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There was a clunk of the receiver being set down In the background, there was the low uishable Then Stumpy Niles was on the line

“I spoke to the sheriff,” Ty said “And he was about as much help as a drop of water in the desert So we’re on our own”

“I could have told you that,” Stu help from anyone but yourself”

“I know, you can’t wait for so that he’d heard ti for Cathleen ourselves I want you to organize the boys into pairs and drive every inch of highway between here and Helena I want the the way I’ll be at The Homestead by eleven We’ll use that as the headquarters If they find anyone who thinks they have seen her, they’re to call immediately Got that?”

“I’ll have thelad so taken

Before he left the kitchen, he called a thanks to DeeDee again for the doughnuts Sally passed the word that no one in the restaurant re Cat but they’d keep an eye out for her Ty flipped some coins on the counter to pay for the coffee he hadn’t drunk and walked out of the cafe to his truck He swung into the cab and jahnuts between his teeth as he started the hnut was so fresh the first bite nearly hway

A horn honked “Hey, ot a low tire in back”

Ty waved a thanks and pulled over to the gas pu to be delayed by a flat on the way home Emmett Fedderson plodded out of the store “What d’ya need?” he asked

“Just some air in the rear tire One of them’s low,” Ty said and hopped out of the truck to check it hihnut

“Is that one of DeeDee’s?” Emmett asked as he pulled the air hose around to the back of the truck

“Yeah” Ty crouched down and unscrewed the cap from the valve

“Your whole fa,” the man observed and passed Ty the air hose

The remark instantly put him alert “What do you ?”

“Your sister, no It was your uncle—O’Rourke” He shook his head, hts “That crazy Culley aiting outside when I unlocked the doors this ht two sacks of cookies, a chocolate-cake ar I never knew him to buy that much sweet stuff in a year”

“Chocolate cake” Ty wasn’t even conscious of saying the words out loud It was Cat’s favorite In hisO’Rourke at the funeralsharing their grief, he’d said at the time