“Take it.”
Kate answered, and Amy's calm voice carried urgent undertones. “Kate, your father's missing. He was in bed an hour ago, but now he's gone. We've searched the inn.”
Kate's stomach dropped. “We'll be right back.”
She explained quickly to Ben, who was already signaling for the check. They drove back to Kennebunkport in tense silence, Kate texting her siblings, coordinating search areas.
“He's done this before,” she said, as much to herself as to Ben. “He gets confused, thinks he needs to be somewhere.”
“We'll find him.”
They pulled up to the inn to find it ablaze with lights, Tom's car and James's rental in the drive. Lillian's Mercedes was there too.
“I'll check the harbor,” Ben said immediately. “He mentioned his boat earlier today.”
“I'm coming with you.”
They drove to the harbor, Ben's headlights sweeping across the docks. Kate was the one who spotted him: a figure at the far end of the pier, standing dangerously close to the edge.
“Pop!” Kate ran toward him, Ben close behind carrying a flashlight
Pop turned, and in the flashlight beam, she could see tears on his face. He was in his pajamas and slippers, shivering violently, one foot actually over the edge of the dock.
“I can't find her,” he said. “Elizabeth. She went in the water. I saw her.”
Kate's heart stopped. “Pop, step back. Please.”
“No! She needs help. She's drowning.” He leaned forward more.
Ben moved smoothly, quickly, grabbing Pop's arm and pulling him back from the edge in one fluid motion. Pop fought against him, surprisingly strong in his confusion.
“Daniel, Elizabeth sent us to get you,” Ben said firmly. “She's safe. She's at home waiting.”
Pop stopped struggling, looked at Ben with desperate hope. “She is?”
“Yes. She sent Katie and me to bring you home. She's worried about you.”
It was a kind lie, the sort Amy had taught them to use. Pop let Ben wrap his jacket around him, but he kept looking back at the water.
“I saw her,” he whispered. “She was calling for me.”
In the truck, Pop between them, Kate texted the others that they'd found him. Her hands were shaking. Another few seconds and Pop might have gone into the harbor. The water was forty degrees. He wouldn't have survived.
“You're dressed up, Katie,” Pop said suddenly, as if just noticing. “Pretty dress.”
“I was on a date, Pop.”
“With this fellow?” He looked at Ben.
“Yes.”
“Good. Solid hands. Knows how to build things.” Pop closed his eyes. “Your mother always said to look at a man's hands. Tells you everything.”
Back at the inn, chaos erupted. Amy took Pop immediately, checking for injuries. Tom was on the phone with someone medical. James paced, running his hands through his hair. Dani cried quietly. And Lillian sat in one of the restored chairs, looking every day of her seventy-three years.
“He could have died,” Lillian said quietly. “If you hadn't found him...”
“But we did,” Kate said.
