Hearts On Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

ran off for a weekend getaway.”
         Just what Brian had told
her. “I don’t think so, Matt. Not this time.”
         His eyes narrowed. “What
makes you say that?”
         Shifting uncomfortably in
her chair, Lizzie turned the paper cup containing her now lukewarm coffee in
her hands. She hated talking about Katy. Especially with the police. And though
Matt was a one-time friend of hers he was still the police. “She, ah, called me
the night before. Thursday night. She told me she wanted to come visit.”
         Seeing her discomfort and
knowing there was a reason for it, Matt pressed the issue. “Did she happen to
mention why she wanted to visit?”
         “She’s my sister,” Lizzie
told him impatiently, as though that explained it all.
         “Yes. But you mentioned
she’d be getting to your place very early in the morning. You mean after
midnight?”
         She sighed. “Yes. It’s an
eight hour drive to my place. She should have gotten in around 3am.”
         “The weather wasn’t all
that great,” Matt pointed out.
         “Exactly. Which is why
I’m so worried. What if her car went off the road? What if she’s stranded
somewhere and needs help?” What if whoever she ripped off got pissed and got
even with her?
         Now it was Matt who
shifted in his chair. Meeting her gaze directly he said, “Lizzie, I don’t know
how much you know about your sister’s… um… her lifestyle.”
         She bit her lip. “You
mean the trouble with the law. The conning.”
         “Among other things,
yeah.”
         “I know enough. I’ve
bailed her out of jail and paid for lawyers.” She shook her head. “Which has
nothing at all to do with why I’m here. My sister was supposed to show up at my
house two days ago. I can’t get a hold of her. At all. No matter what else,
that’s not like her.” Her voice was rising and she forced herself to calm down.
“Your officer told me I couldn’t file a missing persons report until she’d been
confirmed gone over 24 hours.”
         “That’s right. But
there’s the fact your sister is an adult, Lizzie. An adult with a history of
just running off whenever the breeze was from the right direction.”
         “So you’re telling me
you’re not going to do anything?” She stood, clutching her purse to her chest.
         “Lizzie, c’mon. Sit down
a minute.” When she didn’t, when she just stood there staring at him he asked,
“What do you want me to do? Send out a search party?”
         “I want you to do your
damn job, Matt. And I want you to act like you care.”
         That stung and he
flinched. Shoving his fingers through his hair he said, “I do care. It’s just…”
         “It’s just that it’s
Katy,” she supplied through clenched teeth. “Fine. I’ll look for her myself.”
         Now Matt stood. “Lizzie,
don’t go doing that.” He sighed heavily. “Let’s go on down to Missing Persons
and fill out that report, okay?”
         “And then?”
         “And I’ll issue a BOLO.”
         She gave him a blank
stare. “What’s that?”
         “Be on the lookout.”
Before she could protest he said, “Look, Lizzie, I can’t go putting together a
search party just yet. I’ll have the deputies and state boys keeping an eye out
for her car. For her. I’ll have Lance Kinsford do a little fly time and check
the roadsides in the mountains as best he can. He owes me a favor anyway.
Okay?”
         She relaxed. Marginally.
She supposed it was the best she was going to get for now. Which meant in the
meantime she was going to have to do a little leg work on her own. “Okay. How
long does this remain you thinking she ran off and turn into something foul may
have happened?”
         “Let’s give it another
twenty-four hours.”
         She didn’t like it but
would have to deal with it. For now. “And you’ll let me know if you find