I kept seeing the image of Miss Mildred’s watch in my mind. I wished those images came with better detail. Usually, the things I found were easy to locate. They were behind an oak bookcase or under a mirrored coffee table. The hardest-to-find item I’d ever looked for was some lose change Andy Martin—owner of Andy’s Ice Cream—had somehow unwittingly dropped into a tub of his homemade vanilla.
But this was something else. Miss Elizabeth’s life could be in danger, and all I could see was her mother’s watch on her frail arm. Every time I tried to revisit the image, there was only darkness around it. Did that mean it was night? Was Miss Elizabeth sitting against something black? I felt helpless and didn’t know what to do. Having information that could save her life yet not being able to understand it was worse than useless.
It wasn’t the first time my inborn abilities had frustrated me. It would’ve been nice if I’d been able to
By the time I reached town hall, a large group of searchers was there. Chief Michaels was coordinating the effort. He’d called up all of Duck’s police force, including our part-time officer.
“We’ve already searched Miss Elizabeth’s house and grounds,” the chief explained. “We’ve searched the downtown area. That leaves the rest of the residential areas and the beaches. Obviously, the beaches are going to be dangerous for a while. All of you better be extra careful out there. We want to find her, but we don’t want to lose any of you either.”
I looked at the faces of the men and women I knew so well. Cailey Fargo, the fire chief, was there with her men. She’d taught fifth grade when I was in school. Carter Hatley ran Game World, the skeet ball and video game place down at the other end of town. I’d gone to school with his daughter. She married a musician she’d met in Manteo one summer and moved to New York.
My gaze snagged on Kevin Brickman, who was wearing a black poncho, his hood still pulled up on his head. He’d either been staring at me first or caught me looking at him and decided to look back. I couldn’t be sure which. He nodded and I nodded back. Shayla was going to be very disappointed when she finally met him. I didn’t see him as a tea-leaf, palm-reading kind of person. He reminded me of Chief Michaels in a strange sort of way. Maybe he’d been involved with law enforcement, and that’s why they’d bonded so quickly.
“We’ll divide up into three teams to search the beaches and the neighborhoods. Remember to keep in constant contact with this office. Mayor O’Donnell will be here taking those calls.” The chief looked around at his task force. “Any questions?”
“I don’t want to stay here and answer the phone,” I complained, surprised he’d thought of it. “I want to help look for Miss Elizabeth.”
“That’s
He sort of smiled and patted me on the head. I felt sure that if he’d had a lollipop, he’d have given it to me. The group started breaking up and heading for the door as though it were all decided. With Chief Michaels leading the pack, I had no one to complain to about it.
“Think you can handle the excitement?” Kevin asked.
“I didn’t mean it would be less exciting. I want to do something more than answering the phone.”
“You’re the mayor.” He shrugged. “Delegate.”
He was right, of course. I saw Nancy Boidyn, our town clerk, at her computer. She looked up with terror written on her pretty features. We’d spoken before about her dislike of storms. Many times I’d wondered why she lived on the coast where we were famous for our violent weather.
“Nancy, would you mind staying here and answering the phone?”
“I’d love to, Dae. Thanks.”
I’d already taken a breath to qualify why I thought she should stay, but it wasn’t necessary. She grabbed on to the life preserver of coordinating the search and clung with both hands. “Great! Thanks. I’m going out to look for Miss Elizabeth.”
“What will I tell the chief if he asks where you are?”
“Tell him I needed some fresh air. I’ll call if I find anything.”
I walked out of town hall feeling guilty for not doing what was expected of me. But I felt even more responsible for trying to find Miss Elizabeth, despite the chief seeming to think I wasn’t up to the task. Just because I was mayor didn’t mean I couldn’t do the important things. Two of the men who’d gone out to search were on the town council. No one had tried to stop them.
The wind was gusting hard, blowing sheets of rain down the street. The sky had turned so dark it looked more like midnight than midafternoon. I turned to go toward the new housing development, a short walk from Miss Elizabeth’s house, and almost walked into Kevin. He seemed to be waiting for me.
“Where are you going to look first?”
“Why? Are you afraid I can’t take care of myself too?”
“No. Remember me? I’m the one who suggested your little rebellion.”
“Why are you here then?”
“You know your way around. You were the first to report that Miss Elizabeth was gone. I thought you might be the one to find her.”
His idea had some merit. “I thought I’d try looking around those new houses being built close to where you live. Maybe the storm came up, and she ducked inside one of those for shelter.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I didn’t have time to question why he’d chosen to go with me instead of the groups of officers. I focused on finding Miss Elizabeth and tried not to think about him walking alongside me. The fact that I had to
Once we got past the protected area between the businesses and the houses that made up downtown, the wind was stronger and louder. It battered us with gale force, making talking impossible. I hated to think of frail Miss Elizabeth out in this storm. I hoped she was somewhere with a friend the chief had missed in his initial search. The sisters didn’t have any relatives that I knew of. Neither of them had children.
I glanced over the dunes covered with various plants and prickly shrubs. Mary Lou Harcourt’s little group was down by the turtle nesting area. The tide was rushing in with a fierce vengeance to reach the shore. Already the water was crashing close to where the turtle eggs were hidden in the sand.
Mary Lou waved to me, the relieved smile on her face telling me she thought we’d come to help her save the eggs. With the wind and the surf banging between us, there was no way to make myself understood. I yelled, but she kept beckoning to me. I couldn’t walk off without telling her why I couldn’t help.
“I have to go down there.” Kevin leaned closer to hear what I’d said, and I yelled it again. “I have to tell her about Miss Elizabeth.”
I could see by the look on his face that he didn’t understand. I tried yelling again and this time, he yelled back. “Why?”
“I can’t just walk away. I have to explain.”
He shrugged and followed me down the well-worn path between the sea oats. The town had planted them there years ago to prevent beach erosion. The huge plants whipped at us in the wind. I could see the sand shifting from the rough water. Each year the town had to work to keep Duck’s shoreline intact. It was a never-ending task. Someday, people said, Duck would be gone, lost under the gray Atlantic and Currituck Sound. But not on my watch.
Mary Lou had two other older ladies with her. I thought they were members of the Ladies’ Sewing Circle who made the quilts that were auctioned off at Christmas. They were all throwing themselves across the area where the turtles had laid their eggs in the moonlight a month past.
“Thank goodness you’re here!” Mary Lou hugged me. She was soaked despite her poncho and vinyl pants. “We can’t protect them. The sea is going to wash them away.”
“We can’t stay,” I told her. “I’m sorry, but we’re looking for Miss Elizabeth. You haven’t seen her, have you?”
“No, I haven’t. But the eggs . . .”
“Everyone is out searching for her.” I felt bad about having to desert Mary Lou. I wanted to help the turtles too, but Miss Elizabeth needed my help more. “We’ll come back if we find her.”
