Page 20 of Wishful Thinking

Chapter Thirteen

Missing in action

Sal woke after a heavy sleep. Stella’s book lay on the corner of the bed and he picked it up and set it on the bedside stand. He had read for an hour, engrossed in the fantasy world of Stella’s mind. He got up, showered, and moved into the kitchen for a cup ofmorning brew. Belle had been in his dreams, he recalled with a smirk and he assumed she slept as deepas he had.

The skies were gloomy, loaded with ominous clouds, and he fearedthe day would be a washout. He scrolled through his pictures on the camera. Smiling at the ones of Belle in the cavern, he knew he’d head back on his trip to capture more. A pounding on his door pulled him from his viewing and he opened it to Stella looking distraught.

“Have you seen the boy this morning? Philippe? He was heading to Belle’s yesterday, and no one has heard from him. Lacey stopped by this morning frantic. She went to Belle’s, and she said that you two saw him on the beach late yesterday but he hadn’t been to her house. Lacey is frantic. It’s not like him to just disappear like this. We will search for him and hoped you’d joinus.”

“Let me get my shoes and I’ll meet you at your house.” Sal put his camera away and locked the cottage. Lacey and Belle stood with Stella on her porch as he approached. Belle gave him a frightened look, and he stood beside her, unsure whether to hug her. She moved close and wrapped her arms around him, deciding for them both.

“This isn’t like him, Sal. I’m worried. There’s a storm on the horizon and it’s moving like a snail, but not slow enough. Wewill get tonsof rain so itwill not be easy. You and I can check the caves, and Stella and Lacey will search the other beach in case he walked there and got lost. There arepaths between here and there, a few aremucky sand areas where he could get trapped.”

They split up and Belle and Sal moved down the beach towards the rocky outcrop. Belle scanned the water. Half-way to the cave she found his notebook near the dunes. It was damp. She paged to wherehiswriting ended,but found nothing showing where he would have gone. The tides had come and gone and washed away any footprints. They continued forward on their quest. The waves moved in higherwith the coming storm and they moved through them as they traversed the rocks to gain entrance to the cave. Belle ran in and scanned the winding areas but shook her head.

“He’s not in here. Let’s head outbefore we becometrapped.” Sal took her arm and guided her through the crashing surf.

“Let’s move out on the road and see if he’s between here and the houses.” Belle moved through the dunes, and at the highest point, scanned the grasses for the boy. She walked, her steps sure and steadyas Sal followed.

“That kid knows his way around this island. He’s disciplined anddoes the same thingdaily. I wish we would have stayed the course and met up with him yesterday, maybe he’d still be here. I don’t know. This whole thing is strange.” Her eyes welled up with tears and Sal hugged her tight.

“Don’t worry Belle, he may beholed up at a friend’s house.” Belle shook her head no.

“If he stays with a friend, they always call Lacey to let her know. He’s too consistent, trust me, something’s wrong.” They walked along as Belle scanned everywhere she could think of, knocking on doors and enquiring, but between the rocks and Stella’s, there was no sign of him.

“Let’s goto the Lug. MaybeAngel hassomeinformation.” They double-backed to Belle’s car and headed towards the bar. Angel paced back and forth, his mood frantic. He hugged Belle hard.

“I’m battening down the hatches before the storm, thencoming to join the search. Have you heard anything new? This sucks, I don’t get it. I’m not worried about him drowning, that kid can swim like a fish. This isn’t normal. He was happy as a clam yesterday and was heading down to watch the game at your place. He said you had a good supply of Dr. Pepper. I’d give him a case of the shit if he’d show up unharmed.” Angel let his tears fall unashamed and Belle wiped them away

“We’ll find him, don’t worry.” Oh, and this is Sal, an old friend of mine from back in the day.” Angel smiled at Sal and winked.

“Yeah, we’ve already met, thanks for helping,Sal. That boy means the world to me and Lacey. We’ve got to find him before this storm hits.” Angel spoke as he roped down the breakers on the side of the bar. Belle and Sal helped him carry the chairs to the shed behind the bar for safe-keeping and once everything was shuttered, the group moved back down to Stella’s. Stella and Lacey hadreturnedfrom the beach andhad Willie in tow.

“Angel, Willie saw him early yesterday, gave him a lesson in surfing but then he left. That was in the morning before heading to Belle’s. He hasn’t seen him since.” Willie looked upset, his eyes a faded hue of red.

“Anything I can do to help, just tell me what you want me to do.” Lacey called the police while Angel and Sal drove down to the tourist complex to see if anyone had seen the boy. Stella drove off with Willie to check more of the other side of the island. Belle and Lacey went back to Belle’s home to see if there were any clues there to his whereabouts and wait for the police. Belle handed Lacey Philippe’s notebook.

“Sal and I found this near the dunes on the way to the caves. We saw him yesterday but veered off to hit the road and I didn’t stop to talk to him. I wish I had, now.” Lacey burst into tears and paged through the book. His last words had been “Belle game, and Dr. Pepper.” She sobbed and Belle held her tight.

“We’ll find him, don’t worry. It’s an island, how far can he go, right?” Lacey sat down on the couch.

“This isn’t like him, he’s done nothing like this before. I just don’t understand, he’s just a boy. You don’t think anyone hurt him, do you? You never know about the tourists, there could be a pedophile vacationing and looking for the right opportunity. I’d like to believe that he’s a smart boy. If someone came up behind him, he’d never realize it until it was too late. Shit, I hate this.” Belle listened as she vented her sorrow, wiping her tears as they fell.

The police showed up a half-hour later, took down the details and then left again. Belle didn’t have faith intheir talent. The scenario was out of their element, having only had to deal with the occasional domestic violence event or an unruly drunk at the Lug.

“Iwill go check out the beach again, I’ll be right back, okay?” Lacey nodded and Belle picked up the lamp on her way out.

She walked out to the sand, cradling the lamp in her arms. “If youwill work some more magic for me, now would be the time to start.” Stroking it gently, she prayed that Philippe would turn up safe and sound. Looking in both directions, the beach laydeserted.The storm was still a distance away, but she knew by midnight, it would descend with a fury.

∞∞∞

Belle headed towards home, her heart in shambles fearing the worst for the child.

“I’ve got to remain positive, Lacey needs me to keep her going, and that’s what I have to do, come home Philippe, please, come home.” She rounded the side of her residence and saw a red envelope pinned down with a rock on the walkway. Her heart beat quick and desperate,she wrenched it open, her fingers shaking.

If you want to see the boy alive, meet me at the caves. Come alone. If I see anyone with you, I kill him. He’s a nice boy. Quiet, but you knew that already. In case you don’t believe me, he gestured something about a drink. I suppose he must be thirsty. Alone… Be here or he’s dead.

Belle felt her stomach sink, and she hurried up the stairs to switch shoes. Her sandals would hinder her on the rocks and she moved into her bedroom to grab her sneakers. Lacey was making calls in the living room. She reached into her bedside table and snatched a sheathed knife, yanked out the blade and trembled.

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