“She’s twelve but very small. It’s an emergency,” I said to a woman who was calling Ellen’s name. As we came up the hill, I could see Mrs. Hunter talking to the man with the megaphone from the Mountain Association, who was putting barbecue utensils into the back of his car. I could hear people down in the field calling Ellen’s name. There were shouts for her at the swim club.

Sage was beside me as we got to the peak of the hill, where the Camaro had been parked. It was gone.

“Oh my God. It was there. He’s taken her. Sage.”

“Who? Who’s taken her?” It was the man with the megaphone.

Mrs. Hunter came with him and put her hand on my shoulder. “Libby, try to slow down and tell us what’s happened.”

“There was a man here in a Camaro. He hurt Ellen before. He’s taken her.” I pointed to the space where he had been parked. “It was there just a few minutes ago.”

Thomas suddenly appeared. “Libby, what’s wrong? Why’s everyone calling for Ellen?”

“Thomas. She’s gone. She left her bike, and the man’s taken her.” A crowd of people had started to form around us.

“What man? What are you talking about? Sage, what’s wrong with her?”

“Earlier this summer, a man attacked Ellen and tried to hurt her. Libby saw his car, and we can’t find Ellen.”

“Thomas, it’s the man you saw. The horrible weird man you saw when you were walking with the lawn mower. Him.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Ellen was in his car, and he wouldn’t let her out, and she jumped while it was moving.” Sage’s voice was calm and clear.

“Libby, what’s she talking about?”

I told Thomas what had happened that night on the road, Ellen hitchhiking and the man touching her, how she’d jumped. How we didn’t tell anyone. All these people were listening, and I couldn’t say we were afraid Mom would get in trouble for throwing her out in the dark to begin with.

Thomas turned to the megaphone man. “We need the police. Can someone please get the police? Please. We need help.”