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the map of Curry County. Marnie Philips, his office manager, had already placed pins in the areas where searchers were currently operating.
    Carter, Wade’s marathon-running deputy, was out with the K-9 unit at the Librarian Cottage. Dunne was still at the school, coordinating volunteers as they swept through the town. Field would remain at the Hammond residence at least until morning. With any luck Chester would sneak home in the wee hours and put this nightmare to rest for all of them.
    Wade had called in other off-duty officers to check other potential danger zones. New constructions sites, nearby parks and camping grounds, and the other beaches within reach of a nine-year-old boy on a bicycle.
    “Planning to stay here all night?” Marnie placed a to-go cup from the Buttermilk Cafe on the table. “Largest latte they make. Triple shot.”
    Wade liked to see himself as a simple man, with simple pleasures. As such, his fondness for specialty coffees was something he tried to suppress. But Marnie was on to him. He took a sip, then raised his eyebrows.
    “I asked them to add a vanilla shot and whipped cream,” Marnie said. “I figured you could use the sugar rush.” She perched on the arm of a chair, dangling one of her legs so he couldn’t help but notice the purple polish on her sandal-clad toes.
    Quickly he glanced away.
    Marnie was a force of nature, unstoppable energy, super-organized, great at anticipating what needed to be done before he had a chance to ask.
    But she was also a distraction in the office. Cute, with a round face and large eyes the color of the Rogue River during spring run-off. Wade often spotted his male staff workers buzzing around her desk, especially forty-year-old Dunne, who had to be at least fifteen years too old for her.
    He knew resenting Marnie for her attractiveness was wrong of him. Sexist, politically incorrect, and all of that. But sometimes it was hard to concentrate around her.
    Not today, however. The issue at hand was simply too big.
    “Give me an update,” he asked, as he took the chair at the head of the table and opened the laptop Marnie had already placed there.
    “Here’s what I put together for the Amber Alert and our Endangered Missing Advisory.” She passed him a sheet of paper describing Chester, his clothing and his last known location. Also included were several of the photos Charlotte had sent them from her phone, all of which showed a young boy with sandy hair, a snub nose, mouth set in a serious expression, and sad blue eyes.
    Wade turned back to the laptop, tapped on his email icon. Earlier he’d asked Jamie to send him any pictures she had of Chester. And she had.
    He opened the attachment on her message, then waved for Marnie to take a look.
    “These predate Chester’s father’s arrest.”
    “He looked a lot happier back then,” Marnie commented.
    “Yeah.”
    “So what’s the theory? You think he’s so upset about his dad that he ran away?”
    “That’s what he told his sister he was planning to do. But it’s also possible he was the victim of an accident…or homicide.”
    Normally the parents or legal guardians were top suspects when it came to the murder of a child. With Chester’s mother dead and his father in prison, that pointed the needle of suspicion directly to Charlotte.
    Wade knew he had to remain open to the possibility, even though he personally considered it preposterous.
    “And then there’s the possibility he was abducted.”
    “Any suspects there?”
    “So far—none. We’ve checked with the grandfather, who wanted custody of the twins when Kyle went to jail. But we found him drunk and alone in his apartment. And when the state police dropped in on the grandmother in Sacramento they found her alone and befuddled at the idea her grandson was missing.”
    “So no real suspects for an abduction.”
    Wade didn’t answer. He couldn’t help recalling a conversation he’d had with Dougal Lachlan last month. Dougal thought his