“They’ve both been through some difficult times in the past. If anyone can understand Phil, it will be Chris.”
“Have you called him?” Amanda asked.
Sheri slipped Jason a hesitant look before shaking her head. “Jason thinks he should handle it. One cop to another.”
One man to another, he means, thought Amanda. But he was probably right. If this Chris guy knew about the marital trouble between Phil and Sheri, he’d be much more likely to talk openly with Jason than with her.
Jason moved toward the door, brushing Sheri’s hand with his fingertips as he passed by. Sheri edged away. “I’ll make the call from my truck. You can fill Amanda in on the rest of our plans while I’m gone.”
Sheri’s hand shook slightly as she poured tea into two mugs and dumped more cookies onto a plate. Amanda had taken a few coffee breaks along her journey to ease her muscles and let Kaylee out, but her last real meal had been breakfast at the roadside diner more than eight hours earlier. Her stomach roiled in protest at the sight of the cookies, but she suspected Sheri was too distracted to even think about anything more substantial.
Kaylee, however, was watching Sheri’s every move with eagle eyes, reminding Amanda it was well past her dinnertime too. When Amanda went outside to fetch her food, she spotted Jason on his phone, head bent. His voice was raised as if in argument although Amanda couldn’t make out the words.
Back inside, she fed Kaylee before returning to the living room. Sheri was gazing out the window at Jason’s truck, frowning. At her own private thoughts or at Jason’s behaviour, Amanda wondered.
“Are you hungry? We could go out to eat, my treat.”
Sheri flinched. Shook her head. “I don’t want to leave, in case …”
“Of course. Order in pizza?”
Sheri shrugged in disinterest. “Maybe when Jason’s gone.”
“Okay. So … what’s the plan Jason mentioned?”
Sheri wrenched her gaze away from Jason’s truck. “That’s it, mainly. Jason is going to phone around to his colleagues and send them a photo of Phil and Tyler. Phil’s family hasn’t heard from him, not that I thought they would.” She pulled a wry face. “Nice enough people, but to them even a trip from the farm to Winnipeg is a trip to foreign lands. They don’t understand what he’s been doing all these years, mixing in other people’s troubles.”
Amanda smiled in rueful understanding, even though her own parents were university professors. Cloistered in their academic ivory tower, they had mouthed all the right words of admiration for her as they wrote out cheques for the latest world disaster, but Amanda suspected they felt much the same.
Sheri sighed. “I phoned as many of Phil’s friends as I can think of, which wasn’t many. He hasn’t made many connections here yet. He’s picked up odd jobs to help fill the hours, but there’s not much work on offer in this town, especially for a development teacher who speaks four languages but none of them Newfoundlandese. That was getting him down too, I know that. It gave him too much time with his thoughts and memories.”
She sat down and picked up her neglected tea, her hand steady now as she focused her thoughts. “It’s even possible he’s off looking for work. There is more to be had in the major centres like Corner Brook and St. John’s.”
“But what about Tyler? He’s taken him out of school, hasn’t he?”
Sheri smiled, a fond, maternal smile that lit up her face and gave a brief flash of the old Sheri. “Tyler was delighted, believe me. The school year is just beginning, and not much new work is being done yet anyway. And Tyler is very smart. Missing a couple of weeks won’t hurt him at all.”
Amanda wasn’t surprised. She’d last seen the boy two years ago in Senegal, and even back then, home-schooled and left to his own entertainment in the village, his intelligence and curiosity had shone through. At the age of eight, Phil had put him to work tutoring the village children in basic reading. She remembered Phil’s face, shining with pride and love.
“Phil and he always were close,” she said.
Sheri’s smile faded. “That was before. But Phil knew he’s been neglecting Tyler this past year, and he felt bad about that. Tyler’s been hurt and angry. That’s why Phil was taking him along on this trip with you. Hoping to rebuild.”
Amanda was saved from further comment by the opening of the front door. Jason’s face gave away nothing about the argument or its resolution. How like a cop, Amanda thought. But Sheri’s face was a different story. Hope, apprehension, and guilt collided in one flushed glance. Before she could ask, he shook his head.
“Chris Tymko’s heard nothing. Knows nothing. Last he heard from Phil was a few weeks ago.”
“What does he think —?”
“Like I said, nothing. He’s as surprised as we are.”
“I’m not surprised, Jason,” Sheri snapped back. Her colour was rising and her jaw was set. Amanda had seen that look before, when militia diverted some supplies needed for the local villagers. Sheri had berated them like an outraged schoolmarm. “I’ve seen this coming. I just didn’t …” Her voice shook. “Well, you know.”
“This isn’t your fault, Sheri.” He walked over and stood by her. Close and protective, yet dominant as well. Sensing a mixed message of support and warning, Amanda’s intuition stirred.
Sheri stepped away from him. “What is Chris planning to do?”
Jason shrugged. “Tymko marches to his own drum. If he has any ideas, he didn’t tell me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hunch. He might head off on his own private search.”
“Then he’s taking this seriously?”
Jason smiled. “Well, I guess there’s not much action out his way. We’ll find them, Sheri. One way or another, the whole island has their eyes peeled.”
“Thank you, Jason. Corporal Maloney.” Sheri headed for the front door, her face rigidly polite. For a moment Jason hovered on the threshold, his gaze lingering on hers, before with a quick nod, he was gone. Sheri stood in the open doorway, gazing out into the violet dusk.
“So,” Amanda said, “does Phil know?”
Sheri pressed her lips tight. Every ounce of her quivered for calm. Amanda had expected surprise, bewilderment, or denial, but after a long minute of tense silence, Sheri shook her head. “Not about Jason. Just that there was someone.”
“One of his friends. That would be a blow.”
Sheri slammed the front door. “That’s why I didn’t tell him! How cruel do you think I am?”
“I don’t think you’re cruel, Sheri. But husbands can sense these things. Even I sensed it after less than half an hour!”
“I lied. I told him it was someone I met at a teacher’s conference in St. John’s.”
“But does Tyler know? Did he ever witness anything?”
“Around him, we were always just friends — Jason and his son, and me and Tyler. The boys brought us together, in fact. There was never anything for anyone to see.”
I wouldn’t count on it, Amanda thought. Small town, handsome local cop, vulnerable mother … denial would be no match for such a luscious brew. She suspected this Chris Tymko might be way ahead of any of them.
Two hours later, pink and languid from a hot bath, Amanda curled up beneath the handmade country quilt and stuffed a couple of pink ruffled pillows behind her back. The outrageous extravagance of the Victorian B&B was well beyond her camping budget, but after three days straddling Shadow, and facing the prospect of sleeping on a two-inch strip of foam in a tent, she decided to toss her budget out the window.
After Jason left,