Page 58 of Drive Me Wilde

It's hard to interpret the message. It sounds slightly angry, like how dare I tease him about something like that. I shake my head realizing it was a stupid message to send.

I write back.

I'll let you know in a minute. Just have to do some investigating.

Glenn pours another screwdriver, then looks over at me.

I lift my hand. "You know, you're right, I don't think this place is a right fit for me. Thanks for your time." As tempted as I am to march across and confront Nicole, I know she'll just wave me away or tell me to mind my own business. I can only assume Rio is with a sitter. I've gotten enough footage inside.

I step out onto the sidewalk. Bassett is more inland, so it's always a few degrees hotter than Rockhurst. The afternoon sun is baking the sidewalk, and the heat reflects off the asphalt on the road. The delivery truck is just pulling away. There are three cars parked along the curb, Kinsley's rambling old sedan, a gray SUV and a big truck with what looks to be a bullet hole in the passenger door. I walk past the SUV. There's a bag of golf clubs in the back, and one of those stinky green tree fresheners hangs off the rearview.

The truck has a gun rack on the back window, and one fender is dented. I look back toward the bar. There's no oneon the sidewalk. I glance inside the truck. There's a pack of cigarettes and a lighter on the front seat. As my eyes sweep to the back, the air is knocked out of me. Rio is curled up on the back seat between a pile of clothes and an empty chip bag, clutching a stuffed dragon to her chest. Her eyes are closed. The windows are only cracked an inch, and the temperature is well past eighty. I take a photo of the cigarettes and lighter on the front seat and write a memo for the picture stating the time and place of the photo. I take a picture of the window gaps and the entire truck, license plate included. I film Rio sleeping and make note of the time and temperature. I grab the rear passenger door. It's locked. I suppose I should be pleased Nicole at least took that precaution to protect her child. Only in summer, the temperatures are far more lethal than the strangers walking down a city sidewalk.

I tap the window lightly with my knuckles not wanting to scare her. She doesn't stir, and my heart races with the fear that the heat has already gotten to her. I'm done filming. I call the police to let them know a child is locked alone in a truck outside Glenn's Pub. I knock harder on the window and practically collapse into a puddle of relief when she sits up. She looks especially young holding the stuffed dragon against her. Her big eyes are trying to make sense of the face outside the window. I can see sweat beading on her forehead.

"Rio, it's me, Indi."

A big smile splashes across her face, and she lunges for the door and pushes it open. She falls into my arms sobbing. Her entire body is warm as if she has a fever. She wipes her nose with the back of her hand and peers up at me through tears. "Where's Daddy? I told him I wanted to come home."

"You'll be home soon, Rio. I promise."

I stoop down and wipe her tears with my thumb. "I'm sorry you were alone in the truck, Rio. That should never have happened."

"The mean, ugly man, the one with the cut on his face, came to our motel room. Mom told me to take my book and my dragon out to the truck and wait for them. They were in the room a long time, then they came out and they drove over here. I thought we were going to eat some lunch, but she told me to stay in the truck. I fell asleep. I always get sleepy when it's warm." She falls into my arms again, and I hug her for a long time.

A chirp of a police siren breaks the air. The patrol car pulls up to the curb behind the truck. An officer is talking on his shoulder radio as he gets out of the car. "Ma'am, can I see some I.D.?"

I stiffen when I remember I have no I.D. "Uh, I lost my purse last week, and I'm waiting for a new license. I can give you my name and social security number if that helps."

He stops in front of us. "Hello," he says politely to Rio. "Is this your mom?"

She shakes her head. Her face is red and tear-soaked as she takes hold of my hand.

He tries an even gentler voice, but the uniform and heavy gun belt aren't giving off friendly vibes. "Can you tell me where your mom is?" Just as he says it, Nicole screeches from the door of the bar.

"Hey, what's going on?" She shuffles quickly toward us on her big shoes, but her friend is less inclined to join us. He disappears back inside the bar.

Nicole reaches us and takes rough hold of Rio's hand. It takes her only a second to recognize me. She sneers. "I thought that was you in the bar. Did Jameson put you up to this? Were you trying to kidnap my daughter?"

"She was locked in a hot car," I say, directing my comment to the policeman. I didn't need to tell Nicole the truth. She already knew it.

The officer backs up a few steps and checks out the license plate on the truck. He calls it in and rejoins us. "I need your I.D., ma'am," he says to Nicole. The booze on her breath is clinging to the hot, moist air around us. I'm sure the officer has fine tuning when it comes to smelling liquor on someone's breath.

"Me? What about the woman kidnapping my child?"

It's hard to remain calm in the face of someone so vile. Fortunately, I've had a lot of practice. Thanks, Cruella. "I made the call about the child being locked alone in a hot truck. Why would I do that if I was kidnapping her?"

Rio pulls her hand free of her mom's and moves closer to me to take my hand.

"I'm friends with her father," I explain further. "I came here to Glenn's about a bartending job, and she came in to have some drinks. I walked out here and found Rio sleeping in the back seat of the truck."

"Was that her dad, the man who just ducked back into the bar when he saw me?" the officer asks.

Rio pipes up. "My dad is at home, and I want to go to him now." Tears fall as she says it.

The officer nods. "Ma'am, your I.D.?" he asks Nicole again. Before Nicole can finish grunting about the indignance of his request, he gets a call on his radio and steps away to take it.

"I can't believe you stuck your nose into this. My lawyer will be hearing about how you tried to take Rio. As far as I'm concerned, it's kidnapping."

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