Read Online Emergency Reunion by Sandra Orchard - Free Book Online Page B

And that someone had to be in the woods the dog had lurched toward!
    Cole’s gaze snapped to Dan.
    â€œI’ll take care of her,” he said, already dousing the wound with saline. “Find the creep who did this.”
    â€œRight.” Cole barreled out the door. “C’mon, Eddie.” They sprinted to the two animal control officers who were lifting the tranquilized Rottweiler into a cage on the back of their truck. “You see whoever was blowing that whistle?”
    â€œSaw movement in the woods over there.” The officer jutted his chin toward the woods across the street. “Didn’t get a good look, though.”
    â€œOkay, thanks.” Cole glanced back at the yard where Zeke was still questioning neighbors, then motioned to Eddie. “C’mon.” They raced into the woods, but picking up the trail in the rotted leaves matting the ground proved difficult.
    â€œOver there!” Eddie pointed to a muddy boot print on a rock, then another a yard away.
    â€œHe was probably heading toward Third Street.” Dodging tree branches, Cole raced that direction. Chances were that if the guy didn’t live nearby, he’d have a car parked on Third. The smell of rotting leaves and damp earth clawed at his throat. If this guy got to his car before Cole caught up to him— Cole cut off the thought and ran harder.
    Brighter light filtered through the trees. The road had to be close.
    An engine roared to life.
    Cole sprinted toward the sound, broke past the tree line. But the road was deserted. He slammed his palm into a tree trunk. “We lost him.” He fisted his hands against the sting of failure more than the sting in his palm. How many times would he let Sherri down?
    Eddie hunched over, braced his hands on his knees and gulped air. “Can’t you put out a BOLO?”
    â€œFor what? We don’t even know what he’s driving.” And there weren’t any houses around. Cole stalked back through the woods in the direction they’d come. “Our best hope of tracking him is if he had a dog license for that menace. He’ll be looking at an attempted murder charge after I get through with the DA.”
    Eddie tripped over a tree root and his knees hit the dirt.
    Extending a hand to help him up, Cole spotted a cell phone in the leaves. Using a tissue to preserve fingerprints, he picked it up. “You drop this?”
    â€œNo, I lost my phone a few days ago.”
    That explained, at least, why he hadn’t responded to any of Cole’s messages.
    Eddie wiped his dirt-smeared hands down his jeans. “You think it’s the guy’s we were chasing?”
    â€œIf it’s still got juice, chances are good it is.” Cole hit the power button and the screen lit. He grinned. “We’ve got him.” Using a pen tip, he pushed a couple of buttons to pull up the contacts menu. “If we can’t get an ID on the owner from the phone’s number, we’ll get it from his contacts.” His heart jerked at the sight of an all-too-familiar phone number—his father and Eddie’s home number.
    Eddie’s face turned as pale as Sherri’s had been.
    â€œWho’s phone is this?” Cole demanded.
    â€œI...I...” Eddie backed away looking guilty.
Very
guilty.
    Cole fisted Eddie’s shirt in his hand and backed him against a tree. “Who’s terrorizing Sherri?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œWhose phone is this?” Cole demanded more loudly.
    Eddie’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.
    Cole shoved him hard against the tree. “Tell me.”
    â€œIt’s mine. It’s my phone.”
    â€œYours?” Cole’s grip went lax. Eddie had been with him the whole time. There was no way he could’ve sicced that dog on Sherri, and if he knew who had, he wouldn’t have pressed Cole to follow the dog.
Would he?
    â€œCan I have it back?”