“Dad,”she says, shocked.
“I don’t have time for this,” he says, and hangs up.
Caro stares at the phone. Her father has hung up on her. This has never happened to her before. As far as she knows, he has never hung up on anyone,ever.
Something is so wrong.
Hands shaking, Caro calls the number Officer Clark gave her and puts the phone on speaker so she can text. “I heard from my father,” she says. “I’m texting you the number.”
“Got it.” Officer Clark’s voice is energized, which Caro is going to take as a good sign. “We actually have a call in from that number right now,” he says. “Hold on.”
Sweat trickles down Caro’s back as she waits, but the sun is lowering. She doesn’t want her dad to still be lost when it gets dark.Come on come on, she thinks. More people are bringing chairs over to the lengthening shade of the trees. The alien movie has ended. The popcorn machine is still going. A few kids run past, and Caro’s heart aches.There is so much I can’t have.
“Okay.” Officer Clark is back. “A woman just called us from that number. She said she picked up your dad because he was hitchhiking and something looked off. He asked her to drive him to Eden, but she didn’t want to take him all that way. She asked if there was anyone he could call, and he said yes, and then apparently he called his own phone.”
“Yes,” Caro says. “He’s had the same number for years. It might be the only one he can remember off the top of his head.”
“Okay,” Officer Clark says. “After the call with you, he ran away. She called 911 and now she’s trying to follow him in her car. We have officers on our way to her.”
Caro’s on her feet. “Okay, great. Where should I meet you?”
“Stay put for now,” Officer Clark says. “I’ll be in touch shortly.”
“Okay,” Caro says. “Thank you—”
But he’s already ended the call.
This is good, Caro tells herself.We have a lead, and Dad was physically okay, at least, minutes ago.
But what doesI lost hermean?
Who, exactly, is he looking for?
She opens the photo app back up on his phone.
And why,Caro wonders,does he have so many screenshots of Hope Hanover?
57
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Dear Eve,
Graduation was a pretty good day overall. I’d been dreading not having any family there now that Grandma can’t go out much, but it was fine. At first I wasn’t going to walk, but the school counselors and everyone made it into such a big deal that it felt like less work to just do it, so I got the cap and gown and went to the ceremony.
I remembered your graduation and how everyone talked about how you were going to college and how you were going to become a doctor someday and Grandma was so happy.
The ceremony was in the morning. When it was over, I went home and showed Grandma my diploma. After she fell asleep for her nap, I went and drove the Devil’s Backbone like we used to do. I stopped at the rock shop and bought you a rose quartz, your favorite. I put it with the rest of your rock collection. I don’t think anyone else can tell that it’s there. I don’t know that anyone else would ever look.
I miss you all the time.
Love,
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58
ASH IS IN THEAirstream and Caro is in the parking lot when the text comes through.
