“I’ll be there in a couple of hours.” I take the incoming call with a growl of my name.

“Katie, it’s Sarah.” High-wire tension laces my sister’s voice. “Sadie is missing.”

“I just heard.” I don’t cut her any slack. “Why didn’t you call me right away?”

“We didn’t realize she was missing until this morning.”

“It’s now afternoon, Sarah. Why didn’t you call me the instant you realized she was gone?”

“It was William. . . .” I hear her breathing on the other end and I know she’s struggling to control her emotions. “He did not want to involve—”

“That’s bullshit. I’m sick of it, Sarah. Do you hear me?” I’m shouting now and keenly aware that Tomasetti and Goddard are staring at me. I know I’m not helping the situation, that I’m alienating my sister, and I struggle to check my temper. “How long has she been gone?”

“We believe she went out through her bedroom window last night.”

“Last night.” I lower my head, pinch the bridge of my nose between thumb and forefinger. The urge to tear into her verbally and denigrate the tenant of separation I loathe burns through me. I want to ask my sister how she could allow her belief system to endanger her young niece. Somehow, I manage to rein in my fury. “Do you think she ran away?” I ask.

“I don’t know. Katie, I’m scared. Sadie has been so rebellious and angry.”

I glance at my watch, knowing that even with my emergency lights flashing, it’ll take two hours to get back to Painters Mill. “I’m going to send Glock out to Roy and Esther’s farm. Can you meet him out there?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Sarah, I want you to speak with them and tell them to cooperate with the police. Tell them we’re their best hope of finding Sadie. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I will do my best.”

I want to say more. I want to tell her I love her, but I’m too angry. Instead, I snap my phone closed and shove all of those useless emotions into a compartment to deal with later.

“What happened?”

I turn to Tomasetti, who’s standing directly behind me, staring at me through narrowed eyes that see a hell of a lot more than I’m comfortable with.

Quickly, I recap my conversation with my sister. “The missing girl is my brother-in-law’s niece.” The words don’t begin to convey what I feel for that girl. I want to explain to him the connection Sadie and I share. The way she looks up to me. How I see in her all the good parts of myself. But there’s no time and the words dwindle on my tongue.

“Kate, is it a runaway situation, or do they suspect foul play?”