Chapter 4

The search did not stop for one day. Nadia was looking for and in weekends and on weekdays, who had such an opportunity.

– You heard that in our town the girl went missing 11 years, Nadia Timofeeva? asked her husband, pouring the boiling water into a Cup of coffee. – Left school and home not reached. It’s been a few days looking for.

Ksenia slowly moved around the kitchen in a short robe and sandals home. Thick, wavy red hair was carelessly gathered the top and pinned barrette. Xenia have not had time in the morning to apply makeup, and because all her red freckles were now visible on a white face and large blue eyes framed with fluffy eyelashes light. She sat down at the table across from her husband and put the drink next to him. Alex extinguished the cigarette and put the butt in a glass ashtray.

– Yes, I heard at work was talking about it. By the way, our guys are going on a quest today. Dima is a dog, he wants her to take. I don’t know, will anything come of it, I need some specially trained search dogs. But, in any case, it’s better than nothing. Suddenly something smells.

– Maybe we go with them? ‘asked Ksenia.

– Do you want? I think in your situation it’s better not to participate in such events.

You know, I even dreamt of today. It has never happened. I want to go! – persistently said Ksenia.

– What did you dream? – asked the husband with interest and even a sort of surprise.

– She asked that she was found…

– She was alive in a dream?

– Yes, alive. At least I thought so…

Ksenia and Alex as we both fell silent and for a while sat silent in thought, each thinking of his.

– I think you’re just too close took this story due to the fact that she is now expecting a baby, think a lot about children, that’s all! – husband with a smile looked at Her and stroked her ginger hair, gleaming red gold in the morning sun.

– Maybe… where do you think its worth a look, if she’s alive?

Alex for some time, thought, said:

– If she’s alive – she’s probably being held somewhere in the garage or in abandoned dachas, or anybody else in the cellar. Well, something like that. It could be kidnap to demand a ransom. Although, no one has yet presented no demands. And, in General, such a public outcry this case has produced, it seems to me that criminals are now afraid. I’m afraid that they can now get rid of it. Well, of course, if abducted for ransom. There may be other reasons…

– How many cases, when a maniac was holding his victims for years in basements and cellars, dug specially for this purpose! Remember, I wrote about Natasha kampusch from America? Her man was kidnapped and held in a specially dug pit in his garage. Eight years she spent there, and then when he began to trust her to clean up my garage, ran away from him. She even wrote a book about it and sued the estate of a maniac. And he, as I recall, committed suicide… Yes, though we do not remember in what city, man lived with his mother, was not married. Dug at home an entire room and lured two young girls. He lived four years. One even several children gave birth to him, and then they managed to pass a note to another girl quietly when he wanted her to lure. She went with this note to the police. And then only found them and freed… at all. scary even to think…

– I can call Dima and find out where they are going. Go with them, and you still will not calm down! laughing said Alex.

– Of course, I will not rest…

About an hour later Xenia’s husband arrived at the house of Dmitry Ustyuzhanina in their dark-blue “Crown”. Dmitry lived in a two-story brick house, which he built himself, along with his older brother Sergei and his father. A year ago, Dima is married and has got two daughters – twins Alina and angelina. Dmitri was the same age as Alex. Tall with dark short-cropped hair, brown eyes, and a figure of Apollo. They met a few years ago, when Dmitry with his father and brother Sergey decided to organize his company for the repair and decoration of apartments and houses. They were looking for a good paver tile, and Alex was looking for work. Since then they have worked together.

Good morning! – climbs out of the car said Alex.

Hey! And you do not get ill! Well, thinking with us?! with unconcealed joy said Dima over the fence.

– Yes, my wife insisted, – Alexey lovingly pulled her to him Xenia. How many people going on a quest?

– I, Sergei and his wife Olga, the two of you, Yuri with her son. It turns out seven people.

– Yuri – who?

– This is my neighbor, right across the street there, Dima waved his hand in a house of white brick with semi-circular plastic Windows and blue tiles on the roof, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. The top and bottom of the walls was lined with a pattern of red brick.

Dog take?

– Yes, Rex is going with us! Take with a boat want to check the river and lake, you know, we all the time go? Want to go there. Well, the forest around is also need to prosharit.

Alex of course knew these lakes, about which said Dima, as often went there for fishing and just relax. These lakes began on the outskirts of the city and stretched for many kilometers along the route.

How’s that all going? – came out of the gate Sergey with Olga, and their forward ran Rex (German shepherd).

Rex happily ran in circles around Demenego Lexus.

– Food scored for the week! -a huge Pat on the bag Olga. – Now can not return home, directly on the street overnight will be! Children fused parents, freedom!

– Now Yuri with Maxim will approach and go.

The boat was fastened to the roof of the Lexus, the trunk loaded with bags of food and drinks, large tarpaulin boots, Dima checked the first aid kit. Rex climbed into the back seat and were waiting. Ten minutes later to the total group came a man of about 45,tanned (I could see he was all summer spent outdoors),graying hair seemed to pale in contrast to her tanned face, dressed in camouflage green-yellow-brown-spotted clothes. On his feet he had high canvas boots, and a backpack behind. Next to him, as well dressed young man of about 19—20, tall, with blond hair and large gray eyes.

– Meet Yura and Maxim! – turning to Alex with Ksenia, Dima said. And these are our friends – Xenia and Leh with Alex we work together!

New friends shook hands.

– Well, sit in cars? It seems everything in the collection. Now we will go to the gas station and go as planned! – sitting at the wheel of his jeep, said Dmitry.

On the outskirts of the city, the company stopped at a gas station and took to the road with full tanks of gasoline. Along the route on both sides of the stretched mixed forest consisting of birches, pines, fir trees and various shrubs. Most of the trees have already turned yellow. The wind blew the leaves and they swirled in the air as in a waltz. On the roadsides here and there were mushroom pickers with buckets full of mushrooms and sold to passing drivers. The day was warm and Sunny, blue-blue sky hung a rare snow-white clouds. In front rode Dima on his Lexus in the company of his brother Sergei and his wife Olga, Maxim, George and Rex. They were followed by Toyota with Ksenia and Alex. Soon after, the jeep turned onto a forest road. Had to go slowly and carefully, as all the so-called road, was in the pits and potholes. Fifteen minutes later, went to a small lake, overgrown with reeds. The jeep stopped near the water. He turned out to be Dmitry, and after walking a little, surveyed the scene, gave the command to leave the cars:

– We will search for here, check the lake and the forest around.

Leaving the women next to cars, men set out to explore the countryside. Examined literally every Bush, looked if there were any newly dug earth. He collected and brought all the trash in the hope that it may be things missing girls. Finding nothing, decided to seek in the reeds. To do this, got a large stick and wearing high boots. Dima took the boat from the car and they, together with his brother, using sticks and oars were examined along and across the lake several times. Was looking, with short breaks for rest and food until it was getting dark. The boys made a fire and decided to rest and eat before returning home.

– It seems to me that if that was here, the crows would fly overhead. A whole day wasted – and gazed at the burning fire, said Dima. – It’s been so long – it is unlikely to find her alive.

– Yes, I think so too. – as the doom agreed Olga. – If kidnapped for ransom, and filed a claim, and it is not.

Alex, before sitting in silence and thinking about her, woke up from his thoughts:

– We She this morning was talking about it. If the girl was kidnapped for ransom, we could keep anyone in the garage or at the cottage. But after such raised sensation could be frightened and get rid of it. To withdraw now they can’t, since the risk of getting caught. Tomorrow let’s look in the garage. The dog is – can that smells. Need some thing. To open the garages of course we cannot – it is the prerogative of the police, but if the dog finds anything, we can call the police.

– Where do we get the thing? ‘asked Ksenia.

– I saw in the Internet phone page mothers Nadi Margarita Timofeeva and classmates. We can call her and ask Nadine thing! – looking at sitting around the campfire and as if seeking their approval, said Maxim.

Sergei took out a cigarette and lit it:

– Why not? Who’s gonna call and negotiate?

– Let me, – looking at the rest said Olga. – Listen, and maybe invite the mother along on the search?

Because the opponents of this idea was not, we decided to call the girl’s mother if she will agree.

– Yur, what are you thinking about? – turned to him Dima.

Yura sat on his haunches before the fire and swaying back and forth:

– You can try, but the dog may not smell. If she was killed, we could bury the corpse and sprinkled with spices, or lime from the smell. There was a case recently – the stepfather killed her stepdaughter and buried it in the barn, and the top was sprinkled with spices. The dog didn’t smell. It then split and he showed the place where he buried. I think a good look around the area their home?

All were silent. First decided to break the silence Olga:

– Scary to think about it, I rid myself of these thoughts, but according to statistics, 90% of the cases of missing children blame relatives or friends. In the city many suspect family say relatives acting very strange from the beginning. The mother is confused in indications. She said that Nadia had with a phone, said phone at home is broken. But where then she called Nadia if Nadia had no phone? The school she came in about three hours, judging by the interview the teacher. Where was she all this time if she has an alibi and the other relatives? And why Nadia went missing on the day of arrival the mother watch? All very strange…

Xenia has her hands to her face and shook his head:

– No, no, don’t want to believe this! It just boggles the mind! I don’t believe that the mother is capable of!

Alex hugged his wife and pressed her to him:

– Come on, this is just a guess. Nothing is known. Everything can be…