Heck of a kiss

Chapter Fourteen

Arriving at his dark house, Josh unlocked the door and entered, fatigue weighing down his steps. Tiredly hanging his hat on his hat rack, he ran his hand through his hair and went to the kitchen. Taking the milk jug out of the fridge, Josh took a swig from it and wiped his mouth before putting it on the counter, and continuing his walk to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, he walked back out, his hair wet and steamy from the shower, and his bare feet slapping the tiled floor.  Quickly he made himself some Top Ramin, sitting down at the table and eating it straight out of the pan. While he stuffed his face, his mind ran through the events of the evening. Amy had guessed right when that wasn’t the first time, and he had been truthful when he said that the last time had been Chad. But Chad hadn’t been the first time.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom, okay?”

Josh caught hold of Kelly before she headed off. “Wait until Maddie can go with you.”

Grinning, Kelly brushed his hand off her arm. “Josh honestly, nothing is going to happen to me, there are thousands of people around, I’ll be fine.”

Despite Josh’s arguments, Kelly ran up the steps disappearing into the crowd. Moments later, Maddie came to sit down beside him, barrettes shining from her short blond hair. Seeing his concerned look, Maddie put a hand on his arm. “What’s up?”

“Kelly just ran up to the bathroom by herself. I’m trying not to be a worry wart but I don’t like it.”

“Don’t worry you aren’t. I’ll go check on her.” Quickly standing, Maddie kissed the top of his head before heading off to find Kelly.

Josh tried to relax back in the uncomfortable chair. Kelly was probably right, he should quit worrying so much, but Josh had heard too many horror stories to willingly ignore the warnings. The dirt arena was empty now, the rodeo was over and the audience was filing out of the stands and arena.

Boots thumped down the stairs and Maddie came beside him, her mouth was tight and a crease had formed between her eyebrows.

            “I couldn’t find her, maybe I looked in the wrong bathroom but I checked both of them on this side of the arena.”

            Taking out his phone, Josh dialed Kelly’s number, it rang three times and abruptly the connection was dropped. Josh pocketed it and shook his head.

            “I’m going to go look again, this is scaring me.”

            Bolting upright, Josh followed Maddie up the stairs toward the top of the stands. People were thronged through the aisle making the ascension difficult. At last they reached the top and wove their way through the tight knots of people both scanning faces for Kelly’s impishly pretty face.

            Panic was thrumming at the back of Josh’s mind but he kept a firm hold of his emotions as he continued to search. Maddie’s movements were growing wilder and her breathing was getting scratchy.

            “Maddie, do you need to sit down?”

            Firmly, Maddie shook her head. “No I’ll be fine. Maybe she went to the downstairs bathroom.”

            Whipping around Maddie headed to the stairs thumping down the steep steps at a breakneck speed, Josh close behind. She reached the bottom and took off toward the bathrooms. Josh waited anxiously outside the bathrooms pacing up and down the wall. The crowd of people thinned as the rodeo fans moved off into the night joining the fair which was going on, when the door opened, Josh could hear the sound of thousands of voices laughing and talking. Aromas permeated the air, hot oil from the fried food, mixing with sawdust from the stock barns.

            Maddie exited the bathroom and shook her head; her face was so pale her freckles looked like purple polka dots against the white. “I, I couldn’t find her, she’s not here Josh.”

            Drawing in a shaky breath, Josh tried to reason out where she might have gone. Footsteps echoed through the now empty hall and Josh whirled hoping to see Kelly walking toward him, but he saw it was only a middle aged ticket agent.

            “Are Ya’ll waiting for someone?”

            Clenching and unclenching her fists nervously, Maddie answered. “Um, actually we lost my friend, um, she went to the bathroom, but she’s not there anymore.”

            The woman’s eyes widened and she stared at them for a second trying to speak. “Okay, how old is she?”

            Scrabbling with her pocket, Maddie pulled out her phone. “She’s eighteen, her name is Kelly Fielding. Here’s a picture.”

Maddie offered the woman her phone, which the woman took, scrutinizing the picture.

“Tell you what, let’s all look again, maybe you missed her the first time, I’ll help you guys and we will all come back here when we are done.” Taking in Maddie’s pale face, the woman put a hand on her arm. “We’ll find her sweetie, don’t worry.”

Ten minutes later they reconvened. Wordlessly Maddie shook her head and the ticket agent’s face was a little more drawn then it had been.

“I’m going to call the police, they’ll help us look and put out a bulletin, then- Oh gosh, are you okay?”

This last part was addressed to Maddie, whose face had gotten even paler. Clapping a hand to her mouth, Maddie staggered off to the bathrooms. Hastily the woman ran after her. When they reappeared, the woman helped her over to a bench against the wall.

“You stay with her, I’ll call the police.”

Josh sat down next to Maddie who was breathing heavily, her eyes closed and her head leaning against the painted cinderblock wall. “This is not happening Josh, stuff like this is not supposed to happen in real life.” Maddie’s breathing became labored again.

“Where is your inhaler?”

Weakly Maddie looked around her feet before leaning her head back against the wall and heaving out a heavy breath. “In my purse, I think I left it in the seat.”

“Sit tight, I’ll be right back.”

When Josh got back, Maddie was surrounded by EMT’s and the ticket agent was standing to the side watching.  Josh approached and Maddie looked up, holding out a hand to take the beaded purse from Josh. “I’ll be okay I just need my inhaler.”

The medics paid her no mind and continued working on her while Josh went over to the ticket agent. “Have the police been notified?”

“Yes, an officer is on his way to talk to you.”

Moments later a barrel chested policeman entered the door and walked toward them. Quickly, Josh laid out the problem, telling him when and where he had been when Kelly left. In moments, the officer had taken over and a bulletin was out for Kelly.

Josh stood to the side, his attention divided between the hunt for Kelly and the medics working on Maddie. Maddie was stable, but she would have to be transported to the hospital.

The rest of that night was a blur; Josh went with Maddie to the hospital and stayed with her all night while her parents drove in from Clovis. Around four o’clock Josh got a call.

He stepped outside the room to answer, and was on for less than five minutes. Stepping back into the room, he met Maddie’s hopeful stare.

“Did they find her?”

His silence spoke volumes.

Roughly Josh jerked himself out of the memories. Kelly’s body had been found lying at the bottom of the stairs in the arena. Her neck had been broken, presumably from falling down the stairs. It had all been written up as a tragic accident but Josh had known better. Now he worked at the rodeo, trying somehow to find peace with her death, and maybe find out what had caused it.

Just when he had been almost convinced that he had over reacted, Chad had died, and now the attack on the kids. The killer was getting sloppy, and Josh would figure out a way to expose him.