When they came up empty-handed, he feared Debbie might faint on him. She kept one hand pressed to her stomach—as though she might throw up—and the other fluttered around her neck—as if the collar of her blouse choked her.
He put his arm around her again and guided her into the house. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’ll find him. How long has he been missing?”
Savvy and Dallas entered the back door as he guided Debbie through the front. Dallas ran and gave him a hug. He looked as upset as Cody.
Debbie and Savvy shared a grim look. Debbie spoke first. “Boys, how long did you look for Noah before you came and got help?”
They both shrugged then spoke at the same time.
“Forever,” Cody said.
“A long time, cuz we didn’t want to tell you we lost him.” Dallas looked down at the floor.
“He’s been missing for at least twenty minutes—“ Debbie’s voice broke, and she clutched her neck again. “I have to call the social worker and tell her I lost the very first child she entrusted to me. I’ll never get to foster again.”
Austin recalled all the diapers Debbie bought at the mere prospect of becoming a foster parent. The woman was passionate about children. The little boy had to be here somewhere.
“No, you’re not calling the social worker yet. We’re going to find him. Debbie, get in your car and drive one mile either direction on the highway. Go north first. I came from the south and I didn’t see anyone, but check that direction too. He’s only three, he couldn’t have gone very far. Savvy, take the boys outside and check the front and back yards again. Check under every bush. I’ll search the house again.”
Everybody nodded and headed in their assigned directions. Austin worried maybe he shouldn’t let Debbie drive in her current emotional state, but he was the only one who hadn’t checked the house yet. He could be more thorough because he hadn’t ruled out any closets or cupboards already.
He started in the kitchen, searching the largest pantry he’d ever seen and every low cupboard, then he stopped and made himself search the high cupboards too, even though it was unlikely the boy had hidden in any of them. After searching the kitchen, dining area, and laundry room, he passed through a family room that had nothing more than two full-sized leather sofas, an end table, a TV mounted on the wall, and a fireplace.
Heading down the hall, he found himself in what could only be the master bedroom, judging by its enormous size and the king bed. Not to mention the hint of a delicate and somewhat exotic perfume that hung in the air. Another fireplace lined the wall shared with the family room. Trying not to let himself get distracted by the lavishness of the house, he searched the spacious master bath with it’s fancy glass shower and sunken tub then soon found himself in Debbie’s closet. To her credit, it wasn’t packed as full as he expected it to be, but it was easily as big as his own bedroom. It’d take a lot of clothes to fill this closet.
Focus.
He swept the hanging clothes this way and that, making sure there wasn’t a little boy hiding behind them. He didn’t bother to take note of brand names because he could care less about such things, but there was no doubt in his mind her clothing and shoes were of the highest quality. He spotted a safe in the wall behind her blouses.
Good. Now I don’t have to worry about the boys getting into Debbie’s valuables.
He continued his methodical search room by room, noting the disarray in the playroom and wondered how much of it was his boys’ fault and how much was a result of the frantic search for Noah? The final room on the main floor was an office with minimal furnishings.
His search upstairs passed quickly since most of the bedrooms were empty. After checking what felt like a dozen rooms but was probably only six or maybe eight—he’d lost count after the fourth bedroom—he hurried down to the basement.
The poor little boy was no doubt missing his parents and his own home. If he’d found a spot that made him feel secure, he might not want to come out.
Keeping that in mind, Austin remained thorough in his search, taking his time, despite the anxiety coursing through him for the little boy’s safety. His brows shot up when he flipped on the light of a home theater room with nearly a dozen leather recliners laid out in a stadium-style seating formation. His mind reeled at how much money Debbie must have spent on this house.
Once again, he pulled his mind back to the task at hand and inspected the room carefully before moving on. The next room, a home gym with a wall full of mirrors and half a dozen pieces of equipment, gave him pause again.
Is this how Debbie stays so slender?
Shaking his head, he moved to the last room. A game room? Pool, ping pong, and air hockey tables occupied half of the room. The rest was simply empty space except for an arcade style basketball game.
Chest tightening, he returned upstairs and wandered down the hall. His eyes rested on the open bathroom door. He’d only given the bathrooms a cursory glance by pushing back the shower curtain. Maybe he should check them again. Stepping into the bathroom, he discovered a closet behind the bathroom door that he hadn’t seen earlier.
A surge of hope shot through him. He opened the door to find the shelves of the small closet mostly empty. Nothing more than a few bottles of body wash and shampoo, toilet paper, and a humidifier. His stomach sank.
Okay, Debbie was right to worry.
Before stepping from the bathroom, he opened the cabinet under the sink. That had been Cody’s favorite hiding place when he was little. A stack of blue and black striped towels filled the small space. He’d started to close the cabinet when it hit him that something was off about the striped pattern.
He looked closer, spotting dark brown hair on the top of the pile. A striped blue and black shirt matched the towels almost exactly. No wonder no one had spotted Noah. He blended in.
After calling Debbie, he pulled the sleeping boy from under the bathroom sink.
Little Noah squirmed and cried.
