BooksBarbecue
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

Her voice cuts away as the doors shut. I exhale the breath I’ve been holding and resist sliding to the floor. In the lobby, I slink out and wonder if security is going to be waiting for me, but I hear the same crush of people as before. I find the handicap button, wait for the door to open, and push out into the Chicago day. I recount my steps to the car and knock on the glass. Jake stabs the door lock, and I pull open the back door and strap the baby in the car seat with shaking hands.

“That was fast,” Jake observes. “Do you need help?”

I shake my head and listen for Dr. Gibbons. I get in the car, yank the door closed, and fasten my seat belt. “Just drive.”

He puts the car into gear wordlessly. I close my eyes and lean against the window.

The simple, hard truth ignites my brain: nowhere is safe.

31

CRYSTAL

Jess opens the door in a denim jumpsuit, her curly hair piled high on her head. Baxter balances on one hip, his chubby legs splayed and kicking. “Hey,” she says, surprised. She sets him down and he takes off crawling toward the back of the house. “What’s up?”

“I’m looking for Bec.” Crystal keeps her voice calm, but inside, she’s unglued.

“She’s not here.”

Crystal unfolds the flyer and thrusts it into Jess’s hand. “What’s going on? I haven’t heard from her. She told me she had an emergency, but she won’t answer any of my calls.”

Jess sighs. “Come in.” She hitches her head toward the foyer and opens the door wider. Crystal steps into the monstrous entryway. The air is cool and smells like cinnamon. “I’m baking,” Jess says in response.

“So you haven’t seen her?”

“Not today.”

Crystal follows her into the kitchen and takes a seat on one of the bar stools. The island is covered in muffin tins and baking sheets, as well as dozens of pastries. “This is quite the spread.”

“I know. It’s for a bake sale. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water’s fine.”

They descend into an awkward silence, but Crystal decides to get right to the point. “Tell me what’s going on. I’m worried about her.”

Jess slides over a glass of icy cucumber water in a crystal tumbler. “We’re all worried about her.”

She takes a cool sip. “Why is there a flyer with Jackson’s face on it?”

“Because she believes someone took him when we were at the park.”

“When?”

“Thursday morning.”

“Thursday?” Crystal struggles to keep track of the days in her head, all of them running together in a hazy clump. “You mean after she fell?”