“How do you know that?” I asked.
Charlie tapped away on his phone and looked back up to Evan and then Ty.
“No reports.”
“All the girls are named after the location they were taken from” Evan answered me.
I couldn’t bear to think what was happening to her right now, how her parents must be feeling. It made me want to lock Eli away and never let him out again.
“Do you know who she is?”
“No”, Evan shook his head “It’s got everything but her real name.”
Everyone was silent.
“We need to scout out the country club.” Ty leaned back, his fingers dragging up my leg with the motion.
I shivered.
“How you going to do that?” Charlie asked.
“Go on a date.”
I didn’t want to admit the jealousy that I was feeling at that moment. The small ember expanded until I felt like my entire insides were on fire.
“Kitty, you check the cameras, see if you can get an ID on the girl”
“On it” she nodded.
“Luke, you’re on Daley. Charlie, Evan my office” I stayed silent, afraid that if I opened my mouth I’d say something that I might regret.
They all scattered leaving just me and Ty at the table.
His hand squeezed my thigh once before he stood “Need to see you after” winking at me he strolled into the office.
Well damn.
*~*~*
I spent the rest of the day helping Evan sort through all the information that he hadn’t managed to get through. Kitty had gotten a hold of the recording of the girl being taken but we couldn’t see who took her.
She wasn’t taken how I imagined she would have been. I was thinking that someone would have knocked her out and thrown her into the back of a van.
She was standing on the edge of the road that led up to the country club and when a car pulled up beside her she got in. It almost looked like she was waiting for them. The only odd thing was the door opening and her leg coming out before the car sped off with the door still open.
The day went so fast and we still hadn’t got anywhere by the time I had to go and pick Eli up with Luke.
I still hadn’t braved taking and picking Eli up on my own and I honestly didn’t know when I would be ready for that. But it was a step in the right direction to be going outside those gates.
Me and Eli spent the evening Sat on the couch watching TV.
It was nice to have some time just me and him, it felt like I didn’t get to do it that often now and I missed having that time alone with him.
His small snores sounded just before bedtime. I sat there and watched him sleep, relishing in the peaceful look on his face. I couldn’t comprehend how anyone couldn’t love him to pieces.
Max flashed in my mind briefly. He was missing out on all of this.
It was his loss. Eli wouldn’t be this small forever, he was already growing so fast it felt like only yesterday that I held him as a baby.