Page 9 of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow
Rushing back to her, I crouch by her side. “What, sweetie? What’s wrong?”
She points at the bandstand on the other side of the park. Penny, who works at the library and is one of Ari’s friends, is walking up the steps with a stack of books tucked beneath her arm. “Story time is starting. YoupromisedI could go.” She looks around. “And where’s Mommy? She said she’d listen with me.”
“She’ll be right back,” I start. “I?—”
“DAD!” Elias practically bellows it. “I. Have. To. Go. Potty.”
Ben throws a panicked look in Grant and my direction.
Grant looks over at Scarlett and they exchange a silent communication. As she starts wiping the paint from the twins’ hands, Grant says quietly, “We’ll take care of it. As soon as Scarlett gets over here, I’ll take Elias to the bathroom. She can bring Winnie over to story time.”
“But the twins. Isn’t it too scary?”
Grant shakes his head. “They’re practically asleep now. It’s fine.” He claps my shoulder. “I’ve got this. You focus on Ari. Okay?”
I dip my head at him. “Thanks, man. It might be nothing, but?—”
He nods. “I get it.”
By the time Scarlett joins us with the twins, Oliver’s in sight, his brisk stride verging on a jog as he heads towards us. He’s not in uniform tonight; instead, he’s dressed in a black tuxedo that makes him stand out amid the throngs of Headless Horsemen and kid-themed costumes.
Scarlett meets my gaze and gives me a reassuring smile. In a cheerful tone, she says, “Winnie and I are just going to go listen to some of the stories while you’re waiting for Mommy to come back. Okay? We’ll just be right over there.”
I flash her a grateful look. “Thanks.” And to Winnie, I add brightly, “Have fun, sweetie. And set a good example for the twins.”
Winnie sets her shoulders and puffs out her chest. “I will, Daddy.”
Ben glances after Grant and Elias, who are moving at a quick trot towards the bathrooms. Then he joins me and Oliver in a three-person huddle.
Without preface, Oliver says, “The last time I talked to Shea was just before five. She said she was coming to find you guys. I assumed—” His jaw clenches. “I thought everything was okay. ThatSheawas okay.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” I reply. “They were just going to the library.”
Ben looks at his phone again. He exhales heavily. “I’ve sent ten texts, left half a dozen messages, and nothing.” Guilt moves across his features. “I should have gone with her. Or insisted she wait. Why did I say it was okay for her to go on her own?”
The same guilt weighs heavy on my shoulders. “Because they were going together. And it’s not far. I thought… Shit. I thought it would be okay, too.”
Oliver scans the park with a narrowed gaze. Then he casts a look further, outside the park and towards Main Street, where the celebration is still in full force. “But Irving Place isn’t well lit,” he says grimly. “And it’s closed for the night. So there’s no traffic…”
“Shit.” My hands fist. “What if…”
“But there’s three of them,” Ben offers weakly. “Ari and Shea had their phones, at least.”
We all go quiet for a few seconds, lost in our thoughts.
Then Oliver says, “The trackers.” A cautious hope tinges his voice. “Shea still wears her earrings. With the GPS tracker in them.” He taps his phone a few times. “I have the app. Just in case.”
Ben frowns. “I don’t think Thea wears her earrings anymore. It’s been so long…”
“Same,” I agree. “It’s been five years. Ari wouldn’t have thought.”
Oliver grits out a low curse. “She’s not showing up. It doesn’t make sense. Even if she’s not wearing them, I should see the GPS location on the app.”
The fear I’ve been battling to tamp down comes bursting free. “Wherearethey?”
Ben looks as scared as me. “Something’s wrong. Isn’t it?”
As ice creeps through my veins, I nod. “I think so.”
