“Have you searched around the campground?” I wondered.
“Yes,” she grumbled. “I looked everywhere before coming here. I was hoping that you might know where the pound is. Maybe the dog catchers picked him up.”
“Herb,” I said softly. “We don’t have a dog pound. The closest thing we have to an animal catcher is the local game wardens.”
Her shoulders slumped.
I hated seeing that defeated look on her face.
Hated even more that I said, “And it’s dark. You’re not going to find him tonight.”
She straightened her spine and stood up. “I’ll find him.”
I caught her hand before she could launch herself out the door. “It’s dark, and there’s seriously nothing that you can do tonight besides wander around in circles. Go home. Let me search for him in the morning. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
She scrubbed at her face. “He means the world to me, Gentry.”
I knew that.
Which was why, the next morning, I was out looking as the first light of dawn lit the Montana sky.
The search for Neo went on for what felt like a lifetime.
Nine
Mentally spicy.
—Sage’s secret thoughts
Sage
Romeo’s wife, Mable, was there when I hung the first flier up on the tree outside of the coffee shop.
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking worried.
I handed her a flier. “I can’t find my dog, Neo.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “I had to do this with my dog, too! Come inside, let me get you added to all the local groups. Then we can both post all about it.” She paused. “Do you have time?”
I had to work today, but not until way later. It was an overnight shift.
“I have plenty of time.” I blew out a relieved breath. “This is the worst day ever.”
Well, not the worst.
The worst would be finding out that by saving me from getting sexually assaulted, Gentry had signed his son’s death warrant.
Weeks had passed since I’d gone to Gentry to ask him for help in finding Neo.
Weeks of sleepless nights, wondering if he was okay.
Weeks of relentless searching, all to yield no results.
No one had seen him. No one had turned in a stray dog in any of the county animal shelters in the closest four counties. And no one had reported any sightings.
I had fliers up everywhere, and there wasn’t a single query from anyone.
It was like he’d just vanished.