Six Seconds

“I’m begging you. Please. You’re my last hope to find—”

The opening guitar riff of “Sweet Home Alabama” played in Stacy’s bag and she retrieved her phone. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this. Hello,” she answered. “Okay. On my way now. Be there in two minutes.”

“But will you do a story, please?” Maggie held out an envelope for Stacy as they hurried back toward the newspaper.

“What’s this?”

“Pictures of Logan and Jake.”

“Look—” Stacy pushed the envelope back “—I’m sorry, but I never guaranteed a story.”

“Talk to your editor.”

“I did and, to be honest, this is not a story for us at this point.”

“At this point? What’s that supposed to mean? That he’s only news to you after something terrible happens? Like after he’s killed, or dead.”

Stacy stopped cold.

They’d reached the Star-Journal. She tossed her two-thirds-full latte into the trash can and stared at Maggie, then at the traffic. Dealing with heartbroken people every day was never easy, but Stacy’s experience had forged her approach, which was to be truthful, no matter how painful it could be.

“Maggie, I spoke to Detective Vic Thompson. He mentioned something about some incident with your husband and a soccer coach. And that this was all about problems at home. A civil matter, really.”

“What? No, that’s not true.”

“I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, the buildings, traffic, the sidewalk, all began to swirl. Maggie steadied herself, placing her hand on a Star-Journal newspaper box. She raised her head to the sky in a vain effort to blink back her tears.

“My son is all I have in this world. My husband came back from working overseas a changed man. It’s been five months now and no one’s been able to find them. I may never see them again.”

Stacy’s phone rang. She glanced at the number then shut it off without answering.

“I have to go.”

“What would you do if you were me?” Maggie said. “I’ve gone to police, a lawyer, a private detective. All in vain. I have nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. I have no family, I have no friends. I’m all alone. You were my only hope. My last hope.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure things will work out. I’m so sorry. I really have to go.” And with that Stacy disappeared through the doors of the Star-Journal.

Maggie stood alone in the street, the flutter and clang of the flagpole sounding a requiem to her defeat. She returned to her car and she met a stranger in her rearview mirror. She blinked at the lines stress had carved into her face. She’d let her hair go. She’d lost weight and couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled.

How did her life come to this? She and Jake had been in love. They’d had a happy life. A good life. She thrust her face into her hands and sobbed until she heard a tapping on the window and she turned to see Stacy Kurtz’s face.

Maggie lowered her window.

“Listen.” Stacy was searching her notebook. “I’m sorry things ended that way.”

Maggie regained a measure of composure as Stacy snapped through pages.

“I’m not sure that this will help, but you never know.”

Stacy copied something on a blank page then tore it out.

“Very few people know about this woman. She doesn’t ask for money. She doesn’t advertise and when I asked to profile her, she refused. She does not want publicity.”

Wiping at her tears, Maggie studied the name and telephone number written in blue ink.

“What’s this?”

“I have a detective friend who swears this woman helped the LAPD locate a murder suspect, and that she also helped the FBI find a teenager who’d vanished and, I guess, about ten years ago she helped find an abducted toddler in Europe.”

“I don’t understand. Is she a police officer?”

“No, she senses things, sees them in her mind and feels them.”

“Is she a psychic?”

“Something like that. It’s up to you whether you go to her or not. I apologize, today’s been a bad day at the paper. Please keep me posted. Bye.”

After Stacy left, Maggie stared at the name she’d written.

“Madame Fatima.”

She clenched the note in her fist as if it were a lifeline.

4

Faust’s Fork, near Banff, Alberta, Canada

Graham hung on to the girl.

How long had it been? Half an hour? An hour? He didn’t know.

The river’s force was draining his strength but he refused to let go.

Where’s the chopper? They’ve got to see us. Comeon!

Shouting was futile. The current pummeled him, the pain was electrifying. His body went numb. He was slipping from consciousness.

He thought of Nora, his wife. Her eyes. Her smile.

It gave him strength.

The river was relentless but he refused to let go. His hands were bleeding but he refused to let go, reaching deep for everything drilled into him at the training academy in Regina.

Never give up, never quit, never surrender.

He held on until the air began hammering above them.