Darcy decided to call Alisha’s house. Alisha’s mother answered the phone. When Darcy asked for Jamee, Mrs. Wrobel said, “I haven’t seen your sister in weeks. Alisha isn’t even here tonight. She’s over at her father’s for the weekend. ”

Darcy rushed to Jamee’s room. It was locked, but Darcy found a spare key and got in quickly. Darcy’s hands shook as she turned the lock. The room looked the same, nothing unusual. But when Darcy checked the closet, she found all Jamee’s favorite clothing gone—the T-shirts, the jeans—even her CDs. Jamee had left the nice dresses her mother had bought for her—the ones she never wore. She had left the family picture albums, the school books, the mosaic jewelry box Darcy had given her for her birthday, the beaded jewelry Jamee had spent hours making for herself.

Darcy called every number she had for Jamee’s friends or acquaintances. She even called Bobby Wallace’s house. His mother said he was with his grandparents in Arizona. Nobody had seen or heard anything about Jamee’s whereabouts. Darcy called the phone number her father had given them, but there was no answer.

Darcy did not want to bother her mother at work, but she had no choice. “Mom, Jamee is gone. ”

“Gone? Baby, I told you she was spending the night with—”

“Mom! No! That was a lie. I called Alisha’s house, and she wasn’t even supposed to be there. Jamee took all her favorite stuff and she ran away, Mom. ”

“Ran away? Lord in heaven, why would she do that? She’s only a baby. She was fine at breakfast. Nothing was bothering her, nothing in the world. ” Mom was crying. Her voice was shaking. “I’ll be home as soon as they can get someone to take my shift. ”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll make some more calls,” Darcy said.

Darcy finally talked to two of Jamee’s classmates, who returned her calls. They both said Jamee had been in class as usual. Nobody had noticed anything strange about her. She always sat in the back, so nobody paid much attention to her. “Was she upset or anything?” Darcy asked. Neither of the classmates had noticed anything, but then they did not know Jamee that well.

Darcy figured that Jamee had packed everything last night in the suitcase Mom had bought for her two years ago. It was for the trip they had taken to San Francisco to see cousins. Jamee probably packed and stashed the suitcase in her closet without anybody noticing. Mom was napping. Darcy was distracted. Who would have seen her?