Page 103 of Sycamore Circle

Anthony stared at her. Perhaps it was only two or three seconds, but it felt like an eternity. “No. No, it is not,” he whispered.

She felt like she could finally breathe again. Hopefully there would be a window in the bathroom. Even if it was too small to slip through, at least she’d be able to yell for help.

But first she had to get to her feet.

She shifted enough to face the mattress. Then, gripping handfuls of the sheet and blanket with both hands, she pulled herself up inch by inch. The muscles on her right side, where he’d cut her, screamed in protest. Her head pounded. When she was standing at last, the pain was so intense she was nauseous and dizzy.

But she had done it.

A burst of pride filled her. She hoped it was enough to propel her to the bathroom. All she could do was take one step at a time.

Anthony moved to the side and watched her move. The sweet, kind expression she’d been so accustomed to seeing on his face was nowhere to be found. Instead, he looked upset and irritated. His breathing seemed to become more labored and anxious with every step she took.

When Joy reached the bathroom door at last, she thanked the Lord for being with her. She was pretty sure she would’ve never made it those four feet on her own.

She walked inside the bathroom and closed the door. It was already illuminated. She turned, hoping for a window to appear, but there wasn’t one to be found. Only a small shower with a torn curtain, a cracked mirror, a toilet, and a sink.

Tears filled her eyes as she realized that escaping was going to be even harder than she’d thought. Then, thinking of Chloe, she pulled herself together and turned on the sink.

Somehow, someway, she was going to get herself out of Anthony’s creepy room. She was going to pray, hope that somehow Chloe had alerted Bo or the police that she was missing. That someone would discover her car parked outside Sacred Grounds late at night.

People were going to be looking for her and she wasn’t going to give up. She put her hands under the cold stream of water at last. Splashed some on her face.

“Joy, are you clean now?”

“No,” she called out. “I need more time.”

She figured that said it all.

CHAPTER 36

It had been less than two hours since Chloe and Finn called Bo, but it felt like an eternity. He stood now next to an unmarked police car with Mason, Lincoln, and Seth in the parking lot next to Sacred Grounds.

Without telling Bo, Seth had called Lincoln and relayed everything that had happened. In turn, Lincoln had spoken to Jennifer, and they’d both elected to postpone their trip to the Hocking Hills another day or two. Jennifer’s mother had been delighted to have extra time with Hunt.

Bo might have felt guilty about ruining his boss’s vacation if he hadn’t been so scared. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what could be happening to her. One didn’t spend as much time as he did around convicts without hearing stories.

After speaking with Tony—who was, unfortunately, in California but getting on the first flight out—Bo had driven to Lane’s Diner to speak to Chloe in person.

Bo didn’t know if he would ever get completely over how terrible he’d felt when he told her the news; watching the hope fade from her eyes to be replaced by fear was nothing he ever wanted to experience again. After helping her speak to her grandmother and aunt, he’d left, knowing that Finn, Lane, and Mary would be watching over her before her relatives picked her up, which relieved his mind. Chloe’s grandma was going to take her to her house until Joy was located. No one wanted Chloe to go home—just in case whoever took Joy decided to pay her house a visit.

Now that he’d done his best for Joy’s daughter, all Bo cared about was finding her momma. He was no detective, though, and beyond a sixth sense broadcasting that she was nearby, he had no idea where to look first.

Luckily, Detective Heilman did have some ideas. After speaking with Bo and seeing her vehicle, Kevin asked for more officers to join them. They’d jimmied the car’s locks, hoping for more clues about who she might have been seeing that morning. Kevin had even asked another officer to go to Joy’s house and take a picture of Joy’s calendar.

Lincoln had been on the phone too. He’d started calling in favors with some of the less-law-abiding citizens in the area. It was a long shot, but they all knew that all sorts of unexpected things could have happened to Joy. Any information could help.

After Tara, the owner of Sacred Grounds, had been notified of what was happening, she’d started to work the phones too. She didn’t have any security cameras, but she did reach out to the employees who’d been there earlier. They, in turn, were asked to call, text, or email anyone they knew who might have been in the coffee shop when Joy had been there.

Everyone agreed that someone had to have seen something. A lot of people were used to seeing Joy tutor at one of the tables. In addition, while Joy might not stand out, Anthony did. He was a big man, always kind of scruffy, and he often got emotional.

With all of that going on, Bo had allowed himself to feel hopeful. He might know a lot of terrible things that could have befallen Joy. Just as importantly, he also was aware of how many things could’ve gone wrong with whoever abducted her. Best-laid plans often went awry. With someone like Anthony, who didn’t seem to have a tight lid on his temper, something had to have gone wrong if he was involved.

Unfortunately, as the clock ticked and darkness descended, Bo’s optimism faltered. There was no doubt about it—he was scared. Scared out of his mind.

“Hey,” Lincoln said. “Come on back to the house with me.”

“I can’t.”

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