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I search his gaze, willing him to understand. He’s probably only a few years older than me, and his expression is patient as he regards me.
Please, I think. Please help us.
“But this isn’t like her,” I insist. “And why would she leave her purse here?”
“I don’t have the answers to that,” he says, shaking his head. “There could be a million reasons.”
I scoff and shake my head. He just doesn’t get it. April doesn’t do this.
“What do you suggest the next steps should be?” Tammy asks.
The officer’s expression brightens. “Organize your own search. Get the town involved. Everyone loves your café, and I’m sure people would be happy to help.” He reaches into his pocket and hands me his card. “Call me if something else does come up.”
I snatch the card from his hand, ignoring his kind eyes.
Logically, I understand what he’s saying. The circumstances aren’t suspicious enough to them, and they don’t know April personally.
But I do. And my gut instinct is telling me something is seriously wrong.
“I’m truly sorry about your friend. But the good news is, she’s most likely not missing,” he continues, standing up from his chair. “This happens, you know. People need breaks from their families and sometimes they take a vacation without telling anyone.”
“That doesn’t really help,” I mutter, shaking my head. “You don’t know her.”
“Well, now I know her appearance and what her car looks like. I’ll make sure the others do, too.” He stands up and nods at Tammy. “Thank you, ladies. Sorry your day isn’t going better. Please feel free to call me though if something changes.”
I fiddle with his card as Tammy walks him out. When I hear the front door close, I turn to her and frown.
“Am I making a bigger deal out of this than I need to?” I ask her. “I mean…maybe she’s fine, right?”
I shouldn’t be asking my best friend’s mother to reassure me, especially when it’s concerning her own daughter.
But, like always, Tammy is rational. “Reporting her is more of a precaution,” she says gently. “But the longer we can’t contact her, the more worried we should be.”
That’s when I notice it. Tammy is panicking as much as I am, but keeping her calm exterior. “I know my daughter,” she continues, “and if she’s in trouble, she’s more than capable of getting herself out of it. Just like you would, too.”
I give her a half-hearted smile. “This is so messed up, Tammy,” I mutter. “I know I’m not helping by panicking—”
“Which is why we have a plan,” Tammy interrupts me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “We’ll figure out where she is.”
I nod. “Okay.”
Internally, I’m screaming.
“I’ll help with the café for the next few days, too,” she continues. “Until we get all of this sorted. We’re going to find her, honey, I promise.”
I want to believe her.
But the putrid feeling in my gut only grows as I head back to the café.
Something terrible has happened.
I just know it.
3
SKYLAR
1 Week Later
