Read Online Out of Reach: A Novel by Patricia Lewin - Free Book Online Page A

nod. Seconds later, Isaac was at her side, holding a rosary between his hand and hers, praying aloud with her for the safe return of her daughter.
    By the second set of Hail Marys, however, Isaac realized it wasn’t working. There was nothing new here. The scene was one he’d witnessed a dozen times before, the parents no different from others he’d consoled. Even the fed, Donovan, had no interest in him, having barely glanced in Isaac’s direction. He wondered if he stood and yelled,
Here I am, I did it,
if they would even notice, or just go on with their pointless search.
    Then a spark of interest wiggled down his spine as a woman showed up, approaching the cops. She looked familiar, and he knew he’d seen her recently. He searched his memory, placing her quickly. She’d been at the park this morning, early, among the small group of parents when he’d made his first pass through the park.
    He almost smiled, curious, the spark of interest flaring.
    Without missing a beat, he continued to add his voice to the mother’s while his attention was on the woman as she talked to the uniforms. Whatever she was saying, they didn’t seem impressed. Oddly enough, that disappointed him. She was here, so maybe she thought she could help find the lost girl. Yet it looked like they were ready to blow her off.
    Incompetence.
    No wonder he’d managed to do his work unimpeded for so many years.
    Then the rookie, who’d led Isaac to the parents, broke away from the group and headed for Donovan. Not only sharp, the kid was willing to stand against majority opinion. Isaac suppressed a grin. Idealism. A rare gift indeed—though he figured it wouldn’t last long. They’d either beat it out of him or drum him off the force.
    For tonight, however, he’d have his way. After a brief discussion, he and Donovan crossed to the woman, who held her ground amid the ring of disapproving blue.
    The missing girl’s mother stopped praying, her attention caught by the scene as well. Her husband stood, his eyes locked on Donovan as he escorted the woman away from the cops, out of Isaac and the parents’ line of sight.
    “I wonder what’s happening,” he said. “I’m going to find out.”
    “Wait, Mr. Madden.” Isaac stopped him with his soft priest’s voice, though he’d also love nothing more than to listen in on the conversation between the unknown woman and Donovan. “Let the police do their jobs. They’ll tell us when they know something.”
    The man hesitated.
    “Please, Tom,” said his wife, agreeing with Isaac as he knew she would.
    Reluctantly Madden returned to the bench, but neither he nor his wife seemed inclined to pray anymore—which suited Isaac just fine. All their attention was on the spot behind the trees where they caught occasional glimpses of Donovan and the woman, as if their daughter’s fate rested on the conversation between the two.
    Ironically, they were more right than they knew. Gage might just have to change his plans concerning their daughter. If the woman really did know something.
    They waited, five, ten minutes, and again the girl’s father lurched to his feet. “I have to do something.”
    “Please, Tom, wait . . .”
    Before he could respond, there was a new and sudden flurry of activity. Donovan and the woman left the sanctuary of the trees and headed toward the unmarked sedan. At the same time, the rookie returned briefly to the cluster of uniforms, calling out to another cop—his partner most likely—and the two of them started toward one of the black and whites.
    “I need to find out what’s going on,” said the father as he started toward the two men.
    Isaac caught his arm, barely concealing his own excitement at the prospect of finding out more about the woman and what she knew. “Mr. Madden, please, you’re too upset. Stay with your wife, and I’ll talk to the police for you.”
    Madden looked at his wife, who’d followed them both the few steps from the bench.
    “Trust me,”