Lost in the Wild by Leigh Mayberry (i am malala young readers edition txt) 📕

respectable wave of melancholy filled the space inside the police department. Six Alaska State Troopers, eight FBI personnel, took their time around the family. Reeve, Chandler, and Wilcox remained at the station but ordered their teams to dismantle operations and prepare for departure from Kinguyakkii. Dana occupied the other end of the conference table. She worked with her tablet and smartphone, working on reports. Meghan knew while Wilcox took point and was officially in charge in Alaska, Dana reported to her section chief in New York, Garret McKee. It was a move that Wilcox didn’t care about, and Meghan saw Dana’s tension spread to the operations leader.

While the timid and personal information came from Wilcox and Reeve, Meghan and the others stayed out of the way. Oliver, looking disheveled and worse for wear, found Meghan in her office as she stayed out the way.

Joane sat in the chair Vincent occupied hours before. Earl stood behind her. Meghan knew the rest of the scene. She knew how it went through the whole series of grieving and eventually would make its way through the rest of the town.

“You need to go home and get some sleep,” she said.

Oliver stood in the small office, watching through the window. He didn’t look at Meghan when he talked. “I feel like we should do more.”

“The best thing right now is to let her begin the process. I’m glad Reeve had the jacket kept out of sight.”

“She identified it,” Lester said.

“I know. But I saw three people in town wearing the same jacket over the past two days.”

Lester looked at her.

“It’s common, and people are spend-thrifts when they need to be,” she said. “Can you go home, please? I don’t want you getting sick on me. We’ll handle it from here.”

Lester looked through the bay window again. “I heard what happened with Cadet Holmes.”

“That the kid who thought it was okay to touch my ass?” she asked.

“Yup, I heard you dislocated his thumb.”

Meghan scuffed. “I don’t care.”

“Yeah,” he said. Oliver looked at her. There was a hint of a smile. Despite the drama, he had the twinkle of mischief. “I wish I saw that.”

“Go home, get some sleep.”

“What about them?” he asked. “Can we do something for them?”

“I’ll talk to Calvin and Duane. We can see about bringing together the community all at once. We can use the gym. Everyone in town has to know by now, but we’ll face it head-on and grieve together.” Meghan sighed. “Do you know if anyone found Eugene Tuktu?”

“Why?”

“No one saw him since Saturday night. I’ve left voicemail for him. Lester and I went to his house. I know he’s not one of the people outside. I’d like to know where Chrissy’s uncle is when everyone else is here.”

Oliver nodded. She saw the realization morph his face. Meghan had multifaceted ideas about the missing uncle. The darkest idea came with the fact that maybe they had two missing, presumed dead people, and not one.

Oliver moved to the doorway.

“Do me a favor, get some sleep, keep it quiet about Eugene.”

“Is that because of the FBI or your friend?” he asked.

Meghan shook her head. “Neither, when have you ever seen me worried about what other people think about me? I’m concerned because you will see how people who are nice to each other when things are right as rain can turn ugly when they get a whiff of a rumor. I believe in following up with all parts of the investigations. One part might not have anything to do with the other. But right now, we have the niece of a missing man who possibly drowned. That is too close for a coincidence.”

Oliver’s face went through a series of emoting as the thoughts banged around inside his skull. He opened his mouth to speak, but Meghan held up her finger.

“Later, get some sleep now. That’s an order. If these guys need to get back to the airport, I’ll shuttle them. I filed a preliminary Missing Person report on Eugene. I will talk to Reeves and Wilcox about it. Right now, you don’t need to do anything. You’ve done enough. Get some sleep.”

“Thanks, Chief.”

Oliver slipped out of the office unnoticed. Meghan witnessed the hard truth of Christine Tuktu’s disappearance. Meghan also saw something else that others failed to miss. She saw the young man with bright eyes and adult patience. The boy started the whole situation with a few words to the right people.

Cecil Tuktu stood out of the way, passed by, and shuffled around. He wore a winter coat that was too small for his frame. He removed the blue ski cap and gripped it in his fists. The adults around him tended to his mother. Had Meghan not sat back out of the way, watching the reality show through the lens of the window that separated her office from the rest of the department, she would have missed Cecil too. He drew up into himself as they ignored him.

Meghan remembered the bedroom. The space distinctly divided between siblings. They made do with the area. They shared a room, and Meghan wondered if Cecil’s interaction with his sister was a positive influence.

She moved out of the office and slipped behind the grieving adults. Earl consoled Joane. Wilcox, Reeve, and Dana huddled together to discuss their next moves. Meghan went to the coffee station. She grabbed a mug, filled it with hot water, collected a packet of instant hot chocolate, a spoon, and got Cecil’s attention. Meghan ignored Dana, glaring at her. She moved back to the office and motioned for Cecil to follow.

Meghan kept a relatively clear desk. She placed the mug and packet on the counter. The invitation to a cup of cocoa proved too tempting for Cecil. Meghan moved the chair closer to the desk. He sat down