Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (115 page)

As
jittery
as
Vannie
felt,
she
didn’t
step
closer,
but
she
nodded.
“My
little
sister.
”

“She
drove
off
with
a
man
in
a
blue
pickup
not
a
minute
before
you
and
the
boy
came
out.”

“Blue
pickup?
Did
you
see
what
the
man
looked
like?
”

“He
was
about
average,
brown
hair…
I
didn’t
think
anything
of
it.
She
came
to
him
when
he
called
and
jumped
in
the
truck
without
hesitation.
He
got
out,
got
the
bicycle,
and
tossed
it
in
the
back
of
the
truck.”

Before
the
woman
could
answer,
Laird
dashed
out
the
door
and
across
the
street.
“She’s
with
Luke.
Mr.
Vaughn
is
in
the
hardware
store.
He
said
Luke
waved
at
him
when
he
picked
up
Ellie.”

The
woman
waved
and
climbed
back
into
her
vehicle,
apparently
waiting
for
someone.
Vannie
pointed
to
her.
“That’s
what
she
said.
Well,
she
didn’t
say
Luke,
but
she
said
a
guy
in
a
truck
like
Luke’s
that
sounds
like
him.”

“Why
did
Luke
pick
her
up
like
that?”

Shaking
her
head,
Vannie
flipped
open
the
phone
to
call
Aggie,
but
the
ir
van
turned
onto
the
street
before she could do it
.
Suddenly,
she
realized
what
must have happened
.
“I
bet
he
took
her
to
get
her
drawing
framed.
She
probably
just
forgot
to
tell
us.
I
bet
we
were
supposed
to
take
longer
in
the
library
or
ride
to
the
park
or
something
until
they
got
back.”

“Why
not
just
take
us
with
him?”

“
No
room.
He
doesn’t
have
a
car—just
the
truck.”

Laird
looked
skeptical.
“That
doesn’t
make
sense.
Aunt
Tina
would
have
taken
her.
Why
would
she
ask
Luke?
It’s
partly
his
present!”

The
van
brakes
screeched
as
Aggie
slammed
on
them.
The
engine
was
still
running
when
she
jumped
from
the
van
and
ran
to
where
they
stood.
“You
didn’t
find
her?”

“Not
exactly,
but
we
think
Luke
took
her
somewhere.
Maybe
it’s
some
kind
of
wedding
surprise
or
something.”

“Luke?
What?”

“A
couple
of
people
said
they
saw
her
get
into
Luke’s
truck.
Luke
got
out,
put
her
bike
in
the
back,
and
drove
off
with
her.
We
think
it’s
probably
some
kind
of
surprise
and
Ellie
forgot
to
mention
that
she
was
supposed
to
wait
for
him.”

Already,
Aggie
had
her
phone
open,
the
number
sending.
She
glanced
around
them,
unwilling
to
meet
the
children’s
eyes
as
she
waited
impatiently
for
him
to
answer.
“Luke,
I
need
you
to
call
me
immediately.
This
is
an
emergency.
Call.”

Her
eyes
hardly
left
the
phone
while
she
waited
for
him
to
pull
over
or
finish
whatever
was
keeping
him
from
answering.
Laird
and
Vannie
exchanged
confused
and
somewhat
worried
glances.
“Aunt—”