“I’m sorry, Candy, there is no news.”
“What do you think?”
Ben paused and bit his bottom lip. He couldn’t verbalize his worst fear. “My thoughts are scattered, painful, but in the end, I trust God. And I will do everything in my power to find Efren.”
“Thank you, Ben. I know you won’t let him be forgotten.”
No,Ben thought after he hung up.I won’t let him be forgotten.
But by the weekend, the pressure of time weighed on Ben as if he were diving in deep, deep water. Every day Efren was missing made it more likely that he had been made and killed.
Ben continued to pray fervently for his partner and friend.
CHAPTER 6
Unable to even punch the button for her parents’ number, Lainie raced to their house, praying that what she’d just heard wasn’t true. Between sobs, Stan had told her an impossible story. He and Evie had been snorkeling in a beautiful bay. He’d thought he saw a shark but wasn’t sure. They got separated. Evie loved to snorkel. She could spend all day in the water, and Hawaii was her happy place.
Stan claimed to have turned around, and suddenly Evie was gone. There was blood in the water, part of a snorkel, and a mask. No sign of Evie. As of the time he’d called, which had been 10:30 a.m. Hawaii time, Evie’s body had not yet been recovered.
Lainie blinked back tears and pondered Stan’s last few words.“Evie’s body hasn’t been recovered.”
They stung like salty, cold water on an exposed nerve.
Lainie couldn’t believe it.
She didn’t want to believe it.
All the way to her mom and dad’s house, she kept praying. Though she couldn’t remember the last time she’d offered up heartfelt, fervent prayers and petitions, she kept at it. Asking that when she arrived, she’d be told that it was all a stupid mistake. Evie was fine. She’d just gotten taken along by a riptide and was okay farther down the beach.
Her father’s expression when he opened the door told her there’d been no mistake. They hugged and Lainie fought desperately to keep her voice steady. “Dad, it’s true? Is it true?”
“I’m afraid so. Stan called me early this morning.” His voice wavered. “They started searching for Evie again, as soon as it got light; they’re still searching. So far, no luck.”
“We have to go there.”
“I agree.” He led her into the house.
“What about Archie? Where are Mom and the boys?”
Her parents were babysitting Evie’s twin seven-year-old boys, Evan and Owen, while Evie and Stan were gone. Her mom had called last week, gushing that Stan and Evie were so happy about the anniversary that they had dropped the boys off a few days early so they’d be able to celebrate a bit longer.
“Mom and the boys are at the pool right now. We haven’t said anything to them yet. I called Archie. He’s in Texas at a conference.”
Lainie fell onto the couch and held her head in her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening. Not Evie.”
Her father’s phone rang. He answered right away on speaker. “Stan, any news?”
“No.” He sounded somewhat better than the few minutes ago when Lainie had spoken to him.
“They had to call off the search early. The wind just kicked up, and the surf is up.”
Lainie looked at the clock. It was now almost 2:00 p.m. here so it was two hours earlier in Hawaii. Evie disappearedyesterday.
“Still no sign of her?” Dad asked, and Lainie held her breath.
“N-n-n-no. I don’t know what to do.”
“Lainie and I are coming. We’ll take the first flight we can. Hang in there, Stan. We’ll be there soon.”
