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"Noelle's missing. We've been searching everywhere, but we can't find her."
Tommy's expression changed instantly, alarm flaring over his features as his protective instincts visibly kicked in. "Okay, let's not panic. We'll find her."
Nick and Jack brushed by them, apparently having heard the news as well. Tommy joined them in the front room, and the three men got straight to work, rallying the guests. Someone would find her. The place just wasn't that big.
But then again, it was definitely big enough that a very small person could easily go unnoticed if she were asleep in her hiding spot. That was the outcome Grace had been clinging to the whole time... but then another outcome popped into her mind.
Had Noelle wandered outside when the guys had gone out? Was it possible she would've been able to sneak by without them seeing her?
"Have you checked the closets down here?" Mrs. C suggested gently, her eyes filled with sympathy.
"Twice," Grace replied, barely managing a half-smile. "Maybe even more than that, considering all the help we have now. But it's worth checking again."
As the search continued, Grace felt a tug of intuition, guiding her away from the groups. She wondered if maybe Noelle had found a new hiding spot, one that even Grace wasn't aware of yet. With her breaths quick and shallow, she wandered through less frequented parts of the inn, the storm’s howl a constant background noise.
Grace ventured down a dimly lit hallway, lined with old family portraits and vintage wallpaper. She tried the knob on the door to the office Nick and Joan used for inn business, knowing Noelle wouldn't have been able to get in there without a key. But as she approached a seldom-used linen closet, her heart skipped a beat.
"Please let her be here," she whispered, reaching for the doorknob.
The door creaked open, revealing the empty shelves where extra blankets might have been before Joan had pulled them all out to distribute them. But even though Noelle would've fit perfectly on one of the lower shelves for the nap Grace imagined she was having somewhere, there was no sign of her.
Grace sighed, resting her forehead against the cool wooden doorframe for a moment before continuing her search. When her eyes fell upon the basement door, she frowned, noting that it was open.
Maybe someone had gone down in search of Noelle?
Or maybe... What if Noelle had tried to go down the stairs and fell?
A sliver of darkness beckoned from the gap between the door and the frame, adding to the sense of foreboding washing over her. But her concern for Noelle propelled her forward, and she opened the door all the way, revealing the narrow staircase that led down into the depths of the inn.
Swallowing hard, she stepped onto the first creaky stair, gripping the handrail tightly. With each step down, the air grew colder, the light from the hallway above dimmed, and the sounds of the storm outside faded, replaced by an eerie silence that seemed to envelop her.
Her senses heightened, Grace strained her eyes to adjust to the dimness, her ears listening for any sound that might betray Noelle's presence.
"Noelle?" she called out. "Are you down here, sweetie?"
There was no response, only the echo of her own voice bouncing back at her. Grace bit her lip, trying not to let her imagination run wild with worst-case scenarios.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Grace paused, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The basement was cluttered with old furniture, stacks of boxes, and cobwebs that seemed to hang from every available surface.
It was all very unlike Joan, but then again, Joan had bad knees. She likely never came down here.
Grace scanned the space, searching for any sign of Noelle.
"Noelley?" she called, her voice wavering slightly. "Come out, babe. Your momma's upstairs looking for you."
Grace started moving through the basement, navigating around the furniture and piles of forgotten items. Her hands trembled as she lifted dusty blankets and peeked into empty boxes, her heart racing with each passing second.
Suddenly, a shape shifted in the shadows, causing Grace to freeze. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat.
And then seemed to stand still as she realized she wasn't alone.
CHAPTER22
Tommy
"Found her!"Jack shouted triumphantly, causing everyone within earshot to sigh with relief.
Tommy rushed to join the group gathering around Jack and Noelle just as Holly took her from his arms and crushed her to her chest. "Where was she?"
