her way to Florida or New York or California. Shit. I have no idea how to even go about finding her. Can you help?” Zach's voice came as a plea.
“I can try. How about I come over? It will be easier than calling back and forth.”
“I appreciate it. I’ll have a cold beer ready for you.”
“Perfect. See you.”
Zach told Mike that Mason was on his way over.
“Do you think she took a bus out of town?”
“That's the most likely scenario. She doesn’t have a car, and I doubt she’d rent one. She needs her cash for food and lodging.”
“How far is it to Thomas Ridge?” Mike asked.
“Seven hours, maybe?”
Mike looked at the time on his phone. “She wouldn’t have gotten back here until after five. By the time she packed and caught a ride to town, she might still be at the bus station. We need to remember when she left Thomas Ridge, she headed south to confuse Doug.”
“Which means, she could be headed in any direction,” Zach said.
“Let's hope she's runningawayfrom Sherman Watts and Doug and not toward them.”
Zach collapsed back against the chair. “This is a nightmare. And why didn’t she call us? We could have come up with a plan. She could have stayed with one of my Weston cousins instead of leaving the state, assuming she did. No one would connect her to them.”
“Call your sister and see if Cassidy mentioned anything about this Sherman guy.”
Hopefully, Tawny was out of the shower by now. He called her.
“Is Cassidy home?” she asked.