Alicia’s mother motioned around the room. “She has so many trophies and crowns.” She sighed. “She was crowned Miss Youngstown High School at the homecoming game.” She moved to an enormous curio cabinet and indicated a glittering crown sitting atop a velvet pillow. “She loved getting dressed up from the time she could walk.”
Sarah surveyed the numerous crowns, would have shifted her attention back to the roses, but something out of place snagged her curiosity. A pink pillow, four shelves down, was empty. All the rest displayed a shimmering crown, but not that one.
“I don’t know what happened to that one,” Rachel offered, obviously noting Sarah’s focus there. “I’ve searched this house twice over and I can’t find it. I even accused her brothers of having misplaced it, but they swear they didn’t touch it.”
Part of her needing to reach out, Sarah put a hand on the woman’s arm. “I’m sure you’ll find it.” She wished she could say the same for her missing daughter. Sarah’s every instinct blistered her senses with the impression that this would not end well.
“I sure hope so,” Rachel lamented. “She won that crown in seventh grade.” She drew her eyebrows together. “Or was it eighth? She’ll remember, and she won’t be happy to learn it’s misplaced.”
Conner practically dragged Sarah out of the room after that. He kept apologizing for their having stayed so long. When they reachedthe front door, Rachel Appleton asked, “Are you going to put Alicia’s picture in your magazine?”
Sarah paused. The other woman’s expression was so hopeful that she couldn’t say no. “Yes. With your approval, of course.”
The woman beamed even as her lips trembled with fear. “Alicia would like that a lot. Just a minute.” Rachel hurried off in the direction of the bedrooms.
“We have to go,” Conner urged. “The chief needs to know about this. He’s not going to be happy you touched that card.”
Sarah didn’t care what the chief thought; she couldn’t stop obsessing on that missing crown. “We’ll go in a minute.”
This felt wrong. It was more than the missing girl ... it was about the crown somehow. And the roses. She felt it deep in her gut.
“Here.”
Sarah hauled her attention to Rachel as she burst back into the room. She held out a small photograph. Sarah accepted it. Alicia Appleton’s beautiful smile radiated from the wallet-size photo as if it were ten times its size. This girl would walk into a room and own it with nothing more than that smile.
“That’s her favorite.” Rachel glowed with pride. “She would be mortified if you didn’t use that one.”
“This one’s perfect.” Sarah delivered her best attempt at a reassuring smile.
Rachel’s face fell as if the weight of maintaining the hope was too much for her. “You don’t have any more questions?”
The woman was lonely. Lonely and terrified. Terrified that no one would be able to find her daughter.
Before it was too late.
Emotion burned Sarah’s eyes. “I may be back with more questions. If that’s all right.”
Rachel nodded. “Come anytime. I’ll be here.” The distraught mother glanced around her living room. “When she comes home, I want her to find me right here waiting.”
Waiting, Sarah knew, for things to be the way they used to be.
“Thank you, Ms. Appleton.”
Rachel Appleton reached out this time, rested her trembling fingers on Sarah’s arm. “I know what other people say but ...” She moistened her lips, blinked back the shine in her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
There. Right there, Sarah realized, was the compassion that Conner spoke about so avidly. No matter that her daughter was missing, this woman still reached out to Sarah to make her feel welcome.
The look that passed between them as they stood, touching, was something else Sarah recognized all too well. Sheer desperation ... absolute terror.
Sarah was unconditionally certain of one thing in all this: If she wasn’t found soon, Alicia Appleton would die.
Very soon.
And Rachel Appleton would never, not in a million lifetimes, recover.
15
Youngstown Public Safety Office, 12:22 p.m.
