I had just taken my seat again when Tuck appeared at the front door. Stephen let him in and immediately pulled his chair over by me so Tuck could sit down. The sheriff looked wan, and he was out of breath. I had never seen him out of breath. He didn’t make a big deal out of it, but I knew Tuck spent an hour or two a day at the gym staying in shape for his job.
Rocky rushed over with a glass of ice water, and Lu pulled a café chair up and sat next to her husband as he caught his breath. After he pulled back the water in one long swig, he sighed and said, “We couldn’t find him.”
My heart sprang up into my throat. “Oh no,” I whispered.
“How is that possible?” my dad asked from behind my chair. Mom appeared beside me and put her hand on my shoulder. My parents hadn’t always been the most su
