Page 4 of John’s Yearning

“She attends Grattan Elementary in Cole Valley, has since kindergarten. I normally drop her off just after eight and then go to my office in SoMa and—”

“Normally?” he interrupted.

While it wasn’t too far to drive from Buffy’s school to her office in the largely commercial South of Market district, she’d had to go straight to her office that day. “Yes, but that morning I had an early business meeting, so I asked my neighbor to take her. Her son goes to the same school, so Buffy rode with them.”

“And you trust your neighbor? I will need her name and address.”

Savannah made a dismissive hand movement. “That’s not when it happened. Buffy got to school alright. She was there all day. The teachers and the students all confirm it. It happened sometime later.”

“Sometime later? Has the time of her disappearance not yet been established?”

“Yes and no.” And that’s where her frustration with the police had started. They were dismissing some of the witnesses’ claims, just because those witnesses happened to be children. “She goes to the after-school program there, too. And while some of the students said they saw her there, others said they think she’d already left.”

“Why’s that?”

“They were doing an impromptu field trip.”

“Where to?”

“Just a few blocks away to a lookout point called Tank Hill.”

John nodded. “I know it. Is it unusual for such a field trip to take place without any planning?”

“It happens on occasion that due to teacher availability or bad weather, activities are shifted from one day to another. You see, it was completely fogged in the day before, so they couldn’t take the walk on the day they were supposed to. When the fog cleared that afternoon, the teacher decided to take advantage of it.”

“And you say that nobody is sure that your daughter went on the walk with her class?”

“The teacher said she was with them, she’d even ticked her off the register before and after the walk when they returned to the school. But several of the kids said they didn’t see Buffy.”

“Hmm.” John steepled his fingers under his chin, closing his eyes for a moment.

The gesture drew her attention to his long dark lashes and the full eyebrows that curved over his eyelids. When he suddenly opened his eyes again, his gaze collided with hers, pinning her.

“What time does the after-school program end?”

“At six.”

“And you were there at six to pick her up? Were you waiting or were you late?”

Savannah edged forward on her chair. “Neither. I had a meeting that ran over.”

“So you asked your neighbor to take Buffy home again?”

Was he judging her, because she couldn’t be there for her daughter when she needed her?

“No.” Savannah realized how agitated she was becoming, but she couldn’t stop her distress from seeping into her voice. “Her son doesn’t go to the after-school program. I called my babysitter. She went to pick up Buffy. But when she got there, Buffy wasn’t there.”

“I’m assuming your babysitter—what’s her name?”

“Elysa, Elysa Flannigan.”

“I’m assuming Elysa is on the list of authorized persons to pick up Buffy?”

“Yes, the school only releases the kids to somebody on their list. And Elysa is on the list.”

“Was she on time?”

“She said she was.” And Savannah believed her. Elysa had been babysitting for her since Buffy was three and was very responsible. “She was on time. She’s always on time.”