“Ididn’t,” says Kristie.
“I didn’t,” says Diana.
“Guilty,” says the World’s Best Grandma, raising her hand. “I did. If this was one ofmygrandbabies, running around town without supervision—”
Then there is a banging on the front door of the store, and a woman’s voice yelling.
“I locked it, just as you said,” says Diana.
Claire turns and looks at the door and then says, “Oh, brother. That’s definitely my mom.”
38.
Louisa
They look for Claire absolutely everywhere. Louisa checks to make sure both kayaks are still under the deck. Abigail crawls underneath every one of the upstairs beds. Matty goes down to the rocks with the ship-watching binoculars and checks to make sure there’s no body floating in the water.
They put Otis on the case, sending him all around the yard. He comes back empty-pawed, wagging his tail apologetically. The panic is starting to rise in Louisa’s throat. Her parents won’t be back from the appointment for at least an hour, maybe longer. She calls over to the Pelletiers’ house, using the number from the list on the refrigerator, but there’s no answer, and Matty tells her that Mr. Pelletier has gone to bring Hazel to the airport and do some lobster trap errand on the way. Louisa knows that Pauline is with her cousin. Oh, realizes Louisa when Matty tells her aboutthe airport. Hazel is gone. This is the reason for Matty’s long face. But there’s no time to dwell on that now: they need to find Claire.
Louisa is searching her secret upstairs bathroom when her phone rings. It’s Mark!
“Louisa,” he says. “This is really strange but we just got a call in about a little girl without a parent or caregiver at Renys, who was picked up on North Shore Drive, not far from you. I’m heading over there now to check it out. Is there any chance she could be one of yours?”
“We can’t find Claire,” she whispers. Her heart is hammering. “And we do know someone who works there, somebody Claire might have tried to visit.”
“I’m heading over there now,” says Mark.
“I’m heading over there too,” says Louisa. “Matty!” she calls up the stairs. “You’re in charge of Abigail. We think we might have found Claire. I’ll be back.” She can feel one hundred different emotions course through her body: fear, relief, anger, shame. What if it isn’t Claire? What if it is Claire?
Louisa’s phone rings again when she’s still on Route 73, before it turns to Main Street.
“It’s Claire,” says Mark Harding. “She’s perfectly safe and happy. There’s no rush for you to get here. I’ve got my eye on her.”
“How didClaireget toRenys?”
“The details are only now becoming clear. When you get here, I’m sure we can sort it all out.”
Louisa curses the summer traffic all the way. Stop and go along Main Street; every crosswalk presenting a pedestrian with the right of way. When she gets to the store the door is locked and she has to bang on it until a woman with an enormous bosom comes to open it. She follows the woman to the back of the store, and there is Claire. And Mark Harding. And Kristie.
“Claire!” she says. “Claire Bear. What the—? I mean, how didyou—? I don’t even—” She crouches down so that she is level with Claire’s shoulders. “I don’t know whether to shake you or hug you.”
“Hug me,” says Claire.
“Of course,” says Louisa, and she does.
“I’m sorry,” says Claire, breaking down. Tears come out fast and furious and she cries on Louisa’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
“It’s okay,” says Louisa into Claire’s neck. “It’s okay. The important thing is that you’re safe.”
The World’s Best Grandma wipes the corner of her eyes with a tissue and says, “She’s a very determined little girl.”
“She is,” says Louisa.
“A real firecracker. I’m just glad everything’s okay. I said I would drive her here, but in my head I said I wasn’t going to leave until I knew that everything was okay. And I sat right outside in that parking lot and watched her from my car. It was clear that she knew this one—” She jerks a finger at Kristie. “But I was keeping an eye just the same. Then I thought, well, I’ll just call down to my brother, who works for the Rockland P.D., and inquire if anyone has put in a call about a missing child. Just in case, you know.”
“Thank you,” says Louisa. She’s about to start crying herself.
“All’s well that ends well,” says Mark. “I just need to take a few notes, since a call was placed regarding this case.” He has pulled out a little notebook and is busily writing in it with a small pencil, the kind you might use for recording mini golf scores. “And I’m sorry,” he says to Kristie. “I didn’t catch your name?”
