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Nick nodded. “That wasn’t the name she gave, but I remember her alright.”

“So, she came in for a ticket?”

“She did.”

Gus’s stomach dropped a little, waiting as Nick pulled up a screen on his computer and scrolled backward until he found what he was looking for.

Turning the screen, he showed Gus. “Here it is. She said her name was… Mary Smith.”

Gus shouldn’t have felt disappointed by this news, but he was. “Not very original.”

“You’d be surprised how often that name pops up. So, Mister—”

“Doctor. Claymore. Gus Claymore.”

“Dr. Claymore. You a relative? Friend?”

“Not exactly. Just concerned for her. And I’m not alone. There’s a bunch of people worried for her.”

“As well they might be.”

“Why do you say that?”

“My job here isn’t to meddle, you see. But she came in looking real upset. Like she’d been crying. Wanted to go anywhere her money—which wasn’t much—wherever it would take her. Not even enough, as a matter of fact, to get her much past Billings. Teenagers…” Nick shook his head. “They’ve got so much lining up against them. I felt for her.”

“So, shedidtake a bus?”

“Well, I gave her a free seat to Boise. It was a canceled ticket that couldn’t be refunded. I was doing her a favor. Looked like she needed it.”

Gus sighed and rubbed his forehead. So that was that. She’d left town, left the baby and her life here behind. This would put a whole new spin on—

“I gave it to her,” Nick said. “Sent her over there to wait for it, but in the end, she didn’t take it.”

Gus blinked. “She didn’t take—”

“That bus. It left without her. I saw her sitting there after it left, still crying. On my break I went out to find her, but by then she’d disappeared.”

Shock rifled through him. So… no bus. No car. No friends to help her. What if she hadn’t left town at all? What if… what if she was still here? Somewhere.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more. Or her,” Nick said.

“No. You helped. Thank you.”

Nick smiled and winked at him.

That was when it hit Gus. “Wait. We’ve met before, haven’t we? Were you… playing Santa over at the Graff?”

The old man chuckled. “I wondered if you’d remember me. I believe I met your little girl. Ella, wasn’t it?”

How the heck had he remembered her name? “Yeah. It’s Eloise. Ella for short.”

“Ah, yes. The doubter.”

“I don’t lie to her,” Gus said, a little defensively.

Nick folded his big hands. “Understood.”

“Right. Well, nice to see you. Again.” He started to leave but turned back and walked close to the counter Nick was behind. “By the way… she whispered something to you that day about what she wanted? At least I think that’s what she told you. Was it?”