footprints I could find in that entire area were mine coming from the house.”
Andy looked at Peter. “You’re sure you saw him.”
“I wasn’t until tonight. But how else would I know about his blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“We’ve got to talk to Amber, Pete. We’ve got to know more about what we’re dealing with here.”
Peter looked at the clock. It was only 9:20 and he knew his parents would be up until at least 10:00. “Let’s go now. I won’t be able to sleep until I know she’s safe.”
: : : : :
“Mom? Dad?” Peter burst through the dining room door with Andy close behind.
“Peter! What on earth...?” said Faye, turning from her spot on the couch to watch her son cross over to them.
“Where’s Amber?” said Peter.
“I’m right here.” Amber sat in her usual spot by the fire. Relief washed over him.
“Andy!” said Faye.
“What’s going on, son?” said Frank.
“We’re not sure, Dad, but we all need to talk,” said Peter.
“This sounds serious,” said Faye.
“We’re not sure what it is,” said Andy.
Peter took a seat near Amber on the ottoman while Andy sat on the couch beside Faye.
“I should probably start,” said Andy, “by telling you that I’ve spent the day investigating you, Amber.”
“Me? Why?”
“A man came to see me Friday.”
“What did he want, Andy?” said Frank.
“He showed me a picture of a girl he’s trying to find.”
“He’s looking for Amber?” said Faye.
“Has to be,” said Andy as he looked at Amber, “unless you’ve got a twin out there.”
Amber shook her head. “No, no twin.”
Peter watched Amber’s face get very white. He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. “You’re safe here, Amber.”
She just nodded in response.
“Who is he?” said Amber.
“His name is Matthew. He gave me a card, and everything I could find about the agency he works for checks out. They specialize in finding people.”
“Is there anyone,” said Peter, “who might hire someone to track you down, Amber? Anyone who might want to hurt you?”
“Peter! Why would you ask that?” said Faye.
“This man was at my house, Mom. The Saturday night of your Christmas party, I saw him out in my yard.”
“Doing what, son?” said Frank.
“Dad, I’m not quite sure. When I saw him, he was standing in the tree line. When I spoke to him, he nodded like . . .” Peter ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Like we had just agreed to something. He turned to leave, so I ran out to him. But . . .” Peter sighed. “But, he just disappeared.”
“You lost him in the woods?” said Faye.
“No, Mom. He was gone, footprints and all. There was no sign of him ever being there.”
Amber stood and walked a couple steps away from Peter. Her back to him, he couldn’t tell what she was feeling. Does she believe me? Lord, help us!
“If it helps any, Amber, the man called you Rachel,” said Andy.
“Rachel? Who’s Rachel?” said Faye.
Peter watched Amber turn to look at Andy, then down at the carpet as she sat carefully on the edge of the hearth.
Frank broke the silence. “What is it, dear-heart?”
Peter finally saw the tears she was hiding. He went over and crouched before her. He brushed one side of her hair back and put his fingers under her chin, gently lifting until she could look into his eyes. “What’s going on? Who is Matthew?”
She grabbed his hand and Peter held firm.
“I don’t know this Matthew, but. . . .” She looked at Faye. “I am Rachel.”
“It’s your first name,” said Andy, “and Amber is your middle name.”
She nodded. “Yes. I’ve always hated the name because of my initials. My full name’s Rachel Amber Griffin. R-A-G. After Cassie died, I felt like a ragdoll that had been tossed aside and forgotten. When I left home, I refused to be called Rachel. Only my bosses knew my full name. Everyone I worked with just knew me as Amber.”
“So whoever is looking for you
Andy looked at Peter. “You’re sure you saw him.”
“I wasn’t until tonight. But how else would I know about his blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“We’ve got to talk to Amber, Pete. We’ve got to know more about what we’re dealing with here.”
Peter looked at the clock. It was only 9:20 and he knew his parents would be up until at least 10:00. “Let’s go now. I won’t be able to sleep until I know she’s safe.”
: : : : :
“Mom? Dad?” Peter burst through the dining room door with Andy close behind.
“Peter! What on earth...?” said Faye, turning from her spot on the couch to watch her son cross over to them.
“Where’s Amber?” said Peter.
“I’m right here.” Amber sat in her usual spot by the fire. Relief washed over him.
“Andy!” said Faye.
“What’s going on, son?” said Frank.
“We’re not sure, Dad, but we all need to talk,” said Peter.
“This sounds serious,” said Faye.
“We’re not sure what it is,” said Andy.
Peter took a seat near Amber on the ottoman while Andy sat on the couch beside Faye.
“I should probably start,” said Andy, “by telling you that I’ve spent the day investigating you, Amber.”
“Me? Why?”
“A man came to see me Friday.”
“What did he want, Andy?” said Frank.
“He showed me a picture of a girl he’s trying to find.”
“He’s looking for Amber?” said Faye.
“Has to be,” said Andy as he looked at Amber, “unless you’ve got a twin out there.”
Amber shook her head. “No, no twin.”
Peter watched Amber’s face get very white. He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. “You’re safe here, Amber.”
She just nodded in response.
“Who is he?” said Amber.
“His name is Matthew. He gave me a card, and everything I could find about the agency he works for checks out. They specialize in finding people.”
“Is there anyone,” said Peter, “who might hire someone to track you down, Amber? Anyone who might want to hurt you?”
“Peter! Why would you ask that?” said Faye.
“This man was at my house, Mom. The Saturday night of your Christmas party, I saw him out in my yard.”
“Doing what, son?” said Frank.
“Dad, I’m not quite sure. When I saw him, he was standing in the tree line. When I spoke to him, he nodded like . . .” Peter ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Like we had just agreed to something. He turned to leave, so I ran out to him. But . . .” Peter sighed. “But, he just disappeared.”
“You lost him in the woods?” said Faye.
“No, Mom. He was gone, footprints and all. There was no sign of him ever being there.”
Amber stood and walked a couple steps away from Peter. Her back to him, he couldn’t tell what she was feeling. Does she believe me? Lord, help us!
“If it helps any, Amber, the man called you Rachel,” said Andy.
“Rachel? Who’s Rachel?” said Faye.
Peter watched Amber turn to look at Andy, then down at the carpet as she sat carefully on the edge of the hearth.
Frank broke the silence. “What is it, dear-heart?”
Peter finally saw the tears she was hiding. He went over and crouched before her. He brushed one side of her hair back and put his fingers under her chin, gently lifting until she could look into his eyes. “What’s going on? Who is Matthew?”
She grabbed his hand and Peter held firm.
“I don’t know this Matthew, but. . . .” She looked at Faye. “I am Rachel.”
“It’s your first name,” said Andy, “and Amber is your middle name.”
She nodded. “Yes. I’ve always hated the name because of my initials. My full name’s Rachel Amber Griffin. R-A-G. After Cassie died, I felt like a ragdoll that had been tossed aside and forgotten. When I left home, I refused to be called Rachel. Only my bosses knew my full name. Everyone I worked with just knew me as Amber.”
“So whoever is looking for you
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