Then the girl's voice broke.
“I saw him grab her.”
Nathan stopped asking questions.
He took out his phone.
He had two bars of service.
Good enough.
Maya stared at him.
“Are you calling the police?”
“Yes.”
She suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“Not the town police.”
Nathan paused.
“Why?”
Maya swallowed.
“Because Calvin's brother works there.”
Nathan looked through the window again.
Calvin sat in his SUV.
Watching.
Nathan unlocked his phone.
“All right.”
He scrolled to a number he had not used in nearly six months.
Maya asked, “Who are you calling?”
Nathan pressed dial.
“A woman who knows what to do when people don't know who they can trust.”
The call connected.
A familiar voice answered.
“Nate?”
“Dana, I need a favor.”
“What happened?”
Nathan watched Calvin through the glass.
“I've got a kid at Rosie's Café in Miller's Crossing.”
Dana's voice immediately changed.
“What kind of situation?”
“Possible domestic violence. Possible abduction attempt. Mother missing. Child says the man's relative works local law enforcement.”
Silence.
Then:
“Is the child safe?”
Nathan looked at Maya.
“For the moment.”
“Do not move her.”
“Wasn't planning to.”
“I'm calling State Patrol and the county victim-services coordinator.”
Nathan nodded.
“And Dana?”
“Yes?”
“Send somebody from the Riders.”
“How many?”
Nathan watched Calvin lift his phone.
“Not an army.”
He paused.
“Just enough witnesses.”
The first Redwood Rider arrived seventeen minutes later.
Her name was Angela Ruiz.
She was forty-six, a trauma nurse, mother of three adult children, and owner of a red Indian Scout that she maintained more carefully than most surgeons maintained operating rooms.
She entered Rosie's Café wearing hospital scrubs beneath her riding jacket.
Maya looked alarmed when she saw the patch.
Nathan raised a hand.
“She's with me.”
Angela approached slowly.
“You must be Maya.”
Maya nodded.
“I'm Angela.”
She sat in the booth across from her.
“I'm a nurse. Is anything hurting?”
“No.”
“Did Calvin touch you today?”
Maya shook her head.
“Did anybody?”
“No.”
Angela nodded.
“Okay.”
She did not interrogate.
She did not ask why Maya had run.
She simply ordered hot chocolate.
Five minutes later, two more riders arrived.
Frank Webb, a high-school auto-shop teacher.
Tasha Green, a paralegal who volunteered with a women's shelter.
They did not crowd around Maya.
Frank sat near the entrance.
Tasha spoke quietly with Rosie.
Angela remained at the booth.
Nathan noticed Calvin watching every arrival.
The silver SUV was still running.
Then Calvin made a phone call.
Nathan disliked that.
At 4:48 p.m., a patrol car entered the lot.
Maya's entire body tensed.
“Is that his brother?”
Nathan looked.
The markings belonged to Miller's Crossing Police.
Not State Patrol.
A uniformed officer stepped out.
Mid-thirties.
Dark hair.
Nathan glanced at Maya.
Her face had gone white.
“That's him.”
“Calvin's brother?”
She nodded.
Officer Ryan Doran entered the café.
Calvin got out of his SUV and followed.
Nathan stood.
Frank did too.
Tasha stopped speaking with Rosie.
Angela remained seated beside Maya.
Ryan removed his hat.
“What's the issue?”
Nathan answered.
“The child says she's afraid to leave with that man.”
Ryan looked at Maya.
Then Calvin.
Then Nathan.
“That's my niece.”
Maya immediately said, “No.”
Ryan frowned.
“Maya.”
“You're not my uncle.”
Calvin spoke quickly.
“Ryan is practically family.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
Practically.
A useful word.
Ryan looked at Nathan's vest.
“You called this in?”
“I contacted State Patrol.”
Ryan's jaw tightened.
“You could have contacted us.”
“The child asked me not to.”
“Maya is ten.”
“Ten-year-olds can still be afraid.”
Ryan lowered his voice.
“You people are interfering with a family matter.”
Tasha stepped forward.
“What family relationship does Mr. Doran have to the child?”
Ryan looked at her.
“And you are?”
“Tasha Green.”
“Are you an attorney?”
“No.”
“Then stay out of it.”
Tasha smiled politely.
“Happy to.”
She did not move.
Calvin spoke toward Maya.
“Your mother is worried sick.”
Maya stared at him.
“Where is she?”
Calvin hesitated.
Nathan noticed.
“So do I,” Nathan said.
Calvin turned.
“What?”
“If her mother is worried sick, where is she?”
“She went home.”
“Which home?”
Calvin's face hardened.
Nathan continued.
“The kid says she saw you grab her mother beside a road.”
Ryan cut in.
“That's an accusation from a frightened child.”
Angela finally spoke.
“Which is exactly why she needs to be interviewed by somebody trained for it.”
Ryan looked annoyed.
“I'm trained.”
Angela shook her head.
“You're personally connected to the man she says she's afraid of.”
Calvin raised both hands.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Nathan's phone vibrated.
A message from Dana.
STATE TROOPERS 8 MINUTES. VICTIM ADVOCATE 10.
Nathan put the phone away.
Ryan noticed.
“Who are you calling?”
“Nobody right now.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“You've got half a motorcycle club in here intimidating people.”
Nathan looked around.
Frank was drinking decaf.
Tasha was reading something on her phone.
Angela was stirring whipped cream into Maya's hot chocolate.
“Terrifying,” Nathan said.
Ryan did not appreciate the joke.
“I need you to step away from the child.”
Nathan looked at Maya.
“You want me to?”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“No.”
Nathan looked back at Ryan.
“There you go.”
Ryan's face reddened.
“You don't have legal custody.”
“No.”
“Then you have no authority here.”
“Also true.”
“Then move.”
Nathan remained calm.
“You're welcome to stand right there until State Patrol arrives.”
Ryan's hand moved toward his belt.
Not toward his weapon.
But close enough to change the room.
Frank put down his coffee.
Tasha raised her phone.
Nathan did not move.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Two blue-and-gray State Patrol vehicles entered the lot.
Ryan looked furious.
Nathan felt Maya exhale beside him.
Three troopers entered.
The senior officer introduced herself as Sergeant Elise Harmon.
With her came Victim Services Coordinator Priya Shah.
Priya wore normal clothes.
No uniform.
No badge on display.
She crouched several feet from Maya.
“My name is Priya. Nobody is taking you anywhere until we understand what's happening.”
Maya looked at Nathan.
He nodded.
Priya asked, “Would you like Nate to stay while we talk?”
“Yes.”
That irritated Calvin.
“This is unbelievable.”
Sergeant Harmon turned toward him.
“You'll have your opportunity to speak.”
Ryan attempted to intervene.
Harmon stopped him.
“Officer Doran, are you related to Mr. Doran?”
“Brother.”
“And your relationship to the child?”
“Family friend.”
“Then you're not participating in the interview.”
Ryan's expression hardened.
“Sergeant—”
“Not a discussion.”
Nathan saw Maya's shoulders lower.
Priya began with simple questions.
Name.
Age.
Mother's name.
Address.
School.
Then:
“Who is Calvin?”
Maya whispered, “My mom's ex-boyfriend.”
Calvin's mouth tightened.
Priya continued.
“Does he live with you?”
“No.”
“Has he lived with you?”
“He used to.”
“Why did he stop?”
Maya looked at her hands.
“My mom made him leave.”
“When?”
“Before summer.”
“Do you know why?”
Maya nodded.
“He scared her.”
Priya did not ask for details immediately.
“Has your mother told him to stay away?”
“Yes.”
“Did anybody else tell him?”
Maya looked confused.
“A judge.”
The room changed.
Sergeant Harmon turned toward Calvin.
“You currently have an active restraining order?”
Calvin answered too slowly.
“It's complicated.”
Harmon took out her notebook.
“Those are becoming very popular words today.”
Ryan stepped forward.
“The order has conditions.”
Harmon looked at him.
“You've seen it?”
Ryan stopped.
Calvin looked at his brother.
Nathan watched them both.
Priya returned her attention to Maya.
“What happened today?”
Maya explained.
Her mother, Elena Ellis, had picked her up early from school.
Calvin's SUV appeared two blocks later.
Elena tried to lose him.
He followed.
She called someone.
Then their car developed a flat tire on County Route 18.
Elena pulled onto a gravel road.
She told Maya to put on her backpack.
“She said if Calvin stopped, run toward the highway and don't stop for anybody.”
Calvin's face changed.
Maya continued.
“He stopped behind us.”
Her voice trembled.
“My mom told me to go.”
“Did you see what happened to her?”
“I saw him holding her arm.”
“Did she fall?”
“I don't know.”
“How did you get here?”
“I ran through a field.”
For nearly half a mile.
A delivery driver saw her walking beside the highway and gave her a ride to the bus station.
Maya became frightened when she saw Calvin's SUV again.
She crossed the road.