Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
She’s going crazy sitting in the car, and it may help her if she’s actively looking.
She walks with me into the library, and it takes everything I have not to hold her hand. When we get inside, I stop at the checkout counter and explain the situation. I turn to Cassie. “You take this floor and check everywhere. I’ll take upstairs.”
She nods her head, and I jog up the stairs. After fifteen minutes of searching, Colby is nowhere to be found. I stand at the top of the stairs and look down to the first floor, trying to see things from a different angle, but all I see is the desk clerk and Cassie going through the aisles searching.
I try not to let myself panic. Both places were such good ideas, and I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t find him. I promised Cassie I would.
I jog back down the steps and finish helping Cassie. After we’re done, we go outside.
Cassie is not giving up. “Park next?”
I nod, and she gets in, snapping the seatbelt around her.
I drive us across town and stop at the parking lot to the park. This is pretty far from Colby’s house and the school, but I’m still going to search it.
“You stay in the car on this one.”
She’s already undoing her belt. “Baker, I can go. I can help look.”
I nod. “I know, but it’s already starting to turn dusk. I’ll go check around. You stay here. Please?”
She reluctantly nods her head, and I grab my flashlight out of the trunk and start walking to the park. I look everywhere along the walking path, the wooded areas to the side, and then I find myself at the swings.
I hear something and stop, holding my breath, hoping I’ll hear it again.
“Officer Johnson?”
I let out the breath I’m holding and turn to the slide. There’s a small tight spot underneath it, and I squat down and shine my light into it. The little boy’s big blue eyes are staring back at me. “Hey, Colby.”
He wraps his arms around his legs and stares at the ground. “You looking for me?”
I shine the light on the ground in front of him so it’s not in his eyes. “A lot of people are looking for you. Miss Waters is in the car, and your uncle is worried about you. Half the town is looking for you right now, son.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds and then starts to stutter. “If I… I mean if I come out, are you going to make me go to my mom’s house?”
I hold back the curse that I want to scream out. I can’t imagine wanting to run away because of my mom. Times like this make me very thankful for the parents I had growing up. I hold my hand out to him. “No, you don’t have to go to your mom’s. We’ve sent her for help, Colby. Your uncle was hoping you’d want to come and stay with him.”
He stays bent over as he climbs out from under the slide. “Are you serious, Officer Johnson? Can I stay with Uncle Raymond?”
I nod. I hope nothing has changed since I heard from the station earlier. “Yes, your uncle wants you with him while your mom gets help.”
He comes the rest of the way out and stands up. He stands awkwardly, and I put my hand on his back. “You okay?”
He nods and stretches his legs out. “Yeah, I’ve just been under there for a while.”
I pull my phone out. “I’m going to call the station and have your uncle meet us here, okay?”
I make the call and tell my sergeant that Colby is fine and where to find us. With one hand on his shoulder, we start walking out of the park. As soon as we get in sight of the squad car, the passenger door opens. “Colby!” Cassie hollers.
She starts running toward us, and I let go of the boy so he can meet her. She reaches for him, and they hug one another tightly. When I walk up on them, she’s telling him that he can’t ever run away again. “If you ever need help, you come to me, Colby. Or Officer Johnson. We both care about you, and we want to help you.”
The boy starts blinking, and it’s obvious he’s barely holding it together. “My mom was up doing drugs all night. She was having a fit this morning when I left. I hate it when she’s like that.”
I bend down next to him. “We’re sending her somewhere to get help.”
He doesn’t look convinced, and I know instantly what he’s thinking. “And we won’t let you go back to her if she doesn’t get better.”
The relief is evident as his shoulders drop and he takes a deep breath. “Okay.”