Missing Without A Trace by Tanya Rider Read Free Book Online Page A

look into his eyes and thank him in my thoughts
.
    SoundBuilt was Tom’s Monday-through-Friday job so, on Saturday, he had the luxury of sleeping until eight o’clock. He planned to spend the day tackling those blackberry bushes. The agent who was handling the property needed the wetlands cleared fast and Tom was squeezing in the project between his regular job and his pizza job. At nine that morning, Tom was working on the blackberries when his phone rang. It was Tanya’s boss at Fred Meyer.
    “Is everything alright?” she asked.
    “’Course,” Tom said. “Why?”
    “Well, Tom, Tanya hasn’t been at work for the last two shifts and—”
    “
What?
” Tom said, shocked. “What are you talking about? That’s not like Tanya!”
    “I know Tom,” she said. “She hasn’t been at work and she hasn’t called and it’s not like her, so I just wanted to make sure everything’s alright.”
    “What?
” Tom repeated, his mind reeling as he jumped gears from the physical work to contemplating what he was hearing. “When is the last time you saw her?”
    “She left Thursday morning, around nine,” the woman said, concern growing in her voice. “And, Tom, she’s not answering her phone.”
    Tom’s mind went into overdrive.
When’s the last time I called her? When’s the last time I talked to her?
    “I’ll try to get hold of her as soon as I hang up, and I’ll have her call you,” Tom promised. “Is there a number you can give me?” Standing out in the bushes, Tom wrote the number on his hand and then ran to his truck.
    He called Tanya’s cell phone. No answer. He called again and, again, she didn’t answer. After a few tries, he left a message. He climbed in his truck and started to drive, without really thinking about where he was going. Tom thought to call Tanya’s boss at her second job, at the Nordstrom Rack. He found out that Tanya hadn’t been scheduled to work the day before, Friday, but that, at the moment, she was late for her shift—and she hadn’t called. Tanya’s boss, like everyone, knew that Tanya would never miss work and not call in. That’s just not
her
.
    Worry flooded his senses.
No way
would Tanya miss work. If she had, he would have seen her at home! Where could she
be
?
    Finally, Tom realized that Tanya was missing—and that she had
already been
missing for thirty-six hours.
Thirty-six hours!
Starting to search for her, Tom knew that this gap in time would be a great disadvantage. Far too much time had passed. Their crazy life had gotten in the way. While they were both working two jobs, she had disappeared from the radar and he had kept on working, assuming that everything was going according to plan.
    I am hungry—hungrier than I have ever been. I didn’t know a person could be this hungry. I know that it is making me weak. I look at my wrist and see that I am even thinner than I was. I don’t understand. I am so healthy, how can I feel so sick? I don’t deserve to be this sick, since I am so careful about eating well, choosing organic foods, exercising every day
.
But I am so tired. I cannot exercise today. I am going to rest. Right after I get a drink of water. That’s all I want, a drink of water. My tongue sticks to my cheeks and the roof of my mouth. My lips are cracked and when I try to move them, I feel them rip and bleed
.
    Tom ended up at home. He ran into the house and darted through every room, searching for her.
    “Tanya!” he called. “
Tanya?
Are you home?” His panic grew. Time started to lose meaning. He jumped back in his truck to drive the routes to her jobs. While driving, he called 911 and asked for the Highway Patrol. They told him that they’d had no reports of Tanya and no accidents that matched her car or name. Tom called all the local hospitals, but no one had seen her. What else could he do? Again, he called 911.
    “Bellevue Police Department.”
    “My wife is missing,” Tom choked out.
    “Sir,” the dispatcher asked, “when was