Page 54 of Reverse Perspective

“Whoa. What’s going on?” Jake asks as he walks into the house.

“He’s implying I had something to do with Sadie going missing,” Todd says, glaring at me.

“Leo says he saw him come back to the house when he was leaving earlier,” Dean says.

“I left here at like three, Lance,” he says. “What the fuck could I possibly have done for three and a half hours?”

“Billy,” I say as soon as he steps into the house. “When did Todd get to your shop?”

“Uhhh. Three maybe. Why?” he asks.

“See? Ever cross your mind that maybe Leo was mistaken? It could have been anyone he saw pull in,” Todd says.

“She was taken,” Mason says quietly.

“Mason,” Dean sighs. “We can’t go there.”

“He’s right,” Stacy says.

“She wouldn’t have left this house without her phone or her shoes,” Mason says, pointing to the black flats by the door. Those are basically the only shoes she wears unless we are at the park or work. “She wouldn’t leave barefoot unless she didn’t have a choice.”

“Fuck,” Dean says.

“Who would…” I start to ask but stop.

“Call her parents,” Stacy says. “Just start there and we can go to the police if they don’t know where she is.”

“We can’t file a missing persons report for twenty-four hours. She’s an adult,” Todd says.

I get my phone out of my pocket again and find Sadie’s father’s cellphone number. Surely he will care that his daughter is missing.

“Hello?” he answers.

“Mr. Graves,” I say. “It’s Lance.”

“Yeah. I have a caller ID,” he says. “What can I do for you, Lance?”

“Do you know where Sadie is? She had a migraine and stayed home from work. We got home and she’s gone. Her phone and shoes are still here, so we are worried about her.”

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do,” he says. “She got smart and took Paul up on his offer of marriage.”

“There’s no way,” I say.

“Sorry she didn’t say anything, but he picked her up today,” he says. “It’s best you just accept this and let her move on. She’ll be happy with him.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. She never would have gone with him,” I say in disbelief. “She wouldn’t do that.”

“We never thought she would be so low as to let you three do what you did to our daughter. She can be surprising,” he says coldly.

“When we find her… If she is hurt… It’s you I’m visiting first,” I promise. “You better pray to your God that she’s okay.” I end the call before he can say anything.

“What? Where is she?” Dean asks.

“Fuck,” I shout as I turn away and run my hand down my face.

“Talk to me. Where is she?” Dean asks again. Poor Mason looks beside himself.

“Paul,” I say. “He said she took him up on his offer for marriage and he picked her up today.”

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