Chapter 5 - The Search Continues
The search for Andrew Vance entered its second grueling day along Mill Creek and the broader river basin into which it flowed. Dozens of state troopers, volunteer firefighters, and swift-water rescue teams scoured the muddy banks, dense brush, and debris fields left behind by the receding floodwaters. Helicopters hovered low over the winding river, their rotors kicking up spray from the swollen surface.
Natalie spent her off-duty hours at the hospital, sitting with Ashley, reading her stories, and helping her paint pictures. The community, desperate to make amends for their harsh judgment, flooded the hospital reception desk with get-well cards, teddy bears, clothes, and warm meals for Ashley. A local bakery even sent a massive birthday cake with seven candles, though Ashley refused to touch it until her father was found.
“He has to blow out the candles with me,” Ashley insisted, pointing to the unlit wicks. “We always do it together.”
Chief Miller walked into Ashley’s hospital room late that afternoon, his raincoat dripping onto the linoleum floor. He caught Natalie’s eye and gave her a subtle, solemn nod, signaling that they needed to talk outside in the hallway.
Natalie gently patted Ashley’s hand. “I’ll be right back, sweetie. I’m just going to talk to the chief for a moment.”
Out in the quiet corridor, away from the cheerful stuffed animals and get-well banners, Miller’s expression was grim.
“What is it, Chief?” Natalie asked, bracing herself.
“We found his jacket about two miles downstream, caught in some fallen timber near the old mill ruins,” Miller reported quietly, pulling a ziplock bag from his pocket. Inside was a familiar navy blue fleece jacket with Andrew’s initials embroidered on the chest. “The current down there is brutal. With the amount of debris and the speed of the water on Thursday morning, the survival window was practically zero.”
Natalie stared at the jacket. “Have they found him?”
“Not yet. But divers are concentrating on an underwater eddy near the pilings where the old bridge collapsed years ago. It’s a natural trap for anything swept down from the upper creek.” Miller sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Natalie, we have to prepare for the worst. And we need to figure out what happens to Ashley if... well, if her father doesn't turn up. Child services are already making inquiries.”
“No,” Natalie said firmly, her protective instincts flaring up instantly. “Not yet. She’s been through enough trauma. We don't give up hope until we actually find him. Besides, I looked into Andrew’s background before all this blew up. He didn't have local family, but he was fiercely devoted to that little girl. There has to be someone—an uncle, a grandparent—somewhere out there.”
“We’re running his fingerprints and background thoroughly now,” Miller replied. “Maybe something will turn up in the national database that gives us a lead on living relatives. But for now, we keep searching.”
Back inside the room, Ashley looked up from her coloring book. “Is my daddy coming home soon, Officer Natalie?”
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Natalie swallowed hard, walked back to the bedside, and offered a reassuring smile. “The rescue workers are looking everywhere for him, Ashley. They’re working as hard as they can. And your dad is a fighter—we saw that on his list.”
Ashley smiled faintly, hugging Buddy close to her chest. “I know. He’s the strongest daddy in the world.”
