Missing In Blue Mesa

“We’re going to question Ms. Hartford,” Ethan said. “Are you sure she’ll confirm your story?”

“She will.”

Ethan fought the urge to knock the smug look off Metwater’s face. “Did you have an argument with Starfall?” he asked.

“No.” His smile faded. “Does she say that we did?”

“She’s too upset to question right now,” Ethan said. He wanted to keep Metwater off guard as much as possible.

“She’ll confirm we didn’t argue,” Metwater said. “Unless she lies. She sometimes has a problem with honesty. It’s something we’re working on.”

“I’ll find out the truth,” Ethan said. “And I’ll make sure the person who hurt Starfall is charged and prosecuted.”

“Knock yourself out, Officer.” Metwater stood. “But now it’s time for you to leave. Expect to hear from my lawyers.”

Ethan took a step toward Metwater. If this so-called Prophet thought Ethan was going to be intimidated by empty threats, he was in for a rude awakening.

“Come on.” Simon’s voice snapped Ethan out of his rage. “We’re wasting our time here.”

Ethan turned and led the way out of the motor home. “I wanted to deck him, too,” Simon said when they were outside. “But it wouldn’t be worth the hassle the suits would put you through later.”

Ethan nodded and took a deep, calming breath. “We should talk to Ms. Hartford,” he said.

“She’s long gone.” Simon looked around at the empty campground. The only light was from the few dying embers of the bonfire, and a thin glow of gold showing at the entrance to Asteria and Starfall’s tent. “We’ll track her down tomorrow.”

“I want to check on Starfall one more time,” Ethan said.

Asteria met them at the door of the tent. “She’s sleeping,” she said, in answer to Ethan’s unvoiced question. “She was pretty shaken up, but I think she’ll be okay. She’s pretty tough.”

“Did she tell you anything about what happened?” Ethan asked.

Asteria tucked her hair behind one ear. Deep shadows hollowed her eyes and she looked exhausted. “She wouldn’t say anything. She got angry when I asked her about it.”

“Has Daniel Metwater ever hit any of the women in camp before?” Ethan asked.

Asteria gaped at them, wide-eyed. “No! He would never do that! It isn’t possible.” She smoothed back her hair. “I should go to him now. He’ll be very upset about your accusations, and he’s expecting me. I was on my way to him when all this happened.” She waved a hand toward the cot where Starfall slept.

She started to move past them, but Simon put out a hand to stop her. “What do you mean, Metwater is expecting you?” he asked.

Defiance shone behind the fatigue. “I was going to spend the night with him. I often do.”

“If he was expecting you, what was Sunshine Hartford doing there?” Simon asked.

“Sunshine? Do you mean that girl who’s been hanging around here?” Asteria furrowed her brow. “I thought I saw her at the fire circle tonight, but she wasn’t with the Prophet.”

“She was with him a few minutes ago,” Ethan said.

“She was with him in his bed,” Simon added.

Asteria stared at him. “What?”

“He told us he and Ms. Hartford had been together for the last hour,” Simon said.

“That can’t be right,” she said.

“Why can’t it be right?” Ethan asked.

“Because...” She bit her lower lip, then shook her head. “Just, because.” She looked back toward the cot. Starfall lay on her side, the blanket pulled up past her ears. Only the tumble of her brown curls showed against the white of the pillow.

Simon touched Asteria’s elbow, turning her attention back to him. “Why can’t it be right?” he asked.

“He was supposed to be alone!” The words burst from her, and her eyes shone wetly. “Not with Starfall or Sunshine or anyone else. He asked me to come to him.”

“Maybe he had something else in mind for tonight,” Simon said.

She shook her head. “No. He isn’t like that. You don’t know him at all or you wouldn’t say something like that.”

“Maybe you don’t know him that well, either,” Simon said.

She stepped back into the tent. “Go away and leave us alone,” she said. “You’re not welcome here.”

“We’ll leave for now,” Simon said. “But think about what’s happened tonight. If Daniel Metwater would lie to you about being alone tonight, what else has he lied to you about?”

Ethan gave her a hard look. “And what are you going to do to stop the lying?”

Chapter Three (#u6340eaef-e5e7-554b-8f25-e033b5cc8ce4)

Michelle was still on Ethan’s mind the next morning as he made his way down the quiet residential street on Montrose’s south side. Staying emotionally distant from victims was a necessary part of the job—let yourself get too wound up about the things people did to each other and you’d never sleep at night. But Michelle got to him. She looked so wounded and fragile, yet he sensed real strength in her.

He turned onto his parents’ street and nodded to a jogger on the sidewalk. The neighbor’s sprinkler sent a shimmer of water over the perfectly trimmed yard, and the aroma of wet grass and pavement drifted in through his partially open window. He pulled into the driveway, wondering how long it would be before he stopped expecting to see his father waiting at the front door. Dad had been gone six months now, but every time Ethan came to the house he experienced that jolt of expectation followed by disappointment.

His mother came to the front door and held open the screen, waiting for him. She wore pale blue scrubs and white clogs, ready for her nursing shift at Montrose Hospital. She looked so small to him—smaller than she had been when he was a boy, and smaller than when his dad had been alive. She smiled as he approached and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “This is a nice surprise,” she said. “What brings you out so early?”

“I just stopped by to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine. I went shopping yesterday and they had some nice melon. Would you like some?”

“That’s okay, Mom. I already had breakfast.” He looked back at the neighbor’s sprinkler. “I’ll try to come over this afternoon and mow the lawn,” he said.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I can hire someone. Mrs. Douglas across the street has someone. I can ask her who she uses.”

“You don’t have to do that, Mom. I’ll take care of it.” His dad had kept the place immaculate when he was alive—grass cut every week, hedges trimmed, flowers mulched. Dad paid all the bills and took care of the cars and even drove Mom shopping once a week. Now she was having to do all those things herself. Ethan wondered if it was too much for her.

“First chance I get, I’ll change the oil in your car,” he said as he followed her into the house. “It’s probably past time for that.”

“I can take it to one of those quick oil change places,” she said. “You have enough to do without worrying about me.”

But Ethan did worry. One of the reasons he had jumped at the chance to join the Ranger Brigade was that the new position would allow him to live close to his mom—to look after her.