Raph remembered her storming off through the back entrance of the drive-in, pouting when Wyatt said she couldn’t skate. Gods, what did you do, Princess?
“If you need help, forward the information to me, Wyatt,” Dad said, glancing at his desk.
“You have work to do,” Wyatt said, looking up.
“Protocol says we need twenty-four hours before we start a search.” Dad managed a smile. “But if you have cause for concern, especially with that McArthur bastard in town, then I’m all ears.”
“Thanks,” Raph said. He hadn’t been glad about his dad’s job in years, not since he’d thought himself a failure for not rescuing Wyatt. But as they left the office, Raph nodded at Chief Fleming, glad for his dad’s support. Dad nodded back, mouthing Good luck.
They had a precious child to find.
31
Wyatt
Wyatt turned on his phone’s GPS, waiting for the location app to load. “I shouldn’t... shouldn’t be worried, should I?”
But his heart pattered anyway. I can’t find her, Sam had said, his voice tinny across the line. One moment, she was pulling on her skates. The next moment, she’s gone. I don’t see her apron anywhere.
Hazel’s apron had her name stitched onto the bottom corner—all the staff knew it was hers. For both apron and girl to go missing... Hazel had gone out to the parking lot, intending to grab some orders.
Raph squeezed Wyatt’s shoulder. “She’s a smart one. She’ll be fine.”
“But Hazel’s never been lost before.” Wyatt’s heart pattered. He’d only been prepared for the anxiety of meeting their dad. Not his daughter going missing. He leaned into Raph in the elevator, closing his eyes. “I can’t deal with this.”
Raph wrapped his arm around Wyatt’s waist, guiding him out through the lobby. “She’s gonna be fine. Just you wait.”
Except the maps on his phone downloaded the moment they stepped out of the station. There was a red dot on the map, moving quickly away from Meadowfall. A chill slid down Wyatt’s spine.
“Oh, gods,” he said. There was no way Hazel could travel that far on her own. Maybe someone had stolen her phone, and she was chasing after them, safe and unharmed. Except his instincts said that wasn’t true. His Hazel was no longer in Meadowfall. “I think she’s been taken.”
Raph froze. “Fuck, get in the car. I’ll drive.”
“We should tell Dad,” Wyatt said.
“Get in the car. I’ll do that.”
Raph ushered Wyatt into the passenger seat, pulling out his phone. “Dad? We think Hazel’s been kidnapped,” he said. “They’re heading for Highton. Right. Right. I’ll get Sam to do that.”
Wyatt shuddered. Kidnapped. It was a terrible word. More so when his baby was involved.
Raph ended the call, then ducked into the car, pressing a quick kiss to Wyatt’s lips. “Can you get Sam to check the security footage on the restaurant? We need a license plate number.”
Wyatt groaned. “Sam’s not great with tech stuff. I’d have to get the files off the camera myself—damn it!”
They drove out of the parking lot, wheels screeching. Raph swore. “Almost empty on gas here. I don’t know how far we’re gonna be driving.”
Wyatt’s heart sank. With shaking fingers, he hit Sam’s Call button. Sam answered after two rings. “Wyatt?”
“I need the security footage, Sam. Can you pop it out of the cameras? Is there anyone else who can help?”
“The cameras?” Wyatt could almost hear Sam wincing. “Hey, Penny,” Sam said. “Do you know how to deal with the cameras? Wy needs the footage.”
In the background, Penny said, “Sure,” and Wyatt sagged into the seat, the weight on his chest easing slightly.
“Thanks,” he said. “We think someone took Hazel.”
“What?” Sam yelped. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Wy. I should’ve been keeping an eye on her. Tell me what to look for on the footage. I’m just—I...”
Wyatt didn’t know whose fault it was. It didn’t matter, anyway. Hazel was gone. His precious baby girl, who had smiled at him when she was two months old, the one person who didn’t know any of Wyatt’s history, only that he was her dad.
Raph reached over, catching his hand. “Do you want to try calling her?”
“Sam said she didn’t answer.” If Wyatt called, would it alert the kidnapper? How much battery was left on Hazel’s phone? They were still moving; he couldn’t risk losing the GPS signal now.
“Penny’s getting the footage,” Sam said over the line. “She’s bringing it to the office.”
“Thanks. Close up after the last patron,” Wyatt said. “Paid hours for everyone.”
Raph squeezed his hand, and Wyatt squeezed back. Was Hazel scared? Was she conscious? His stomach twisted.
They pulled into the drive-in’s parking lot, stopped right outside the front door. The parking lot was near-empty; at 1 PM, there were only a few diners present. Inside, Mina waved, her smile strained—she had to have heard the news, too. Wyatt’s gut churned. Who could have taken Hazel? Why would they have chosen her?
“Think it’s Max?” Raph muttered halfway to the office.
Wyatt stumbled, his heart lodging in his throat. “I—I hope not.”
But Max was the most prominent suspect—he was in Meadowfall. He knew where Wyatt worked. He’d seen Wyatt and Hazel at the store.
Raph caught him around the chest, holding him up. Then he hugged Wyatt from behind, his breath puffing through Wyatt’s hair. “Things will be fine. We’re gonna find Hazel, and she’ll be back before you know it.”
Wyatt trembled. Raph was just saying that to comfort him. The map had updated; since they’d located Hazel at the station, she’d traveled another ten miles north.
They burst into the office, crowding into the tiny space. Penny and Sam looked up from the laptop. Then they both stood, Sam with regret on his face, Penny with her forehead crinkled.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “I should’ve been more careful.”
“I should’ve started to search when Sam first mentioned it.” Penny winced, rounding the desk. She pulled Wyatt into a hug. “We’re fast-forwarding through the footage now. We’ll find her, Wy.”
“Have a car we can borrow?” Raph asked. “Wy’s is low on fuel.”
“Take
