Counting on Starlight Page 13

  Justine clutched her husband’s hand, her eyes filled with tears.

  “Billy called us right away,” said Herb Bush. “Azalea is rounding up her ladies Bible study group.”

  “Maddie may or may not be with Tim Rollins,” Jake said. “He drives a blue Chevrolet. He left school today after first period and his parents don’t know where he was.”

  Billy unfolded a map of Starlight and central Texas. “If they’ve been gone for almost two hours, they are probably as far as Hillsboro to the north, just shy of San Antonio to the south, College Station to the East, and San Saba to the west.” He used a compass to draw a circle two hours by vehicle from Starlight. “It’s getting late, and some of you may not want to start driving with the head start they have. However, on the odd chance that they may have stopped, keep an eye out for his car.”

  “Did you try calling the Rollins family again?” Jake looked down at the map. Good thing that they’d searched through town, but every minute took the kids farther from Starlight, if they’d decided to hit the road.

  “Tim’s dad is at the VFW. He hasn’t seen him since last night and didn’t seem concerned.” Billy shook his head. “Said his son is seventeen and old enough to know when to come home.”

  “What about his mother?” Jake gritted his teeth at Mr. Rollins’s casual attitude regarding his son.

  “Mr. Rollins said his wife is in Dallas on business and hasn't heard from Tim.” His brother rubbed his chin. “The rest of the kids are all at home, and none of them knew anything when I called.”

  “The police are distributing Maddie’s and Tim’s photos and a description of the car, but they’re not actively looking for them. They’re considering it a school district matter at the moment. If anything, Maddie could get in trouble for truancy if she left before the final bell, as will Tim.” Jake pulled up a chair. “If the police happen to see the kids, they’ll notify us.”

  “I’ve brewed a bunch of coffee, y’all.” Tamarind stood between them. “On the house. I’ve got covered cups, plus all the sugar and creamer anyone needs so you can take it on the road.” The door opened, and in came Aunt Azalea, along with Chin Mae and Bert Rivers, and even Trudy from the Chamber of Commerce.

  “If a Tucker’s in trouble, we’re here, everybody,” Aunt Azalea announced. “Tell us what to do and where to go.”

  Words failed Jake, and he looked to Billy, who started assigning routes to the teams. It was better than sitting home and doing nothing. He’d talked to Mom and Dad on the way here, and booked them the first available flights into Killeen tomorrow. All the while and even now, he couldn’t help but think he should have known, should have prevented this somehow. Leaving Waco with the memory of Liann’s teary eyes didn’t help him, either.

  “Let’s all pray before we head out,” said Herb. “I know that even though we don’t know where that little girl is, our Lord does. So we ought to look to Him.”

  “That’s right,” someone said in the group.

  They all bowed their heads. “Lord, be with us tonight as we start searching the highways and the hedges for our lost lambs, Madelynn and Tim. They've lost their way, and we ask that You help bring them home to us. Amen.”

  “Amen,” chorused the rest of the room. In spite of his worry, Jake almost smiled. Herb wasn’t a man of many words, but he made them count.

  Billy handed out a recent photograph of Maddie, the one of her in her Homecoming dress. Good thinking. Jake looked at Maddie’s face, smiling at the camera. He remembered their trip to Austin, dress shopping. Liann should be here right now. It didn’t seem right that she wasn’t.

  As he crossed The Pit’s parking lot on the way to his truck, he sent Liann a quick text message: No news. Still looking. Will keep U posted.

  As soon as he hit send, his phone started to ring...Starlight Police Department. “Jake Tucker here.” He turned on his heel and headed for the restaurant.

  “Mr. Tucker, this is Sergeant Huston from the Starlight Police Department. We’ve received word from the Department of Public Safety that a vehicle with a male and female occupant matching the description you gave us lost control and crashed on Highway 84 just south of Abilene tonight.”

  Chapter 15

  Liann cried for most of the weekend. She wasn’t usually given to tears, but after what had happened on Friday night, she dared anyone to blame her for her actions. Sweet, sweet Maddie lay in an Abilene hospital with both legs fractured, along with a fractured jaw from the air bag. Liann wanted to hop in Aunt Chin Mae’s Smart Car and make the trek to Abilene.

  However, part of her did feel a little responsible for what had happened. She should have done more. She and Jake knew there were issues, and what they did hadn’t been enough to avert disaster. Ever since Jake’s call late Friday evening, she’d stayed away.

  Also, Coach Blann’s words still stung. The man was protecting the hierarchy of the football team. It seemed a football player was worth more than a sweet, confused girl who’d listened to lies and let herself become lost in her search for love.

  The seventeen-year-old male in the car wreck walked away with only a few bruises, she read in the Sunday newspaper. If Coach was trying to keep the news of the couple’s doomed road trip quiet, he was unsuccessful. While not naming Tim by name, Starlight was small enough for people to read between the lines.

  She logged onto her school district e-mail and found a message on Sunday evening, from Principal Peterson: Please come to my office at 7 a.m. on Monday. Great. Coach Blann had said something about this not being the end of the matter.

  A knock sounded on the apartment door. “Hello, Liann. You need to come eat something. I... I cooked steak,” said Aunt Chin Mae. “Real steak. Not steak in a box.”

  Liann sat up straight on the couch. Aunt Chin Mae, cooking? As in not-heating-up-a-frozen-dinner cooking? “Oh, you didn’t have to.” She rose and crossed the room, opening the door.

  Aunt Chin Mae’s face brightened. “You come down. Please. You shouldn’t suffer alone. You did the best you could. It was not your fault.” Her aunt tugged on her arm. “Besides, someone’s here to see you.”

  “Who?”

  “You need to come downstairs and see.” Aunt Chin Mae tugged on her arm until Liann followed.

  Jake’s truck was in the driveway, and he stood at the bottom of the stairs outside the garage. “I was hoping she could get you to come down.”

  She tried not to rush down the stairs and knock her aunt over, but Aunt Chin Mae sidestepped in time. “Jake!” She flew into his arms.

  He held her tightly, and she almost couldn’t breathe for a moment. “I would’ve come sooner,” he said in her ear.

  “I know. How’s Maddie? Why are you here, in Starlight?”

  “I have to work tomorrow, same as you. My parents are in Abilene with Maddie. Once she’s well enough to travel, they’re moving her to Colorado. No arguments.” He looked as if he’d shed a burden. “I didn’t realize how hard it was, how I was taking on more than I should have.”

  “Me neither.” She realized he still had his arms around her, and she didn’t care. “Why did she and Tim run off like that?”

  Jake planted a kiss on the top of her head before releasing her. “Maddie decided she wanted to be in Colorado, and Tim was taking her. His last hurrah, of sorts, before owning up to the fact he's going to be a father.”

  “So it's true then, not a rumor.” Liann shook her head. “Oh, these kids. Did Maddie know when she left with him?”

  “She thought it was just a cruel rumor. And now, she's devastated. Tim's going to have to grow up a lot faster, have a lot bigger priorities than his studies. I'm hoping to talk him into getting some job training, at least.”

  Liann didn't miss the hooded expression in his eyes. “Some good kids made some really bad decisions. But we tried, Jake. We tried.”

  “That we did.” He glanced at her more closely. “How are you doing after what happened? I've been worried about you.”

 
She frowned. “I’m scared. Coach Blann was awful the other night. He seemed to think I overreacted about Maddie. He didn’t even want the police to know right away.”

  Jake sighed. “He’s got the old guard, good old boy mentality. Ridiculous. I’ll probably hear it when I go in tomorrow, but I don’t care. That’s my sister. I had to find her.”

  She nodded. “He... He’s got me worried, though. He said this isn’t the end of it, not for me.”

  “I wouldn’t worry.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. I just got an e-mail from Principal Peterson, calling me in for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. I can’t think of anything that I’ve done wrong.” Liann looked into his eyes. “Please, if it comes down to it, stick up for me in case you get called in, too.”

  “I’ll be there for you. But don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

  But Liann saw a glimmer of doubt in his eyes.

  #

  “Good morning, Ms. Rivers.” Jacob Peterson sat behind his massive maple desk that dwarfed the chairs in front of it. “I understand you’ve had quite a weekend.”

  “Yes, it was. About Madelynn Tucker...”

  “I’ll need a statement of everything you did from the time you found out she was missing. From what it sounded like at first, you knew she had left the campus but said nothing until you arrived in Waco.”

  “No, that’s not true.”

  “Did you see her get on the bus?”

  “No, but—”

  “It’s a teacher’s responsibility to ensure that her students are accounted for before they leave campus for a function.”

  If he would just let her explain...She'd already decided she wasn't up to being at school today and was taking a personal day off. “I was told she’d gone outside and boarded a bus. We were separated. That happens sometimes.”

  “Additionally, I understand that Madelynn Tucker and several of your students have been harassing Cassandra Waters.” He held up a stack of papers.

  “No, if anything, it was probably the other way around. I saw Cassandra Waters the night of Homecoming, and she looked anything but harassed by Madelynn Tucker. And why wasn't I told about this matter concerning my students?” She was treading water, but going down for the third time. She cast a glance around the office. No life preserver appeared

  “It's just recently come to my attention.” The principal took a sip from the coffee cup on his desk. “You've done an outstanding job so far this year with your class. That's in your favor. But this...this is a serious matter and I'm looking at it from the other side.”

  Liann sat up straighter. “I know. You have to look at a situation from all sides. I...I wasn't expecting Maddie to do something like this. I knew she'd been unhappy lately, but her attendance record is perfect. So what else do I need to do?”

  “You need to seek counsel from the teachers' union. They can help you.” Mr. Peterson sat back in his desk chair. “Like I said, you've done remarkable things with our group this year, and it would be a shame for you to be removed for disciplinary reasons. Jessica has given you shining reviews. No matter how it looks, we've got your back. You'll have a chance to tell your story.”

  “Thank you. I've called a sub for today, and she should be arriving at any moment.” She fled from the office, her face burning. No one said anything to her, but she knew the faculty and probably all the students knew the story, or most of it anyway.

  Liann entered the gymnasium and walked to the band wing where the offices were. Jessica popped out of her doorway.

  “Liann.” She darted a look to the side. “In case Big Brother is watching, I wanted to let you know I'm here for you. This is a bunch of bunk. Someone has an ax to grind, and you’re the easy target. You’re expendable, and it’s not right.”

  “That's what Mr. Peterson said—he's going to back me up too. But I have an interview on Saturday for Ventura. So my time here might be limited anyway.” Although after Jake showed up at the house, she knew at least one person wouldn’t want her to leave. Of course, he still had his Kansas dream he was free to follow, now that Maddie would be moving to Colorado.

  “Keep me posted,” Jessica said as Liann left the offices.

  “I will if I can.” As Liann crossed the parking lot, she saw the football team out doing drills first thing. There stood Jake. He glanced in her direction then stepped around the tall chain link fence and headed toward her.

  “I’m not supposed to talk to you,” he said.

  She stopped at the Smart Car. “I know. Someone’s blowing this way out of proportion. Someone besides Coach Blann. I don’t know why, Jake. But right now, it’s enough to make me want to take the first flight out of here and go. I don’t need this. I didn’t want to come here and stay. I didn’t want to fall…”

  Yes, she’d fallen for Jake Tucker.

  Same here.”

  Stand up for me, Jake.” She tried not to plead.

  I have to be careful—”

  Why? To save your own skin? To protect your position? Are you part of the ‘old guard’ that you were talking about?” She stepped toward him and jabbed his chest with her index finger. “Do you want to keep your prime job here in Starlight? Just in case Kansas Tech passes, you’ll still have a backup plan, and the top position in Starlight would make you are very big fish in a tiny pond.”

  Jake stepped away from her, fists on hips. “C’mon, Liann. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “By standing by and doing nothing, you’re agreeing with them. With Blann.” She shook her head. “Talk to the campus security. Surely they have video of people leaving. See what time Maddie left with Tim. Because there’s no proof of when she left campus. Unless you can talk to her yourself.”

  “I’m not going to just stand by.”

  She wanted to scream. “You know what? Never mind. This is just a part-time job, in a little rinky-dink town. Take care, Jake.”

  “Liann—”

  She held up one hand as she fumbled with her car keys in the other.

  #

  “So Ms. Rivers isn’t coming back?” Maddie sounded as though she had cotton in her mouth. She sank back into her pillows, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “It’s all my fault…all my fault.”

  “We don’t know if she’s coming back.” Jake stood by his sister’s hospital bed on Wednesday. He’d taken a personal day to meet his parents in Abilene and visit Maddie. She needed to know what her actions—and Tim’s—had cost people. Had cost him. Liann would probably never speak to him again.

  “It’s not fair....” She hiccuped then winced. “I was going to call once we crossed into New Mexico, to tell Mom and Dad we were coming.”

  “Sweet pea, if you wanted to come see us, you should have called beforehand.” Mom sounded tired. She sighed and looked at Dad. “Nobody was making you stay in Texas.”

  “I know. But Tim and I just wanted to...just go...and I told him about Colorado. So we started making plans to go.” She frowned. “I thought Cassandra was lying about the baby. He told me it might not be his, even if she is pregnant.”

  “Tim’s going to have to grow up a lot faster than he planned,” Jake said.

  “He hasn’t called me, at all.” Her voice quavered. “Guess that means...” She sobbed then hiccuped. “Ouch. I was so stupid about him.”

  Jake opened his mouth to say something then realized he wasn’t the parent here. He never had been. Not really. Both he and Liann had taken on roles for Maddie that they probably shouldn’t have. Not that they shouldn’t care. Lord, forgive us. We acted out of love for her, and concern.

  Mom drew close to Maddie’s bedside. “Honey, you are still loved. Very, very much.” She brushed Maddie’s hair back.

  Dad motioned Jake into the hallway. “Son, when will we get to meet this Liann? What’s going on? I realize we’re hours and hours away, but I thought she might come with you.”

  “Dad, I don’t know when. I... I don’t know when I’m going to see her again. She�
�s... She’s planning to leave Starlight for good.” The thought sliced into him, all thoughts of Kansas Tech shoved aside for the moment. “I tried to explain to her, how we have to be careful—”

  “Why? Is someone in trouble over what happened to Maddie??”

  “Liann.”

  “Over our daughter?”

  “Yes, because of how she handled things on Friday night. That, and Coach Blann was trying to protect Tim. I think he was hoping Tim would reconsider TSU’s offer.”

  “You can’t let this travesty continue. I don’t care who people think they are.”

  “You’re right, Dad. I can’t.”

  Chapter 16

  Despite Aunt Chin Mae’s offer of the Smart Car, Liann rented a car and drove to Dallas for her interview at the Hyatt with the Ventura recruiter. She clipped along the sidewalk in her favorite heels, saved for occasions like this. And her favorite suit with the purple blouse. She’d done her hair like she hadn’t in months, her makeup perfect with smoky eyes and just enough blusher and a light lip gloss. This was a cheer coach position, something far, far different than her interview for the ragtag color guard team back in Starlight.

  She met Misty Rossetti in the foyer. Funny. Maddie’s horse was named Misty. This made her grin as she and Misty shook hands. This Misty wasn’t old, grayish, and lumbering, though.

  “Thanks for accepting my invitation to interview,” Misty said, flashing gleaming white teeth. “I’ve reserved a small conference room here so I can show you the PowerPoint presentation about the Ventura cheer program.”

  “Sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Misty led her down a hall off the lobby and into a tiny meeting room containing a conference table with a dozen padded chairs. A laptop sat at one end of the long table, facing a blank wall. “If you’d like a water, help yourself, and we’ll get started.”

  “Thanks.” Liann took a glass from the table and filled it from a pitcher. She took a seat as Misty dimmed the lights.