Page 151 of One Night with Number Nineteen

Sawyer did too.

I glance at him, and the worry reflected in his eyes tells me he’s thinking exactly the same thing I am.

Ollie wasn’t lost.

Someone brought him back.

Forty-Five

Sawyer

“I think I found the issue,” Leo says the following morning.

We spent the night at my place last night—and while Lainey was far from impressed with my bachelor pad condo, Ollie loved it. Though I suspect the former is because my desk was too neatly organized for Lainey’s creative process and the latter is only because Ollie got to watch his show on my big ass TV.

We could have stayed at Faye and Gray’s last night, but Lainey and I both felt more comfortable with a little more distance between the house and us.

Gray kept a lookout…with nothing much to show for it.

Now, this morning, Ollie’s at school, we’re back at Lainey’s house, waiting on a call from the detective, and my family has shown up.

Leo points at the screen of Lainey’s phone. “There’s a blind spot between the porch and the flower bed.”

I watch as he scrolls through the different views of the cameras, see that he’s right. “Fuck,” I mutter.

“Sorry.”

I turn, see that Ryan’s standing beside us, worry etched into his face. “Why are you sorry?”

“That was my section of the cameras.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“Who else’s?” He shakes his head before I can say anything further, and I know he and I are going to need to have a conversation later. Especially when he says, “Smitty and I are going to go pick up some extras. We’ll get them installed first thing.”

“You don’t—” I bite back the rest of my words, the natural inclination to tell him I’ll do it. Then I take a breath and say, “Thanks.”

He nods, walks to Smitty and the two of them get in his car, drive away.

“Did you see anything?”

“Before Gray pulled Ollie out of the bushes?”

“Yeah.”

“No,” he says. “You can scroll through if you want, but there’s not a single notification.”

“Right,” I mutter…just as my mom pulls up.

My spine goes stiff, and I move to intercept her.

Faye and Lainey beat me to it, meeting her as she gets out of her car.

“Breathe, man,” Leo says.

The women exchange hugs, and my mom smiles at Kailey, who’s holding Sophie, and Harper, who’s sitting on the porch feeding Reed. Then she hesitates before coming over to me. “Hi, Leo,” she murmurs.

“Hey, Mrs. Hill.” A look at me. A silent glance asking if I’m okay.