“She
probably went with some friends to the bounce house. She loves those,” Bethany
answered.
If his ex-wife spent more time with Grace and paid attention, she’d know Grace wouldn’t do
that. “I told her not to go anywhere else.”
“Maybe
she needed the bathroom and couldn’t wait to check in. I’ll go check.” Jessie
headed for the temporary bathrooms set up behind the bandstand.
“I’m
going to check the bounce houses. Stay here in case she comes back.” He
couldn’t recall a single time Grace had disobeyed him on something like this but
she was a kid surrounded by her friends. Kids followed their peers all the
time.
When
a search of both bounce houses and the craft table nearby turned up nothing he
started back for their blanket hoping that Jessie had found her or she’d
wandered back over. The sight of just Jessie and Bethany standing together
froze the blood in his veins. His eyes continued to sweep the area as he walked
and he reminded himself that this was North Salem not some huge city.
“I
checked the bathrooms and asked some parents I passed by.” Jessie’s voice
echoed his own worry.
“She
has to be here. This town is like Hicksville. Everyone is either related to
each other or knows everyone else. Nobody would take her.”
While
Bethany maybe close to the truth he knew strangers did pass through town all
the time and it only took one messed up person to snatch a little girl. Hard
cold fear knotted inside his chest. As someone in law enforcement he’d seen
time and time again both with the Boston Police and now with the FBI what could
happen to a little girl like Grace.
He
continued sweeping the area as she waited for his father, the police chief, to
answer his phone. He may be jumping the gun. She may be playing with friends
somewhere but he wasn’t taking any chances.
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