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Back Until I Find You Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  57. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  58. Also by Rea Frey
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  60. Newsletter Sign-up

I stand on the sidewalk for what feels like hours. I don’t want to go inside. I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to go anywhere.

“Bec.” Jake’s arms climb around me before I can take a breath. “You okay?” He kisses the top of my head.

I reluctantly extricate myself from his arms and fill him in on what’s happening. “Did you get the surveillance tapes?”

“Passed them to Toby a few hours ago. No clear shot of the park. Nothing suspicious or out of place. I’m sorry, Bec.”

No evidence, no Amber Alert, no Jackson.

“Let’s get this over with then,” I say. We head back inside. I’m already drafting a new plan, one that has nothing to do with the police. It’s not up to them anymore. It’s up to me what happens next.

28

BEC

After Officer Toby asks me a set of ridiculous questions and explains that after talking to the chief, they do want me to leave the baby for the night, I storm outside for the second time. Jake eventually joins me. “I’m not leaving this baby here.” I say it softly, but my intent is clear. “Not until we know who he is.” I hesitate. “He trusts me. He does.”

Jake scratches his neck. “Let me see what I can do, okay?”

I nod, those words let me see what I can do losing steam every passing second. The closer he gets, the further away Jackson’s return seems. All the waiting, the questions, the protocol. When it’s a human life, shouldn’t those types of rules go out the window?

Not when they think you’re lying.

Again, the truth digs in its heels. That’s why there’s no Amber Alert. Because they don’t believe there’s a crime. Outside, the baby falls asleep on my chest. I sing him a lullaby and rub his back.

“Bec.” After another few endless minutes, Jake’s hand finds my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, but you have to leave him here. Just overnight.”

“Who says?”

“The state.”

“No. He’s not going into some crazy system. I’ll never get him back again. That’s not happening.”

I can tell he’s calculating odds in his head, but so am I. “So what do you want to do?” He knows what I’m thinking by the way I look at him. “Bec…”