The radio hissed for several seconds and then a man’s voice replied, “Sweet Thang ain’t here tonight, Cracker Daddy, she had another engagement somewhere else. But if it’s some fine commercial company you lookin’ for this evening, we got a nice selection for you to check out.”

I waited several seconds before keying the mike again.

“Thank you, buddy, but no, thanks. I’ll have to pass and get on down the road. Sweet Thang is a favorite of mine, and I only stopped here on account of her. Maybe I’ll catch you the next time through.”

“Ten-four, good buddy. You don’t forget us now,” came the response.

I turned off the radio, put it in the glove box, and cranked the engine. I was debating whether to call it a night or go to one of the other places on the list Amber had given me, when a bobtail rig pulled into the parking lot. It cruised along slowly, its headlight out, illuminated only by the cab lights. Finding its place at last, the truck parked a few spaces over from the hooker van. Something gives here, I thought. Switching off the engine, I decided to watch and see what happened.

Ten minutes or so later, one of the girls reappeared and hopped back in the van. A short time after that, the first girl I had seen, the one on the radio, climbed down from the truck cab she had entered. A few minutes later, the last girl came walking slowly across the lot. As she walked past the bobtail rig, the door of the cab opened and a man hopped to the ground.

The girl had her head down and gave the man no notice as she continued toward the van. The man watched her for a second and then called out. I couldn’t hear what he said, but at his words the girl froze in her tracks and then slowly turned to face him. The man took several steps forward and stopped, silhouetted by a distant light. It was Truman Rainwater!

I stepped out of my car and quietly closed the door. Was this Rainwater’s granddaughter? Had he found the girl so quickly? Staying back in the shadows, I eased forward so that I could hear. Rainwater held out his arms and took another step. I was within thirty feet now.

“Mary Beth? Darling? It’s me. Your grandpa.”

“Paw-paw?” I heard the girl say in a tiny and incredulous voice.

“Yes, honey, it’s Paw-paw. I’ve come to take you with me, sweetheart. I’ve come to take you home.”

“Paw-paw!” she squealed as she ran to Rainwater’s open arms and buried her face in his chest.

“Paw-paw, oh, Paw-paw,” I heard her muffled sobs.