Read Online Vanished by Margaret Daley - Free Book Online Page A

made the coleslaw. She said her dad loves it.”
    â€œGood.” Madison peeked into the basket, her stomach rumbling. “Your food won’t go to waste.”
    â€œHow’s it coming? Anything?” Emma took two hefty-sized paper plates and prepared them for Rachel and Derek.
    â€œI’m sure Colin told you the cadaver search dog didn’t find anything.”
    â€œYes. He said something about a K-9 dog finding the other black shoe at Eric Carlton’s cabin. Does that mean he took her?”
    â€œI don’t think so. I think it’s just a little too easy.” While Emma lavished another two plates with generous helpings of coleslaw, baked beans, bread and friedchicken, Madison licked her lips in anticipation, not realizing until Colin’s wife had shown up how hungry she really was. “After the cadaver search dog scoured the lake area, he went to Carlton’s cabin and checked it out. Nothing.”
    Rachel approached them. “Thankfully some criminals aren’t too smart. I never thought of Eric as very bright. He may have Ashley with him.”
    â€œTrue, or someone planted the shoe there.” Madison picked up hers and J.T.’s meal. “Hopefully we’ll find him soon.”
    â€œHe may not be far. He grew up here and knows the area well. I could see him hiding in some cave or somthing like that.” Rachel lifted her plate and drew in a deep breath of the tantalizing scents. “Mmm, this smells wonderful. Thank you and tell Kim and Grace thanks, too.”
    â€œWill do. I’ll leave the basket in case you all want seconds.”
    Derek sauntered over to the desk where the food was. “I’ll bring it by later. I promise you there won’t be anything left.”
    Madison made her way toward J.T.’s office. “I second that.”
    She put one plate down on the top of the file cabinet so she could open his door.
    When she stepped inside, he raised his head. He tried to hide the anguish in his gaze, but he couldn’t quite wipe the desperation from his look.
    â€œIt’s okay. You don’t have to keep up a front for me.” Madison laid the food in front of him, then sat in thechair at his side and scooted up so she could place her plate on his desk. “Emma brought this for us.” She wasn’t sure how much he was aware of what was going on in the outer office.
    â€œI saw her. I just didn’t…” His words came to a shaky halt and he dropped his gaze to the dinner before him. After a long moment, he continued, “I hadn’t thought about eating.”
    â€œWell, think about it. You’ve got to eat. Kim helped fix this for you.” Madison pulled off a piece of the bread, then popped it into her mouth. “You know I can pass up a slice of pie or cake, but wave bread under my nose and I’m doomed.”
    A corner of his mouth quirked ever so slightly. “Not me. Sweets any day over breads. I bet Kim made this coleslaw.”
    â€œShe told Emma you love it.”
    J.T. stuck his fork in the pile of slaw and brought some to his mouth. “She’s right.” He slid the utensil between his parted lips.
    Madison tore her attention away from him and started on her piece of fried chicken, golden brown, crisp and delicious. She waited until J.T. had taken several bites of his food before asking, “Where do you think we should go next in the investigation?”
    He chewed, his forehead wrinkled in thought. “I think the trail that stopped abruptly on the gravel road is where Ashley was taken away. She’s not in the woods behind my house or, for that matter, in the lake. She was driven away which means someone might have seen the car and doesn’t even know it.”
    â€œThe car Mrs. Goldsmith saw?”
    â€œA definite possibility. Anything on it?”
    The urge to brush a crumb of the fried chicken from the corner of his mouth riveted her attention to his