Page 22 of Key Of Dreams

“I need to do something.” He gives me the address and tells me he’ll meet me there right after school.

* * *

When I arrive at the elementary school, I ask the teacher to gather the kids around in a circle, and I begin to tell them a story. “You see, this is a story about how friends come together to help a friend,” I begin. “Sometimes adults think they know what’s best for a kid, but they don’t know them as well as they think they do. Now, if it’s a parent or teacher, even a doctor, then they know a lot about you, and it’s okay to listen to them if you have your parents’ permission. This story is about how a boy followed an adult and got lost because of it and how his friends were able to remember all kinds of things to help his mom and dad bring him home safe and sound.”

“How many of you want to be helpers?” their teacher, Mrs. Johnston, asks.

They all shout happily that they want to help. I settle them down and begin to prompt them. “Troy has been away for a whole day, and we think he might be lost. How can we bring him home? Does anyone have any ideas?” I tap my finger to my temple, indicating that they should think hard.

“Troy couldn’t find his backpack and went to look for it inside,” a little, brown-haired girl pipes up.

“Did he go all alone?” his teacher asks and looks to Bull. “He never came to get me.”

“No, he went inside with Mr. Allen,” the little girl adds.

“My dad came to get me, and he bumped into Mr. Allen in the parking lot, but I didn’t see Troy,” one of the boys says.

“Good job, Robbie,” the teacher says, bringing a smile to his face.

Bull comes down on his haunches and puts a hand on the boy’s back. “Do you think your dad might be able to talk to us?”

“Sure. He’s picking me up tonight,” Robbie says.

I talk to the kids for a while longer, and eventually, the parents arrive to pick up their children. Robbie is one of the last to be picked up. Bull approaches his father, and they move into the school office to talk.

When they come back out, Bull has his phone to his ear, while Robbie launches into his father’s arms. As they walk past me, Robbie’s father says, “Good luck. I really hope they find him. Troy’s a sweet kid.”

Bull gets closer and wraps an arm around me as he continues his conversation. “This Mr. Allen is a part-time janitor. Younger man, early thirties, full head of black hair and a scar on his cheek. The principal is looking for his employment registration form.” He proceeds to give Bull the make and model of the car Mr. Allen was driving.

Bull collects all the information he can from the office and walks me to my car. “I’m going to be late tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting,” I reply.

“The clock is ticking, babe. We’re running out of time. I’m not sure when I can get away,” he tells me.

“I’ll still be waiting for you.”

“You did good. This is the first solid lead we’ve had. My girl’s amazing,” he says, giving me a half grin, but I can see that his mind is consumed with finding Troy.

“Go, Bull. They need you.”

We both drive off in opposite directions. The clock is ticking, and the Storm men are racing against time.

Chapter12

Where’s the Kid?

Bull

Maya’s made more of a difference than she knows with her idea to approach the kids in a gentle way. When we originally went in to ask questions, we were too direct. We got nowhere. We didn’t even know about Mr. Allen. The kids were too worried thinking they were going to get into trouble to remember anything important. Maya turned a scary situation into a fact-finding mission.

She’s wonderful with kids of all ages. I bet the kids in her class adore her, and she’s going to make a wonderful mother one day.

With the information I collected, Wire has been tracing the leads. “I’ve got three vehicles that match the description given to us. There’s only one car that comes up on the camera at one of the lights. I’m playing it now.” He points to the screen and slows it down to half speed. Then he freezes the frame. “Right there.”

We all look at the screen, but Rebel jumps to his feet and moves to the front of the picture flashing in front of us. He points to the back seat. It’s a tiny shoe.

“He knocked the kid out. No one saw him because he was lying in the back seat,” Rebel says.

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