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Despite his reassuring tone, his jaw is tense. My panic feeds off his poorly concealed worry. What does he know that I don't?
My heart races as I try to explain the situation to Dare. "One of the nannies said that one of her coworkers left with a little girl about thirty minutes ago, but she didn't know who the girl was or where they were going. I'm about to tear my hair out."
Dare's eyes widen, and he looks just as troubled as I feel. Before he can respond, the elevator doors open. Aunt Minnie rushes out, her voice gentle as she takes my arm.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you two." Despite the circumstances, her voice holds a note of gentle reprimand that makes me feel like a child again.
Dare releases me and I step back, swiping at my tear-stained cheeks. "Minnie, Solana is gone. There is no sign of her anywhere..." I trail off helplessly.
"There now, let's not jump to conclusions," Aunt Minnie says soothingly. She pats my hand. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."
I shake my head in frustration. Does no one understand the gravity of this?
But Aunt Minnie continues on blithely. “The children from Hope House were taken to the hospital this morning, remember?" she says. "The doctors just want to test to make sure everything is okay."
My anxious mind grasps her words. The hospital. Of course.
I stare at her blankly. Could it be true? Could this just be a horrible misunderstanding? The spark of hope flickers tentatively inside me.
Dare clears his throat. "Of course. The hospital visit. That must be it." But his eyes are uncertain.
I cling to the fragile possibility like a lifeline. Solana is at the hospital. She has to be. I take a deep breath, steadying myself. There is only one way to know for sure.
"I need to make some calls," I say firmly.
Dare nods.
"We'll get to the bottom of this, Talia," he promises. His hand finds mine, gripping it tightly.
I pull out my phone with shaking hands, scrolling to find the number for Amelia, the Hope House volunteer who stayed here at the hotel with us last night. Dare squeezes my hand reassuringly as I press call and raise the phone to my ear.
The line trills endlessly. Come on, come on, I urge silently. Finally, a breathless voice answers.
"Talia, hey." It sounds quite noisy in the background where Amelia is. "Sorry, I'm at the hospital and it's busy here."
"Amelia, hi. I'm calling about Solana. She's one of the kids staying with us at the hotel."
"Oh yes, Solana!" Amelia responds brightly. "What's up?"
I rush on. "Is she with the group that went with you to the hospital this morning?"
There's a pause. "Solana?" Amelia sounds confused. "No, she isn't one of the kids that needed to come back to the hospital."
No. No, no, no. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing her words to change.
"As far as I know, Solana is with the kids at the hotel," Amelia continues, oblivious to the bomb she's just detonated in my heart. "Isn't she?"
The phone slips from my fingers, falling to the marble floor with a crack. Solana is gone.
Dare catches me as I sway, his strong arms the only thing still holding me upright. This can't be real. It has to be a nightmare I'll wake up from.
But the stark terror in Dare's eyes mirrors my own. He knows this is no dream.
Fear rises in me, acidic and burning. I think of all the horrific possibilities. Did she wander off and get lost? Did she leave with a nanny as Maddie suggested? Was she lured away by a stranger? Oh god, all the unspeakable things that could happen to a child alone and unprotected in the city...
I sag against Dare. He grips my shoulders, his face pale but determined.
"We'll find her," he says firmly. "I swear to you, Talia."
