Part 16 (1/2)
”Easy. What did Thames say?”
”We don't have time for this!”
”Take a breath. Think this through. Did Thames say anything that might give you a clue to what he's planning? Where he would take her?”
”No. Nothing like that. Don't you think I would have picked up on that? I've tried calling her. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. She ditched cla.s.s and left school with a boy named Chad. They were headed to Kirk County Park to watch a band warm up for a concert later tonight. I'm at the park. Harry, Dom, and Riley are with me. We've been up and down. There aren't that many people. We would have spotted her if she was here.”
”How were they getting there?”
”On foot. The boy doesn't have a vehicle.”
”Tell me what Thames said.”
Paige did.
”When were they last seen?”
Paige gave Sam the time they were believed to have left the school.
”I have Ivy's cell number,” Sam said. ”Give me Chad's if you have it. If their phones are on, we'll trace them that way.”
”I only have Ivy's number.”
”Okay. If Chad has a cell phone, I can get that number from his parents. What's his last name?”
”Slater.” Paige recited Chad's home address. Paige's breath caught. ”I was certain she would be safe at school, that no one could get to her there. I never considered that she would leave on her own.”
”We'll find her. I'll call you back.”
Paige ran through the park again, looking for Ivy, hoping and praying that Ivy was just late in arriving, but Ivy wasn't there.
Paige returned to her van. Grabbing at any thread of hope, Paige wondered if maybe Ivy and Chad had taken a different route from the school and were still on their way to the park. As she drove up one street and down another, Paige continued to call Ivy's phone over and over with no success.
Paige's phone rang. Sam. ”What did you find out?”
”I put out the alert. We'll find her, Paige.”
Paige's chest tightened. She felt as if she was going to be sick.
”Where are you now?” Sam asked.
”Swanson Avenue.”
”I've left the courthouse. I've put in a call to Chad's parents. We'll see if they can contact Chad.” Sam paused, then said, ”Hold on. I have a call coming in.”
Paige waited out the silence. Her stomach was in knots. Finally, Sam came back on the line.
”That was the Kirk County sheriff's office,” Sam said. ”A convenience store owner on Church Street reported that two teens matching Ivy and Chad's descriptions stopped by a short while ago. They bought snacks, and the man overheard the teens say they were going to the Main Street Theater.”
”How long ago was that?”
”The man pegged the time between thirty and forty-five minutes ago.”
”Thames could have driven them out of Kirk County in that time.” Paige fought panic. ”I'm one street over. I'll be at the theater in a minute or two.”
”I'm almost there myself. Wait for me.”
An instant later, Paige saw Sam's truck come around a corner and then turn into the movie house. She turned as well. They parked beside a patrol car.
Paige leaped out of the van and ran toward the cop car. Ivy wasn't inside. Paige flashed her badge at the young officer leaning against the driver's door. ”Did you see my sister and a boy enter the theater?”
”No, ma'am. I just got the call to stake out the theater to watch for anyone leaving.”
Sam joined her by the car. Paige turned to him. ”They might not even be here. Thames may have nabbed them sometime after they left the store.”
Sam said to the officer, ”Stay here and keep an eye out for anyone going in or coming out. Stop anyone leaving.”
”Yes, sir.”
Paige broke away from Sam. ”We're wasting time.”
She ran ahead. The marquee showed two movies on offer for the matinee. One was a foreign film with subt.i.tles. The second was the new superhero movie. Both must have started because there wasn't anyone manning the ticket booth.
She went inside to the attendant standing by the closed theater door. ”Where are the lights? I need you to turn on the light inside the theater now.”
”I can't do that. The movie's started.”
Paige stuck her ID in front of his face. ”Do it. Now.”
The attendant paled, then nodded briskly. Paige followed him into the theater, where he went to a covered electrical box. Using a key he had on a bungee cord clipped to his belt, he unlocked the box, then flipped a couple of switches. The theater filled with light.
”Hey!”
”What's going on?”
Paige ignored the shouts from the few disgruntled patrons. The theater was by no means full, and Ivy, in her wheelchair, would be sitting down in front and at the end of an aisle. Paige spotted her sister near one of the exit doors and raced toward her.
Ivy's eyes widened. Paige dropped to a crouch in front of her sister, gripping Ivy's arms. Paige was shaking. She hugged Ivy tightly. ”Are you all right?”
Murmurs and more raised voices came from the small crowd. Ivy pulled back from Paige, then glanced over her shoulder.
Paige cupped Ivy's chin. ”Ivy?”
Ivy swallowed. ”Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be all right? Paige, what are you doing here?”
Paige needed a moment to catch her breath, to find her voice. Fear had closed her throat tight. ”I got a call.” Paige shook her head. ”It doesn't matter now. You're okay. That's all that matters.”