“Uh… Mr. Fairhurst. This is Sarabeth.”
His entire stomach plummeted.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” And the normally confident, straightforward girl soundedscared. “We can’t find Sammy.”
For a quick, blinding moment there was nothing but abject terror. Then he felt Lia’s warm hand on his shoulder.
He pulled himself together. “What do you mean you can’t find her? Is the movie over?”
“No. She… She said she had to go to the bathroom. She left her purse with Izzy, and her phone was in it. But she never came back. It’s been like thirty minutes now. We went looking for her, and we can’t find her. She’s not in the bathroom. She’s not anywhere. I called Henry. He’s coming. He told me to call you.”
“I’m on my way. Just stay put, all right? Even when Henry gets there. Stay put until I get there, okay?”
“I don’t know where she would have gone. Not without her phone. Not by herself.”
“We’ll find out. Just sit tight. It’ll be all right.” He hung up the phone, shoved it in his pocket and then raked his fingers through his hair. “I have to go.”
“What is it, Gard? The girls can’t find Sammy? What does that mean?”
He told her exactly what Sarabeth had said while he pulled on his shirt then got his shoes back on. He headed for the door, brain swirling with worries and fears and too many terrible work stories to fight back. His only clear thought was he had to get to that movie theater.
When he opened her front door, he realized Lia was shoving her feet into shoes too and grabbing her purse.
“Lia—”
“I’m coming with,” she said, her tone brooking no room for argument.
But he wanted to argue with her. Even opened his mouth to. This washisresponsibility, and he was failing Dani and Sammyagain, and he didn’t need a spectator to pick up the pieces he’d broken.
Not your fault, he reminded himself, because self-flagellation didn’t save his sister or his niece. And neither did pushing Lia away, because he could see the worry in her expression and she… She loved Sammy too. This wasn’t just onhimanymore.
And, more, she had more insight into Sammy, the teenager with a rough life. Maybe Lia would see something he didn’t. Sammy was always telling him hiscop braingot in the way of being a real human.
“Make sure those burners are off,” he told her gruffly.
She nodded and hurried to the kitchen, then returned, keys hanging out of her hands. They walked outside, Lia locking her front door in quick efficient movements.
They got into his truck without saying anything, but once he’d backed out of her drive, Lia took his hand. She held his hand in a tight squeeze the entire drive to Fairmont.
He didn’t let himself think this was some kind of punishment for enjoying himself.
He’d save that for later.
Besides, it was just a mistake. A mix-up. He’d get there and Sammy would be…fine.
He told himself that the whole drive there.
Chapter Fourteen
Lia had to jog to keep up with Gard as he strode toward the movie theater. He was doing an impressive job of appearing fine and in control. It was thecopin him clearly that knew how to shut off the fear. Even when he’d called someone at the police department, he’d sounded like he was in complete control.
But she also knew him well enough to know where to look. The tight jaw, the desolate look in his eyes, that was all worry and fear. Outside he might seem calm and in control, but inside he was a mess.
Then again, so was she. There was no reason she could think of that would make Sammy pull this kind of stunt. Particularly not without her phone. Lia couldn’t find a spin on the situation that didn’t involve Sammy being in danger.
So she held on to Gard’s outward calm as an example of how to be, even while her insides panicked.
