Part 27 (2/2)
”Don't know. A few days, probably more like a week. But I'll do my best to light a fire under them.”
”Yes, she's right here, dear,” Mrs. Gray said as she entered the room. She held the cordless phone receiver out to me.”
I took it and said, ”h.e.l.lo?”
Meghan wasted no time with preliminaries. ”Erin didn't come home from school with Zoe.”
”You're over there now?”
”Yes. Zoe came home by herself. She doesn't know where Erin is. She went off by herself and didn't tell anyone where she was going.” Her words tumbled over one another, fear raising the pitch of her voice. My stomach muscles clenched.
”Okay, Meghan, slow down. Zoe said Erin went off on her own? Not with anyone else?”
Ambrose's head jerked up, but I ignored him, trying to concentrate.
”They stayed late to help Mrs. Kreagle decorate the cla.s.sroom for Halloween. They helped for half an hour, but when they started to walk home, Erin told Zoe she'd meet her at Zoe's house, that she had something to do.”
I tried to sooth her. ”Well, she'll probably be there soon, then.” Ambrose held out his hand for the phone.
”Listen, Detective Ambrose wants to talk to you.”
”He's with you? Put him on.” I handed the phone to him.
”Ms. Bly? What happened?” He was silent as Meghan told him.
”Is the mother there? ... Good. I'm coming over. What's the address? ... Okay, got it. I'll be right there.” He pushed the disconnect b.u.t.ton and handed the phone back to Mrs. Gray, who had been watching with a worried expression.
”Thank you,” he told her. ”You've been very helpful. If I think of anything else I'll give you a call. That all right?”
”Of course, Detective,” she said, then, ”Is Meghan's little girl okay?”
”I'm sure she is. Kids'll wander off sometimes, by themselves. We'll track her down.” He was already walking toward the door. But the look on his face, which I could see and Mrs. Gray couldn't, told me he was worried. I ran after him.
”Let me get my coat, and I'll ride with you.”
He started to shake his head, then said in an irritated tone, ”Hurry up.”
I ran, I mean really ran, around the side of Mrs. Gray's house, skirted the stinking pile of soggy charcoal that had once been Walter Hanover's house and through our backyard, loping awkwardly as I approached the back door, trying to extract my keys from the front pocket of my jeans. The bruise in the fold of my hip screamed as I dragged them out. I fitted the key into the lock and turned, pus.h.i.+ng the door too hard so that it banged open. Dashed up the stairs, through the kitchen and to the front hall where I grabbed the first thing that came to hand: a fleece vest. Good enough. I ran back downstairs and out the still open door, remembering at the last minute to close and relock it.
As I turned, Erin walked around the side of the house. Her backpack hung over one shoulder and tiny raindrops had collected in her curls. I stared for a moment, panting and hot, the fleece vest lying on the ground where it had landed after slipping through my fingers.
”What?” she said.
Five steps later, I had her wrapped in a tight hug. Only as relief flooded through me did I realize how scared I'd been, how certain that Richard and his mother had taken her.
”Mmmph,” she said, wiggling in my clasp.
”What?”
”Lemme go. I can't breathe.”
”Oh. Sorry.” I loosened my hold and backed off a half step, one arm still around her shoulders.
”What was that all about?” she asked.
”Where have you been? We were all worried sick about you. Do you know how worried your mother was? Is. I have to go call her. C'mon-I'm not letting you out of my sight. You know, I'm sorry you have to stay at Zoe's for a while. I said I was sorry this morning. But you do have to. You can't come home yet, even though you miss us. We miss you, too, but it's just for a little longer. You have to go back.”
”Jeez, Sophie Mae. I only came home to pick up a book I needed for school.”
”Oh”
”But the key's gone, so I couldn't get in. So I was waiting for someone to come home. I thought I heard the back door bang open and came around to see if you'd parked in the alley.
”Oh. Well, you should have told someone where you were.”
”Sorry.” She didn't sound all that sorry to me.
”Or better yet, called your mom to have her bring the book to you.” By now we were upstairs. I reached for the phone in the hallway.
Erin said, ”What's the big deal? How come you don't want me here?”
”I... it's not that we don't want you here, Bug.”
”Did I do something wrong?”
”No!”
”Is this about Grandma Bly? I mean, Grace,” she said, remembering her grandmother's admonition to call her by her first name.
”What did your mom tell you?”
”She said to trust her and go to Zoe's. So she didn't tell me anything, and if I'm going to get yelled at-” She put her fists on her hips and glared at me. ”-then I think I have the right to know why.”
”Oh, G.o.d, Erin. I need to talk to your mom. Then-”
”Sophie Mae? Where the h.e.l.l are you?” Ambrose bellowed from downstairs.
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