“It was the bad man,” Cameron said, and Grant nodded.
“Thank you. That was very brave of you. I’m going to go out there to see if he left anything behind. But you go home with Marty. You were very brave, and you did the right thing. But if you see him again, you tell your teacher right away. Okay. You promise me? Tell the teacher.”
Cameron nodded seriously, and Marty took him out of the room. Grant took pictures of the area and left the classroom. “You can close everything down for the night.”
“Why did he hide?” the principal asked.
“Because he saw the person who took him near the school and got scared. I’d say we have a real problem. Two of your students have been taken, and there is a man still hanging around, likely scouting for another. Keep the school on lockdown and make sure each child leaves with a parent or is accounted for getting on the bus. You cannot have a general dismissal under any circumstances. We’re working to find out who this is, but….”
The principal stiffened. “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to keep the kids safe. You just find this bastard.”
Grant and Dexter left the building and let the teachers and principal return to their duties, since no crime had been committed. After speaking with the other officers, they left, and Grant carefully checked out the stand of bushes and trees on the side of school property.
“You had a good view of the area without anyone noticing you,” he said to himself as he checked out the sightlines. Thearea where the kids left school was clearly visible, yet given the fact that everyone’s attention would be on the other side of the property, no one was likely to be paying attention this way. Slowly, he policed the area, checking for anything that may have been dropped or left behind. No cigarette or other sign of impatient waiting presented itself, which told Grant that this was someone comfortable with watching and taking their time. In a few places, he found deep footprints in the soft ground. He took pictures of them as well as the rest of the area before stepping back.
Something niggled at the back of his mind, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Grant was missing something and looked down at Dexter, who stood at his side, calm and comfortable. He let Dexter off lead to see his reaction. Dexter wandered around the area and sat near the base of a smallish tree. Grant carefully approached, checking the ground first. The footprints he had observed were near the tree, and now as he put himself in place of the observer, they had used the tree as cover and maybe as a leaning post. He drew closer and noticed a few hairs or fibers caught in the bark. He pulled out a bag and carefully peeled away the bits of bark, put it and the attached potential evidence into a bag, and sealed it. At least this, and the footprints, were proof that someone had been here, and most likely for a while. Cameron had been right, which made Grant happy. And if someone had been standing here, then maybe they had them on the video feeds.
He checked the area once more before leading Dexter back to the vehicle. He put him in back with a few treats and closed the door. Then he found the principal inside, just outside the gym, speaking with the assembled teachers about what had happened.
He paused when he saw Grant. “Is there anything you can tell us?”
“Just this,” Grant said. “Someone was seen hanging around the school. I have been able to confirm that someone was indeed there, and it seems they might have been for a while. Please keep your eyes open for people near the edge of the property or in out-of-the-way places. If you see someone, call the police immediately. Don’t approach them or dismiss the kids for recess or at the end of the day. We believe that whoever is behind these abductions knows the school schedules as well as you do. They know when the kids will be outside, when they arrive, and when they go home. I’m also willing to bet they know each of you, and maybe even the cars you drive. They are drawn to the kids, so please be their eyes and ears. I’m leaving cards with the number you should call if you do see anything, and I want to stress that you do not need permission from the principal or anyone else. Call immediately.” The principal cleared his throat, but Grant ignored it. “The sooner we are aware of someone, the quicker we can get here and maybe catch them.”
A hand went up, and Grant nodded to her. “But what if we’re wrong?”
“What if you’re right?” he countered. “Err on the side of action. There isn’t going to be some punishment doled out. The reward is the safety of your students, which is something we all want. And pass the word to all the teachers and staff that you know. The more people watching means the safer your students are.” He waited to see if there were any more questions before leaving the assembled group and returning to his vehicle. He needed to get the sample to the lab and decided to drive out to pay them a visit. He had to push to get the tests completed as soon as possible.
Chapter 14
CAMERON SATon the sofa watching television with his thumb in his mouth. Marty sat next to him, and Cameron leaned against him, watching his show and sometimes looking up at him, tensing and then relaxing again, like maybe he expected Marty to turn into the bad man at any second.
Marty wanted to swear up a storm and yell, but he had to keep calm and quiet for Cameron’s sake. He phoned Donald and left a message because he needed some sort of advice, and he figured Donald was the one person who might be able to offer it.
A soft knock on the door made them both jump. “I’ll be right back, I promise,” Marty said and left to answer the door. “Oh, thank goodness,” Marty said as he let Donald inside. “I think Cameron saw the man who took him, and he hid in a cupboard at school. Scared us all, but now….” When he returned to the living room, Cameron was gone, but his feet stuck out from behind the curtains in the corner. “It’s okay. It’s Mr. Donald. Do you remember him?”
After a few seconds, Cameron came out of his hiding place, and Marty scooped him into his arms. “You’re safe. The bad man isn’t going to get you,” Marty tried reassuring him, but he knew it was going to take some time. “I promised you that no one was going to hurt you, and I meant it.”
Donald nodded, and Marty sat in one of the chairs, while Donald took their end of the sofa. “You know what you did was very good and very brave,” Donald said softly.
“It was. He helped by showing the police where he saw him.”
Cameron lifted his head, pulling his thumb from his mouth. “I don’t want the bad man to get me.”
“I’m here, and he isn’t going to get you. There’s me, and there’s Grant, and even Dexter. Your teachers and everyone at school. Lots of people are there,” Marty said.
“Hiding is a normal response,” Donald told him softly. “It’s one of our basic survival techniques. It’s part of flight, and he did it very well.”
“I don’t want him to be scared all the time,” Marty said. He was thinking that maybe he should pull Cameron out of school for the rest of the year, and they could go away. His job was such that he could work from anywhere. He could rent a house somewhere else and just get away. Take Cameron out of the town and the environment completely.
“Honestly, I think it’s best for Cameron to have as normal a life as possible.” That hadn’t been what Marty had expected Donald to say. “Yes, today scared him, but it also gave him a voice. He saw the bad man, but he also told you what he saw, and maybe he helped the police find the person they’re after. I know he’s a child, but he took control of part of his life today, and that is very good.” Donald leaned closer to Cameron. “What will you do if you see the bad man again?”
Cameron turned away and buried his face in Marty’s shoulder. “Tell the teacher,” Cameron said. He may not have looked at Donald, but he still gave a great answer.
“That’s right,” Donald said. “You hide if you think he’s going to get close to you. But you tell the teacher no matter what. You tell Marty or Officer Grant or the teacher.”
“Or you?” Cameron asked. Marty suppressed a sigh as relief flooded him. At least Cameron was talking, and he knew that was good. It scared him when Cameron went quiet, because that shut him out of what he could be feeling or thinking. It was hardenough dealing with a six-year-old, but having him quiet made things even worse.
“Yes. You can tell me. People you already know.” Donald said.
