Becca winced, remembering the sincerity in this kid’s eyes. “I didn’t know what else to say. I told him yes.”

“You lied?” There was no judgment. Christian was simply stating a fact.

“I didn’t plan to. I wanted to help Nate, but Ash was struggling, I was so worried if this boy came back into Ash’s life, he might—”

“Drag her down?”

Becca wanted to deny it. She couldn’t. “I wanted Ash to have a chance, Christian. A real chance.”

“I know, Becca. Everyone knows how hard you’ve tried with Ash.”

“I have to try harder,” Becca said forcefully. Ash was her responsibility.

Christian sensed that his opinion wasn’t necessary. “What can I do, Becs?”

“See if Nate is in the system? Was he ever sentenced for that assault, and if he was, when was he was released? I need to know everything about him,” Becca said.

“Okay. Okay. Just take a breath. I’ll drop you back at home and I’ll go to the station and see if anything’s come up with the missing report and what I can find on Nate.”

Becca shook her head. “I’m not ready to go yet. Maybe someone will recognize Nate and lead us to them.”

“Okay. I’ll put in a call about Nate and then we’ll canvas,” Christian said.

She cocked her head. “Hold on. You’re not going to push back and insist we’re wasting our time, or force me to argue with you until you finally give in and let me have my way?” Becca asked.

The corners of Christian’s mouth turned up ever so slightly. His “almost smile,” she used to call it. “Sorry to disappoint you. I know you enjoy a good debate, but I’ll follow your lead on this.”

They tracked down Patrick, but he had no luck. For the next hour, they talked to everyone at the mission, from regulars to staff members who had interacted with Ash on a regular basis. It was clear she’d made an impression. Everyone loved Ash, but no one had any information about Nate.

Exhausted, Becca wiped away beads of sweat, surveying the crowd. They’d talked to everyone here. There was no one left to ask.

“Becca, you know we’ve done all we can here. We need to go,” Christian said gently.

“We should do a loop around the area. See if anyone around the mission may have seen Nate or Ash,” Becca said.

“There’s a haystack and needle reference to be made.”

“I can’t go home. Not yet,” she pleaded. Christian’s expression signaled his frustration, but he relented. “Let’s go,” he said. Becca’s gaze landed on the bodega across the street.