If Angels Fall (26 page)

Gabrielle’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open.

“Yes! It’s my dog, Jackson! Where is he?”

“In my truck.” The man nodded down the hill toward the
parking lot. “Your folks wanted me to bring him to you for your birthday
surprise. Happy birthday, Gabrielle.”

“But it’s Joanie’s birthday today. Mine is in a few
days.”

“Boy did I mess up. I’m sorry. Gabrielle. Please don’t
tell anybody. Please.” He looked around. Everyone near them was watching the
carousel. “I gotta go before anyone sees me,” he said, holding out his hand for
the snapshot.

“Gabrielle!” her mother called from the washroom.

“Just waiting by the door, Mom. I feel better here.”

Gabrielle pulled the picture to her chest.

She was disarmed. Whatever innate shield she had
against strangers evaporated as she thrilled not with doubt but delight in the
belief Jackson was nearby. If she could just hold him again.

“Wait, mister. Can’t I just see him? Please?”

The man rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

“I won’t tell anybody, I promise. Please?”

“Just a quick secret peek?”

“Gabrielle!” Her mother’s voice echoed from the
washroom along with Rhonda’s whimpering.

“I’m okay, Mom, I’m just waiting outside the door!”
Gabrielle called. Then to the man she whispered breathlessly: “Oh please, let’s
hurry!”

“Okay. Count to ten, then follow me quickly to my
truck. Don’t let anybody see you. Just a quick, secret peek.”

The man walked away.

Counting to ten, Gabrielle heard Rhonda retch. Her
mother was going to take forever in there. She could cuddle Jackson in secret
and be back before her mother missed her, if she hurried.

Gabrielle followed the man from the carousel, down the
hill to the parking lot.

Behold
the
Seraph’s face.

The Angel appeared in the distance. A celestial
vision.

Edward Keller stood at his truck, driver’s door open,
Gabriel nearing him. Smiling. Empowered by God. The Angel-child. Immortal.
All-knowing. Radiant with the glory and the calm.

I am cleansed in the light of the Lord!

Keller was overcome, blinking back tears.

From inside the truck’s cab, Jackson saw Gabrielle
approaching and barked. The rope around his neck was knotted to the passenger
door’s arm rest. Keller had long ago removed the door’s inside handle and lock
button. The passenger door could not be opened from the inside.

Gabrielle ran to the truck.

Keller stepped aside, leaving a clear path to Jackson.

Gabrielle hesitated, a tiny wave of unease rippling
through her. She wanted to hold Jackson so badly it hurt, yet something was out
of place. She didn’t know what it was. Like the time she glimpsed a solitary
tuft of black mingled with Santa’s white hair at the Stonestown Mall. She didn’t
know what to do, so she kept it a secret. What about now? She was not worried
about the kidnapper, like her mom, because this man was her dad’s friend. She
was sure about that because Jackson was right there. She just didn’t want to
get the man, or herself, in trouble. She glanced back at the carousel.

“Maybe I should tell my mom?”

“I suppose, but it would ruin the surprise.”

Jackson yapped, and wagged his tail. He was so cute.

“My other door’s broken there. Won’t open. Go on in
this way and see your pup. Never seen a dog in more fierce need of a hug.”

Jackson panted, moving as close to her as the rope
permitted.

“Okay a quick hug, then I’ll go back and keep it a
secret.”

She crawled into the cab along the bench seat and
embraced Jackson, nuzzling his face, giggling as he licked hers.

“I missed you so much. You naughty doggie running away
from me!”

Leaving the door open, Keller slipped in behind the
wheel, and casually kneaded the dog’s neck.

“My name’s Ned Jenkins. I live in the other side of
the park. I found your little fella in my garage the other day.”

“In your garage?”

“Yes ma’am. Seems he got himself pinned under a pile
of junk. Luckily there was a big old bag of dog cereal I left there. My old dog
Fred died awhile ago.” Keller saw little traffic in the corner of the lot.
“This fella’s got a lot of spark. He tore into the cereal, kept himself alive.
Seems like a real nice little guy and he’s no worse for wear.”

Gabrielle gave Jackson a bone-crushing hug.

“Thanks for letting me in on the surprise, Mr.
Jenkins. I better get back now. It’s going to be hard waiting for my birthday,
but I promise to keep our secret.”

Keller didn’t move. He produced a worn copy of
Jackson’s missing-reward poster the Nunns had put up weeks ago.

“Your notice here says there’s a reward?”

“Yes. Fifty dollars. It’s at home at my house.”

Keller thought. “Well since Jackson’s return is no
surprise anymore I might as well get my reward. What the heck?”

Gabrielle didn’t understand.

“But it’s at my house and Dad and Ryan went to Coit
Tower.”

“I’m sorry, Gabrielle, I forgot to tell you that your
dad was meeting me at your house. I told you I know him from the station.”

But wasn’t this supposed to be a surprise?

“Look, we’ll drive to your place, tell your dad about
my screw-up. It will be all right, don’t worry. Paul will get a laugh. I’m
always messing up at the station. Then I’ll get my reward and your dad will
drive you back to the party here.”

Gabrielle looked toward the carousel.

“You were telling the truth about the reward, weren’t
you?”

She nodded, hugging Jackson to her chest.

“I want to pick it up now because I’m going out of
town on business tonight and I’ll be gone for a long time.”

Keller slammed his door, started the engine,
surprising Gabrielle, flooding her mind with confusion. Before she knew what
was happening, the truck rolled out of the lot and down Kezer Drive.

“This will only take a second. You’re safe with me.”

“But I just don’t know.” In a whisper, more to herself
than to Keller, Gabrielle said, “I don’t want to get into trouble.” She buried
her face in Jackson’s neck, squeezing him until he yelped. She caressed him as
they left Golden Gate Park.

I don’t want to get into trouble.

“Gabrielle!”

All of the saliva in Nancy Nunn’s mouth dried up as
fear slithered down her throat.

“GABRIELLE!”

Nancy came out of the washroom with Rhonda, Tracey,
and Millie expecting to find Gabrielle at the entrance. But she wasn’t there.
She was gone.

Again Nancy took a speed-of-light inventory of the
area. No sign of Gabrielle. Nothing.

“Maybe she went to the Troll Bridge, Mrs. Nunn?”
Tracey said.

“Maybe she went to see the others?” Millie said.

Not my kid. My kid knows better to wander from me like
this.

Nancy grabbed Millie’s hand, then Rhonda’s. She made
Tracey jumped when she ordered her to take Rhonda’s free hand. Nancy’s
terrified heart was on the verge of bursting through her chest. She scoured the
carousel. The organ was playing a funeral march, the revolving animals mocking
her with accusing silence.

Why weren’t you watching your child?

“Mrs. Nunn, you’re squeezing my hand too tight. It
hurts!”

Nancy questioned people nearby. “Have you seen a
little girl in a flowered dress?”

Puzzled stares. Heads shaking.

“She was standing here! You must have seen her!”

Eyes stared at her as if she were insane.

“My little girl is missing, somebody help me please!”

“Nancy, what’s going on?” It was Wendy Sloan. Worried.

Her group of girls huddled around Nancy and the others.
Smiles dying on their faces.

“Nancy!”

“G-Gabrielle’s gone.”

“What?”

“She’s missing. We were in the washroom together. She
wandered out ahead of us. A few seconds ahead. She’s gone. Wendy, I don’t
know—“

“Nancy, she can’t have gone far.”

“I—I don’t...I should have been watching. If anything.
Oh God.”

“Stop it.” Wendy grabbed Nancy’s shoulders. “We’ll
find—“

Two teenage girls stood awkwardly next to Nancy,
uncomfortable, not comprehending exactly what was happening.

“We saw a little girl in a flowered dress near the
washroom.”

“Where is she?” Nancy barked.

One of the girls flinched.

“She was talking to a man—“

Nancy’s stomach heaved. “Where did she go! Where!”

“Well, I think—“

“Hurry up!” Nancy’s voice was breaking.

“The man went that way.” One of the girls’ pointed
toward the parking lot. “Then the little girl followed him. Two minutes ago.”

Nancy jumped as if something had exploded under her
feet, running to the parking lot. A man wearing a green John Deere ball cap, in
his early seventies, was shutting the driver’s door on his camper.

“Please help me. My little girl’s missing. She came
this way, wearing a flowered dress. Have you seen her?”

“I don’t think so. We just got here, right, Mother?”

Seeing Nancy distraught, the white-haired woman on the
other side of the camper approached her and took her arm.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

“My daughter’s been abducted. A man led her this way a
few minutes ago. Oh, help me!”

“Arthur, quick, find a policeman!”

The man headed dutifully to a pay phone.

Nancy searched parked cars, frantically screaming
Gabrielle’s name. The woman followed helplessly. Across the lot, a tall,
well-dressed man stepped from a Mercedes and jogged to Nancy.

“Lady, what’s wrong?”

“My daughter’s been abducted by a man who brought her
this way. Please, have you seen her?”

“I did see a little girl walking around here a few
minutes ago.”

“Yes!”

“Hair braided, her dress kind of pinkish?”

“That’s her! Where did she go? Tell me, please!”

He looked intently over Nancy’s head at the lot and
Kezar Drive. He had been in his car, talking business over his phone.

“I saw the little girl talking to a man at a battered
old pickup truck. There was a little blond dog inside the truck.”

“What?”

Nancy covered her mouth with both hands, her mind
reeling with a thousand horrors. Jackson. Jackson was a little blond dog.
Remembering Paul believing Jackson didn’t run away. Somebody stole him. I don’t
know why but I know for damn sure he didn’t run away.

Apprehension swept over the man’s face as he steeled
himself.