Page 317 of The Heart You Kept

“I’ve had people trailing him since Sunday, he was home all night. I’ve had people on Isadora too, just to be safe.” I think out loud. “She was home all night as well. I get notified if either of them leaves their house.”

Hermione….

No….

“Have you tried calling her?” he asks.

“I just told you her phone is here, her purse with all her cards is inside.”

“Shit. That’s fucking weird, nobody leaves the house without a phone and money.”

“Right?”

“Call her dad.”

“I don’t want to worry them.”

“She’s fucking missing, Prescott. They need to be worried.”

I drag my hand down my face. “This is my worst fucking nightmare.”

“Did you call her workers from the store? Helene, try Helene.”

“No.”

“Do that. I’m on my way.”

I nod, cortisol stealing my ability to reply.

“It’s okay, Edward. We’ll find her.”

“What if something has happened?”

“How? She’s guarded like a fucking treasure.” He thinks for a moment. “Look, I think maybe she’s just pissed and has taken off to cool down.”

I nod, hoping that’s true.

“I’ll see you soon.”

I hang up and go back to walking around the yard. “Anything?” I call.

“Nothing came in or out all night,” Philippe calls as he stares at his phone.

“Check again, she didn’t just vanish.”

They keep searching and I go to the side fence and look up at the top, nobody could get up there. I walk to the back of the garden to the cliff and that’s when I see it, a set of footprints leading to the cliff, and I kneel down beside them. “Down here,” I cry.

They come running out and fall to the ground beside me. “Are these your footprints?” I ask. “Were either of you at this cliff overnight?”

They exchange glances and both shake their heads. “No.”

“That’s a man-sized shoe,” I murmur as I stare at it in the dirt, adrenaline is surging though my bloodstream. “Call the police.”

“And what happened then?” the policeman asks as he sits opposite me on the couch.

“I….” I pause. “She was going to bed so I did too.” I throw up my hands. “I had men out the front….” I shrug as I struggle to push words past my lips.

“Has she ever taken off before?” he asks.