Sam hugged her sister. “I hate to add to your stress, but we have to relocate you to Celia’s house.”
“What? Why?”
“Crime Scene needs access to your house. It’s standard procedure when someone goes missing.”
Tracy’s expression shifted to horror. “They think we had something to do with it?”
“No, Trace, but they have to cover every base, and that starts at home, where there may be clues we can use to find him.”
“Can we pack some things to take?”
“You have to leave everything behind, including your phones. They’ll be returned to you after they’re processed.”
Tracy’s eyes flooded with tears. “What if he calls? How will I know? I’ll go mad without my phone.”
“I’ll have mine, and I’ll make sure everyone knows to call me if there’re any updates.”
“I have to tell Brooke… She’ll be frantic if she can’t reach me.”
“You can call her on my phone. Before we go, write down phone numbers from your contacts for anyone who might be able to help us locate Ethan or his friends. Do that while I get Abby and Mike. We have to move you so the Crime Scene detectives can do their work. They may find something that’ll lead us to Ethan.”
“This is too much on top of my son being missing.”
“I’m sorry. They thought it would be easier for you to hear this from me.”
“Nothing about this is easy. I’m going crazy coming up with worst-case scenarios.”
“Don’t do that. We don’t know anything yet. Let’s take this one minute at a time.”
Within twenty minutes, Tracy had made a list of phone numbers while Sam rounded up Mike and Abby, who was wide-eyed with fear as she hugged Sam. She wished she had some comforting words for her niece, but what could she say that would help?
Outside, Sam saw Agent Quigley standing outside one of the black SUVs in the motorcade. She led her family members to that SUV for the short ride to Celia’s. Nick would be conveyed in The Beast. “Ninth Street, please,” she said. “My stepmother’s house.”
“Got it.”
When they were on the way, Sam called Brooke.
“Did you find him?” Brooke asked.
“Not yet, but we’re moving your family to Celia’s so we can go through the house looking for anything that might help us find him. They had to leave their phones behind, so call me if you need us.”
“So there’s nothing new?” Brooke asked anxiously.
“Not yet, honey, but we’re on it. Here’s your mom.”
Tracy took the phone and seemed to answer the same questions Sam had fielded from Brooke. “No, honey, there’s nothing new, but we’re moving to Celia’s house because the police need access to ours.” After a pause, she said, “No, we’re not suspects. They’re looking for anything that might tell us where he is.”
Sam wanted to wail as she thought of the many things that could’ve happened to Ethan. She didn’t even know yet how long he’d been gone or where he was supposed to have been.
“Yes, I’ll call you if anything changes, but in the meantime, check in with Auntie Sam. Okay, I will. Love you, too.” Tracy closed the phone and handed it back to Sam. “Nate is with her. They might come home.”
“I’m glad he’s there for her.”
“Where’s my son, Sam? Where is he?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’re doing everything we can to find him.”
Across from her, Mike swiped at a tear as he stared out the window.
