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“When?”
“Last night.”
“Do they think it’s Bryant?”
“Not at first. Not until an eyewitness came forward this morning. The witness thought he saw someone forcing a young girl into a van… at Morrel Park.”
“The same park Hallie was taken from,” I mutter. “Why didn’t he report it last night?”
“He’d had a few to drink, apparently. Wasn’t sure what he’d seen. When he woke this morning, he thought he’d better report it. Turns out a young girl had been reported missing by her parents an hour after the witness saw the incident with the van.”
“Fuck! It’s a hell of a coincidence the week Bryant escapes, a girl goes missing from the same park Hallie was taken from.”
“Too much of a coincidence.”
“I agree. What about CCTV?”
“It’s being checked…” He pauses, and I know he has more to say. “Sawyer, this is going to hit the news, and soon. We can’t keep a lid on it. As much as I hate the press, we need them in a missing child case. We want the missing girl’s face everywhere in the hope someone spots her.”
I sigh, knowing he’s right. I wonder how hard this will hit Hallie. It won’t take the press long to put the two cases together and assume they’re linked. There is no way this story is blowing over anytime soon.
“How old is the missing girl?” I ask, somehow already knowing what Logan’s going to say.
“Thirteen.” I close my eyes and drop my head—the same age Hallie was when she was abducted.
“He’s up to something, Logan, and whatever it is, it’s got something to do with Hallie.”
“Keep her safe, Sawyer. That’s all you can do.”
Just then, Hallie appears from her bedroom, and I stop pacing.
“I gotta go,” I tell him, her eyes holding mine. Ending the call, I flip the phone over in my hand. “You okay?” I ask as she sits on the sofa in front of me. She nods halfheartedly, her eyes bloodshot and dark from lack of sleep. She’s not sleeping well, I can hear her crying through the apartment’s thin walls.
She glances down at my phone. “I, umm… saw you on the phone. Everything okay?”
I hesitate, not wanting to lie. “It was Logan. He was checking in.” It’s not exactly lying, I’m just not telling her the whole truth. I’ll have to tell her soon, but right now, I want to get her to agree to come out with me for the day. Leave all this behind her for a bit. Sitting on the sofa, I turn to face her. “Let’s take my bike out today. We can ride up the coast and stop off at the beach.”
She screws her face up and shakes her head. “Not today, Sawyer.” She turns on the television with the remote control and settles back on the sofa. I take the remote control from her hand and turn it off.
“What are you doing?” she asks, reaching across me to try and take it back.
“We are not spending another day sitting in this apartment, Hallie.” I hold the remote control out of her reach, and her face floods with anger as she scrambles to reach it. “We’re going out.”
“Yougo!” she yells at me. “No one is askingyouto stay.” She sits back on the sofa, tears welling in her eyes.
I ignore her words, knowing she’s projecting her anger at the situation onto me. “We’ve been inside for almost a week.” I soften my voice and take her hand. “I’m worried about you.” Her hand fits perfectly in mine, and I’m acutely aware of how much I touch her. It’s like I can’t stop myself. I’ve never allowed myself to get this close to a client before. I’ve never wanted to. With Hallie, I find myself wanting to comfort her whenever I can. Hearing her cry at night kills me, and I constantly battle with myself not to go to her. It’s something I need to get under control and fast.
“I’m okay,” she whispers, a single tear tracking down her cheek.
My stomach twists. “You’re not, but that’s okay,” I tell her softly. “You don’t have to pretend with me.” I’ve watched her put on a brave face when her parents visit, and I’ve seen the relief of being able to drop the act when they leave. “Do you trust me?” She wipes her face as more tears fall before slowly nodding her head. “Then you know I’ll keep you safe.”
She sighs loudly. “What about all those reporters?”
“My car is around the back. They won’t even know we’ve gone.” She bites down on her bottom lip, and I think I’ve convinced her.
“I need to shower.”
“Yeah, you do. It’s like living with a homeless person.” My voice is deadpan, and her eyes widen in surprise before a smile pulls on her lips. Picking up a cushion, she throws it at my head. “That’s the second time you’ve attacked me with a cushion. I think I’ll be the one needing protection soon.”
