Page 133 of Finders Keepers

She sighs dramatically, finally looking at the photo properly. After a moment that feels like an eternity, she shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, they checked in earlier. Little girl was quiet.” Her tone is dismissive, like I’m some hysterical woman overreacting. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

I want to scream in frustration and shake some compassion into her, but Gavin’s hands on my shoulders guide me back towards the door. Stepping back out into the darkness, I spin to face him, my heart torn between dread and possibility. Right then, a bright flash splits the sky, followed by a deep rumble overhead. The sporadic storm seemingly mirroring the chaos churning inside me. “She’s here. Sophie’s here!”

“We need to figure out which room,” he says, his eyes starting to scan the two-story building methodically. The red neon sign from the motel casts that eerie glow across the nearly empty parking lot, making shadows dance and flicker. Only a handful of rooms have lights on that we can see, but most of the room’s curtains are closed tight.

“Hold on,” he says, gripping my fingers as he tugs me back in the direction of his truck. “I have an idea, get in.” I feel the first drops of rain hitting my cheeks as we run across the parking lot.

Once inside his truck, he turns to me. “Call him again. Try to get him to look outside or something. If we can see which window he appears in…”

My hands fumble as I pull up my call log. “What do I say?”

“Something that’ll make him want to check outside. But be careful, don’t let him know we’re here.” His voice is low and steady, peering out his window to look at the rooms.

I take a deep breath and hit dial. The phone rings and then goes to voicemail, the generic message making my heart sink. The rain starts coming down on the windshield, each drop echoing my growing sense of desperation. My stomach twists into knots as I press the phone to my ear, willing him to answer.

“Ugh.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He didn’t answer.”

“Try again.” he tells me. “We know they’re here at least.”

I press his number again and the phone rings twice before he answers.

My heart leaps into my throat when I hear Matt’s gruff voice. “What do you want?” The familiar slur in his words sends ice through my veins.

“Matt, please.” I keep my voice soft, submissive. The sound of aluminum crunching in the background makes my stomach turn. “I just want to talk.”

“Now you wanna talk?” He lets out a bitter laugh that raises the hair on my arms.

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have left like that.” The lie makes me nauseous, but I push through and say it regardless. “You’re her dad. I don’t want to see you get arrested. Let’s talk this out like we used to, remember?”

Another can cracks open in the background. My mind flashes to all those nights, watching him drink himself angry, counting the empties and trying to gauge his mood.

“Like we used to?” His voice drips with sarcasm. “Before you turned into such a stuck-up bitch?”

I swallow hard, pushing down the urge to snap back. Instead, I soften my voice even more. “I miss how things were before, when we could work things out.” I feel like I’m about to vomit, but I press on. “Remember how good we were at fixing things?”

“You’re the one who broke everything.” There’s a dangerous edge to his words now. “Taking my daughter away from me.”

“I know you love her.” I grip the phone tighter, watching the rain streak down the windshield. “That’s why I’m calling. The police are looking for you, Matt. I don’t want Sophie to see her daddy get taken away from her.”

The mention of the police makes him pause. I hear rustling, then the heavy thud of his footsteps. “Police ain’t gonna do shit. She’s my kid too.”

“They’ve already put out an AMBER Alert.” I inject worry into my voice, playing into his paranoia. “There are probably cops everywhere by now. I’m scared for you, Matt.”

“Bullshit.” But I hear the uncertainty creeping in. More footsteps, then the distinct sound of curtains being pushed aside.

Gavin tenses beside me, his eyes locked on the second floor. A shadow moves behind one of the windows, and then, there he is. Matt’s silhouette appears, his broad frame unmistakable even through the rain-streaked glass. Room 219.

My pulse pounds in my ears as I watch him peer out into the darkness. “I can help you,” I whisper into the phone. “We can figure this out together, like before.”

He steps away from the window. “You think I’m stupid?” Matt’s voice turns ugly. “You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?”

“No, Matt, I—”

“Shut the fuck up!” The familiar roar makes me flinch. “You don’t get to play nice now. You took everything from me, and now I’m taking it back.”

The line goes dead.

I lower the phone with trembling hands, tears burning behind my eyes. “Room 219,” I whisper to Gavin. “She’s up there with him.”

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