“Maybe she went to the toy store?” I try to think of where she would take Tommy.
“You go to the toy store, and I’ll run back across to the diner to ask around,” Griffin says, the two of us splitting up and rushing out to the street.
I run down Main Street, asking people as I move past, but no one has seen her. Their grins at seeing me fall the minute they see my panicked face. The toy store team hasn't seen her today either, and I barely have the chance to say goodbye before I run out and meet Griffin on the street, my heart now racing, and even more so when I see all our friends outside of the diner, everyone with a worried look on their face.
“I’ll call the sheriff. Just in case.” Rochelle goes back into her diner, and my stomach plummets. This can’t be happening.
“Where can they be?” I plead with Griffin, feeling like he would know the answer.
“Have you got her phone number?” Tanner watches me carefully.
“Oh sure, I’ll call her. Not sure why I didn’t think of that.” I shake my head, a weird laugh escaping me, feeling ridiculous that I’m jumping to conclusions. My mind is racing all over the place. Not thinking straight.
I call her, but the ringing continues. No one picks up.
“She isn’t answering.” I frown as I dial again, but she still doesn’t pick up. I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“Do you have her address? Maybe we can go to her place? See if she’s there?” Hudson asks.
“She didn’t tell me where she lived, just that she was a local…” I tell him, and Tanner’s head shakes.
“She isn’t local.”
Griffin and I look at him, eyes wide.
“What do you mean, she isn’t local?” Griffin’s voice has dropped an octave. His stance stiffens.
“I mean, no one here knows her. I thought Savannah brought her over from Williamstown. I thought she was a friend of yours or something.”
Griffin's head whips to me.
“She walked into the bakery months ago, answering the help wanted sign I had in the window. She said she lived on the outskirts of town and was a local…” Without another word, driven by panic, I run back across the road to the bakery, wanting to dig out her resume, the piece of paper she handed me when she first turned up to apply for the job. Everyone follows me, and we stand in the bakery as the sheriff arrives. Sawyer talks to him out front, obviously bringing him up to speed.
Victoria, Lacy, Annabelle, Daisy, and Charlotte stand next to me, sorrow and fear lacing their faces.
I grab her file, my eyes searching, seeing her name, her phone number, her experience, or lack thereof. But no residential address.
“There’s no address…” Griffin grabs the paper from me, scanning it quickly.
I’ve failed again. I’ve failed my son.
“Her number, nothing else.” He passes the paper to Tanner and then the sheriff.
“I’ll call my security team. They did a thorough check when they arrived. They’ll have something.” Griffin is straight on the phone, but all I feel is remorse, guilt, terror.
“It’s all my fault…” I whisper, my hands shaking as Victoria’s arms encase me.
“Don’t say that. Tommy will be fine. She might have taken him for a walk in the sun. Maybe her phone is dead or she can’t hear it,” Daisy offers, and I look at her, knowing something else has happened. I can feel it in my soul.
I gasp for a breath, tears trailing down my cheeks. “If anything has happened to him… If anything…”
“Don’t think like that. Let’s get the sheriff to see what he can do. I’m sure we’ll find her.”
The fun afternoon all our friends planned has now turned into a ruckus.
Tommy could be anywhere. And it’s all my fault. My parents were right all along. I can’t look after a child. I don’t deserve him.
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