AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was about to leave the office when Amanda stopped him.
“Gene, why are you doing this if you don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” he said. “I think it’s important to make sure you’re a hundred percent okay. But I also understand your instinct. I know you need to find that girl as much as I want you to get that CT. Different things, same needs.”
“So what are you saying?” she asked, still unsure.
Gene’s gaze locked with hers. “If she’s out there, we’ll find her.”
“Thanks, brother,” Gene told Patrick over the phone. “I know you’re going out of your way to set this up.”
“It’s nothing. Buy me a beer and we’ll call it even.”
“You got it.”
Gene went back inside and headed to the counter to pay for his pie when Amanda came out of the kitchen with a baked goods box. Liam was about to ring the pie for him when Amanda stopped him.
“It’s on the house,” she said.
“No.” Gene handed Liam his card. “I can pay for my purchase.”
Amanda pushed his hand back. “Your money’s no good here, Doctor.”
“Amanda, if this is about you—”
“Let me give you a pie, Gene,” she said, handing the box to him. “It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me. Let’s call it a peace offering.”
“For what?” Gene frowned.
“For last night,” Amanda said. “I didn’t have to be that upset.”
“You’re entitled to feel what you felt, Amanda.”
She nodded. “Thanks for that.”
“By the way, you’re all set to meet with the sketch artist at nine tomorrow. Patrick will be expecting you.”
“You’re not coming?” Amanda looked surprised.
Carefully searching her face, Gene asked, “Do you want me there?”
“Yes, she does.” Jo jumped in from out of nowhere. “I’d go with her, but I’ll need to be here. The sketch artist is a great idea, Doc. We were just discussing how we needed something to start our search. Right now, the only person who knows what this girl looks like is Amanda. If we have a sketch, we all can help.”
Liam, who was watching them the whole time, chimed in. “I texted all my friends with a description of the girl, but a sketch will be better, for sure.”
Recruiting the teenagers to look amongst their own. I’m impressed.
“Good thinking.” He nodded at the boy. “Have you heard back from anyone?”
“Anita mentioned a classmate of hers hasn’t been in school this week,” Liam said. “But Anita said it wasn’t unusual for her. Apparently, her parents pull her from school often. They say they’re traveling. They’re loaded.”
“Huh, so maybe not her,” Jo said.
Amanda’s face deflated, but she said, “We should probably still check. Can you ask for the girl’s name, Liam?”
“Yeah.”
“How are we going to check?” Jo asked. “Even the police can’t just go knock on people’s door without a reason.”
