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

Meghan didn’t judge the woman. A small apartment with a waiting list that stretched months, sometimes years, before space opened. Nancy McCormick died in her apartment. The moment the police cleared it and her sister, Cheryl Snyder, removed Nancy’s property, the place had a new tenant. Rental companies weren’t obligated to disclose prior tenant issues. In a situation where housing was expensive and scarce, no one had a choice about where they finally got a place to live.

Back in the Suburban, as Meghan pulled away from the apartment complex, Oliver called her smartphone.

“What’s up?”

“Um, I think you need to get back here,” he said.

“Did you find Christine?”

“No, and I don’t think we’re in charge anymore.”

Chapter Six

 The FBI had a specific plan of action regarding the recovery of missing children. They worked closely with state and local agencies, relying on resources designed to locate children. It came down to a checklist of possibilities and focused on whether or not the child was a victim of abduction, endangered, or a susceptible subject for human trafficking.

It was the kind of thing that usually happened after local law enforcement agencies made their preliminary conclusions. What Meghan found the moment she returned to the arena was a mouthy woman who had people vacating the building. At the same time, the radio station DJs quietly dismantled their stereo equipment from the gymnasium sound system.

“I think the FBI is on their way,” Oliver said. He met Meghan outside while she watched several attendees fleeing the scene.

“What’s going on?”

“Your friend, Dana, she started talking to everyone. She used the PA system to call out Christine. When she started telling everyone, they had to stay in one place. Everyone started to leave.”

Meghan and Oliver slipped through the doors where the rest of the people tried to get away. She saw Dana giving Duane Warren a hard point with a finger to his chest. She saw Ulva, Duane’s wife standing quietly to the side, watching the interaction. Meghan knew out of the two critical figures in town, between Duane and Ulva, she’d take her chances with Duane. Ulva had a lot of leverage with the council, the school board, and family members in the Alaska senate.

Meghan saw Silvia Graves watching the confrontation between the mayor and the FBI agent. Silvia saw Meghan looking at her. The woman had the smartphone to her ear. Presumably, she talked to her husband, Lester, the lieutenant for the police department, and Meghan’s second in charge. He had overnight duties, and Meghan wanted him to come in later because she and Oliver intended to monitor the school until after the place closed for the night. Dana cleared out everyone a few hours early.

On the other side of the hall, near the banquet tables, Meghan saw Eric and Linda Kennedy sitting patiently at the picnic tables. Linda lifted a plastic cup in Meghan’s direction. Eric, the coroner for the city and contact point for the medical examiner’s office in Anchorage, gave Meghan a slow headshake that mortified her. Meghan knew when Eric saw something that caused problems in town. He made sure to point it out to her. Eric and Linda were good people and wanted only the best for the community. If something went amiss, both were reliable resources for recovery and prevention. At the moment, Meghan stepped into the vacated gymnasium. She knew Dana overstepped her margins by a few thousand miles.

“What are you doing?” Meghan asked.

“Chief Sheppard,” Duane snapped. “This FBI agent thinks she can come here and mandate how things happen in Kinguyakkii.”

Dana looked from Duane to Meghan. She saw her friend had that look of authority that suggested no one had control except her.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“We’ve got a missing girl, that’s what.”

“We know that.” Meghan kept her voice low, between her and the immediate company. Unfortunately, with the music off and the open space, the sound projected everywhere. “But what are you doing?”

“I’m doing my job.”

“You’re on vacation.”

“There’s a missing girl, Meg. What are you doing about it?”

“I’m doing my job. But I come back here, and I find you trying to do my job for me. You need to relax.”

“Don’t tell me to relax,” Dana said. “You know what I see every day when it comes to kids. Every minute is crucial. What are you doing about this?”

Meghan saw Duane and Ulva watching her. They expected the police chief to have a handle on the situation. Meghan felt the grip wasn’t tight, and the handle loosened as the hours stretched.

“I’m doing my job, Dana. I don’t answer to you.” She turned from her friend and addressed Oliver. “Did you talk to any of the kids?”

“I talked to a few who know Christine. I need to go to her best friend’s house. The girl’s name is Mirella Edmond.”

“Okay, talk to her and her parents.” Oliver turned to leave; Meghan caught up and matched his steps on the way out of the building. “Should I be worried about Christine Tuktu?” she asked.

Oliver shrugged. It was something he often did when addressed directly. It wasn’t that Oliver feared confrontation. He was almost twice the size of Meghan and two sizes wider than most men. Oliver wasn’t overweight. He had a lot of muscles and layers. Meghan thought of him as an enforcer, but Oliver preferred dealing with things diplomatically. Meghan thought most polar bears handled their business with diplomacy; they used their claws to cut things down to bite-sized pieces.

“Cecil’s dad died about five years ago. He drowned during a seal hunt.”

Meghan nodded. The incident rang a bell. The body was never recovered. It was something she read in incident reports from the former police chief, Herbert Haynes. Meghan spent a lot of time reviewing prior cases from before she took over. Meghan had an extensive list of