Page 119 of Wish You Were Mine

“Damn.”

I had an awful suspicion that Marcy’s disappearance was related to everything else that had gone wrong lately, and if that was the case, it would be my fault. Whoever was behind those incidents was targeting me.

When Dad and I reached each other, we returned inside. Nate was no longer speaking to Frannie but was on his phone. Both Summer and Mum were in the room, indicating they must have already completed their searches too.

Nate hung up and pocketed his phone. He faced us, his expression grim. “I don’t want to scare anyone needlessly, but the fact Marcy isn’t on the property doesn’t bode well. I don’t see how she could have left on her own, and Frannie and Dean seem sure that no one they know would have come by to collect her for any reason.”

Nate’s eyes briefly met mine, and I saw in them the same concerns I had. “Because of that, we have to treat this as a possible abduction. Connor is initiating a search of the buildings in the forest surrounding the township in case someone took Marcy to one of the unoccupied huts. Meanwhile, I will coordinate a search within the town boundaries.”

Frannie hiccupped, and when I glanced over, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes were puffy and red.

“We’ll do everything we can to find her,” Officer Mehrtens told her gently. “Connor and Nate have run searches like this before. They know what they’re doing.”

Frannie shook her head but didn’t speak.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. No doubt it was Connor, mobilizing the team.

“I’ll join Connor’s search effort,” I said.

Summer moved to my side. “So will I.”

I frowned down at her. “You don’t have any training.”

A challenge glinted in her eyes. “Either you let me come with you, or I’ll go out on my own.”

I huffed. “You’ll have to stick with me at all times and do exactly what I say.”

“I can do that,” she agreed.

Another day, I might have teased her about compliance not being in her nature, but this wasn’t the time for kidding around.

“What can we do?” Dean asked.

“Stay here,” Nate said firmly.

Dean scowled. “But we want to help.”

“The best way you can do that is by being here if Marcy returns. We can’t rule out the fact that whoever has her may not wish her harm, and if she is returned, she’ll need her parents.”

Dean’s lips pressed tightly together but he didn’t argue again.

“We’ll keep you updated,” Nate said, and strode toward the door with Mehrtens on his heels.

When they left, the room fell silent, apart from Frannie’s shuddering breaths.

I dropped to my knees in front of her. “I’m so sorry.”

She stared at me blankly, as if everything inside her was numb. “I don’t care. I just want my baby back.”

I flinched, even though I knew she hadn’t meant anything by the words. “We’ll get her.”

“Excuse me.”

I spun around. Officer Mehrtens stood behind me, a piece of damp paper extended toward me, pinched between her thumb and forefinger.

“This was on Summer’s window,” she said.

My gut tightened. It was the same handwriting as what had been on the rock thrown through my window.

---