She pants into the phone. I’m not sure if she’s been running or if she’s just so agitated that she can’t even breathe, but slowly, she starts to get the words out. “I brought the kids to Central Park. Sophie and Leslie were running around the playground, and then… then Sophie said she was going to the bathroom, and she was taking a long time, so I… went to check on her, and she wasn’t there.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. “Maria, are you sure she’s not somewhere around there? Maybe she—”

“I’ve looked everywhere. All over the north end of the park, and I just can’t find her. Mateo, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to—”

“Where are you?”

“At the East 110th Street playground.”

“Stay there,” I say firmly. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I shove my phone back into my pocket and start walking decisively. I’ve only taken a few steps, however, when I start to feel dizzy. The world around me is spinning, but still, I force myself to put one foot in front of the other until I’ve reached the table where Darryl, Kimmie, and her parents are sitting.

From somewhere far away, I hear someone saying my name.

“Matt.” No—it sounds more like a question: “Matt?”

Kimmie’s face comes into focus. She and Darryl are staring at me with deep frowns, their eyes moving quickly as they try to read my expression.

“What’s wrong?” Darryl asks.

“It’s my sister,” I manage to say. “She’s gone missing.”

I’m prepared to tell them that I don’t have time to go into detail. I’m expecting everyone to start asking me a million questions, but instead Kimmie says, “What can we do to find her?”

26

BY THE TIME WE GET TO CENTRAL Park, the sun is already shining lower in the sky. There’s something dreamlike about this whole thing—the yellowish light, the near-empty paths, the fact that I’m walking right next to Kimmie and Darryl on our way to look for my sister.

In the back of my mind, I feel bad for ruining Mr. and Mrs. Reid’s anniversary. Kimmie’s parents jumped up from the table right away, saying they were going back to their apartment in case Sophie shows up there. Even though I’ve been hoping that Kimmie’s phone will ring and they’ll tell us she came back safe and sound, there has been no news since we stepped out of the restaurant.

We find Maria standing anxiously by the playground entrance next to Leslie. When she sees me, she lets out a gasp.