“I heard that Sandy Kenton’s father is a park ranger, right? Maybe someone who knows him or his family did this to get even more attention paid to her being taken. And we can figure Marian Bell didn’t do this, because it only mentions townie kids and she and Amanda lived in the Lake Azure area.”

Gabe’s eyes widened at that as they started on the path around the pool toward the foot of the falls. “The mayor insists we can afford only one deputy, or I’d hire you,” he told her. “I think Amanda’s father, Win Kenton, comes through here a lot, so who knows what a desperate dad will do? And it didn’t hit me about Marian, but I’m putting nothing beyond her. Besides that, what’s been worrying me is whether it meant anything that this latest victim was taken from the building that used to be the police station—like a challenge to the police, namely me.”

The spray was drifting here but it felt good, cooling her flushed face. Just being with Gabe made her feel warmer than the climb did. She skidded on the path, cried out, and he reached back for her.

He grabbed her arm hard, held her steady, then leaned back against the rock face and pulled her against him. With her body pressed to his side, her head fit perfectly under his chin. His grip was strong around her, and she clasped his upper arms. His leather jacket was wet. She leaned her hip against his and lifted her head to say something as he turned his head.

They kissed. Tentative, gentle, then strong and sure, mutual. She felt his slight beard stubble, his warm flesh against her chin and cheeks as they moved their heads. She held to him, opening her lips. Was the entire cliff face moving?

“Aha,” he said when they finally broke the kiss. Lips still parted, both of them seemed to breathe in unison. In the noise of crashing water, she stared at his mouth to read his words. “I didn’t mean to do that, but...”

“I know. Me neither.”

It was like a dream. They still held to each other, not moving, not saying more, pressed back against the solid rock. Tess felt strangely content. She liked heights—at least you could see everything around you. She sighed but that too was swallowed by the crash of the falls.

Finally, Gabe spoke, putting his lips close to her ear. “We’re almost where the person with the paint must have stood.”

“I can’t believe I slipped,” she said, almost shouting. Suddenly she had to fill the space between them with words, however loud the noise. “Where we grew up—after we left Ohio, I mean—in Jackson, Michigan, the big attraction was not a natural waterfall but a man-made one called the Cascades. Big, tall stairs, tumbling water, lit by colored lights,” she went on, gesturing grandly. “You could go all the way up on side stairs. My sisters and I often did. But you’d get the spray if the wind was wrong, and the steps would be slippery running up and down.”

“Tess,” he said, turning back to face her. “I’m not sorry it happened, though—the kiss.”

She nodded, maybe a bit too wildly. As he smiled, his features lifted, his eyebrows raised. His teeth were white and even.

She smiled back. For the first time in years, she felt good and—even standing on a slippery, lofty cliff path with thoughts about kids being kidnapped—almost safe.

* * *

After finding and bagging two discarded cans of spray paint and some wet cigarette butts, they headed back to town. Gabe didn’t want to drop Tess off and chided himself for acting as if this was some date when it was a kidnapping investigation. He’d kissed her. Kissed her! And wanted more. Was he nuts? Mad-dog Vic would have a fit.

“I’ll drop you off at your place,” he told her. “I’ll check with things at the station and crime scene, and then I’ll come back and we’ll walk through what we can recall from twenty years ago to see if anything hits you.”

“Don’t say it that way. But I know what you mean. Who is that honking?” she asked and looked out the back window. “Oh! I know that van. It’s Dane Thompson’s.”

“Right. I was going to talk to him later, and here he is.”

“It’s like he’s making a traffic stop on you.”

“Yeah. Sit tight.”

Gabe pulled over and got out. Maybe there was some emergency, but Dane was always a problem. The guy obviously believed the best defense was a good offense, but he evidently also liked being offensive. Ever since Gabe’s dad had Dane pegged as Tess’s most likely kidnapper, the guy had been on his case as much as the other way around.

Now Dane was yelling and shaking a fist at Gabe as they met partway between their vehicles.

“I hear that same state government agent’s back in town!” Dane shouted. His thin face was red clear to his hairline. Spittle flecked his lips. Didn’t he realize his demeanor made people dislike him? The man got along best with animals, maybe because he acted like one himself.

“Word travels fast to those who have a vested interest in a case,” Gabe said, fighting to keep calm, because, like Reese Owens, Dane always got him going.

“Of course I’m interested, and not only for some poor child. How about my own situation getting worse again? Police harassment. Local gossip. Slander that can hurt the business I’ve built. Years ago I should have gotten a restraining order on both Mr. Victor-BCI-agent and Sheriff McCord Senior! Now McCord Junior’s going to use the pick-on-Dane plan where they left off, I’ll bet!”

“If I had any proof—so far—that you were involved, you’d be in the holding cell in the police station.”

“So, have you got a suspect or a witness?” Dane demanded, squinting into the sun toward Gabe’s cruiser. “You pick on me again, and you’ll be sorry. Wait—is that Teresa Lockwood? My sister said that she was back.”

Dane started to walk closer. “Hold it right there,” Gabe said.

“What?” Dane rounded on him. “Like I’d hurt her now like I did before? Sheriff, if she got away from my place—which was searched, thoroughly, more than once in the months she was gone—would she have been found wandering a couple miles from town? No, she’d have been found closer. I just want to say hi, like my sister did. Teresa—I guess it’s Tess now—reciprocated with donuts, just the kind I like. Come on, she and I are cornfield neighbors again, Sheriff, and I don’t want any hard feelings, or wrong ones, between any of the three of us.”

As Gabe and Dane approached the cruiser, Gabe saw Tess had rolled the window halfway down on her side, maybe to hear what was being said.

“Hello, Dr. Thompson,” she said. She rolled the window the rest of the way down and stuck her hand out to shake his.

Looking surprised, Dane shook her hand and leaned down to talk while Gabe hovered. Something useful could come of this. Maybe Tess’s facing this guy would trigger something in her memory if Dane had anything to do with the initial crime years ago. He had to admire the firm front she was putting up when she’d seemed shaky to him at times.

“Teresa—I mean Tess—nice to have you back, even if it is to sell and move away for good,” Dane said.

“If you hear any of your clients—I won’t say patients, because my place isn’t ready to go to the dogs yet—would like an old house, let me know,” she told him.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he said, evidently undecided whether to laugh at her little joke or not. “I’ll keep that in mind. I see you’re very well protected, but I just wanted you to know that you or the sheriff are welcome to visit our place anytime. Marva loves company. She never had children and lost her husband, so we’re getting on as best we can.”

“She’s been very kind.”

Gabe took it all in, amazed as Tess chatted about the fact that she didn’t have a husband or children either, but loved to be around kids, care for them and teach them. And about how good animals could be for little kids who were shy or afraid. She had calmed Dane down by the time he walked to his van and drove away.