outside. Crystal had said something about needing to go to her car earlier.”
“Wait!” Kyle said. “Someone needs to wait here for the ambulance, and to let us know if Crystal or Hope turns up.”
“You do it ,” Tom said, running out before Kyle could protest.
* * * *
Grace closed the door to the lab. Where could he have gone and why was his phone going to voice mail? She told him to stay right here, but since when did he ever do anything he was told. This night was turning into an unmitigated disaster, and she couldn't help but worry that it was going to get worse.
No, she cautioned herself, be optimistic. There is only about an hour left and the reunion will be over. What more can happen in an hour? Everything is going to be fine. Just need a plan. First, find Kyle. Then, find Hope. Go straight home. Go to sleep, and then do everything possible to convince yourself this night was just a bad dream. Good plan. Excellent plan, she thought.
Grace walked by the library. As she was passing a trashcan, she noticed that someone had thrown away a pair of high heels. Grace picked up the bright red shoes. They looked new. Why in the world would anyone throw away new shoes?
Grace checked the size, sighed in disappointment, and laid them on the floor next to the can. No sense in throwing them away, she thought. Maybe someone else could use them.
She looked down the hallway, and then back towards the lab . Just as she did, she caught a flash of purple, turning down the opposite hall.
“Hope, is that you? Hope?”
She was about to race after her, when she felt her cell phone vibrate. Recognizing Kyle’s number, she quickly answered.
“Do you know where your sister is?”
“I think I just saw her, why?”
Kyle hurriedly describe d what happened between Hope and Crystal. “I went ahead and called for an ambulance, just in case. They should be here any minute.”
“She may have headed to the administrative offices for a first -aid kit. I'm going to check there first.”
After agreeing to meet up by the trophy case, Grace said good -bye and closed the phone. This night was definitely getting worse.
* * * *
Kyle walked back to the central hallway. He was finally learning his way around. He just needed to go down this hallway, make a right, and then a left, and then walk down the staircase. Make another right, and Grace should be waiting for him at the trophy case.
Kyle found the staircase and started down the steps, when he paused. Someone had turned the lights off downstairs.
Why aren’t the emergency lights on , he wondered.
Cautiously, h e continued down the stairs and looked around. The only light was coming from a streetlight, shining through a glass door at the end of the lower hallway.
There's no reason to wait down here for Grace, he thought , as he climbed back up the stairs.
Kyle stood up straighter , and looked back down the staircase. He thought he heard a noise from downstairs. Like something falling.
He waited. Maybe it was nothing. It was probably nothing. Still, if Hope is down there, she could be hurt. He walked back downstairs. Walking up to the girls’ bathroom, he rapped on the door. When no one answered, he opened the door slightly, and took a step inside. It was pitch black. He couldn't see anything. Deftly feeling around the wall, he made contact with the light switch.
Nothing.
A breaker must have been thrown downstairs. He called out Hope's name again, sighing when he received no answer.
“Kyle? Kyle, where are you?”
Grace. He could hear her calling from upstairs. She sounded upset. Kyle quickly stepped out of the restroom and dashed upstairs. “I'm here.”
“ Hope wasn’t at Diana’s office. Have you seen her, yet?” Grace asked, running up to him.
“No , not yet.”
“Diana told me that the ambulance is here. Mr. Collins is organizing a search.”
“ I just don’t understand why we haven’t found either one of them, yet,” Kyle
“Wait!” Kyle said. “Someone needs to wait here for the ambulance, and to let us know if Crystal or Hope turns up.”
“You do it ,” Tom said, running out before Kyle could protest.
* * * *
Grace closed the door to the lab. Where could he have gone and why was his phone going to voice mail? She told him to stay right here, but since when did he ever do anything he was told. This night was turning into an unmitigated disaster, and she couldn't help but worry that it was going to get worse.
No, she cautioned herself, be optimistic. There is only about an hour left and the reunion will be over. What more can happen in an hour? Everything is going to be fine. Just need a plan. First, find Kyle. Then, find Hope. Go straight home. Go to sleep, and then do everything possible to convince yourself this night was just a bad dream. Good plan. Excellent plan, she thought.
Grace walked by the library. As she was passing a trashcan, she noticed that someone had thrown away a pair of high heels. Grace picked up the bright red shoes. They looked new. Why in the world would anyone throw away new shoes?
Grace checked the size, sighed in disappointment, and laid them on the floor next to the can. No sense in throwing them away, she thought. Maybe someone else could use them.
She looked down the hallway, and then back towards the lab . Just as she did, she caught a flash of purple, turning down the opposite hall.
“Hope, is that you? Hope?”
She was about to race after her, when she felt her cell phone vibrate. Recognizing Kyle’s number, she quickly answered.
“Do you know where your sister is?”
“I think I just saw her, why?”
Kyle hurriedly describe d what happened between Hope and Crystal. “I went ahead and called for an ambulance, just in case. They should be here any minute.”
“She may have headed to the administrative offices for a first -aid kit. I'm going to check there first.”
After agreeing to meet up by the trophy case, Grace said good -bye and closed the phone. This night was definitely getting worse.
* * * *
Kyle walked back to the central hallway. He was finally learning his way around. He just needed to go down this hallway, make a right, and then a left, and then walk down the staircase. Make another right, and Grace should be waiting for him at the trophy case.
Kyle found the staircase and started down the steps, when he paused. Someone had turned the lights off downstairs.
Why aren’t the emergency lights on , he wondered.
Cautiously, h e continued down the stairs and looked around. The only light was coming from a streetlight, shining through a glass door at the end of the lower hallway.
There's no reason to wait down here for Grace, he thought , as he climbed back up the stairs.
Kyle stood up straighter , and looked back down the staircase. He thought he heard a noise from downstairs. Like something falling.
He waited. Maybe it was nothing. It was probably nothing. Still, if Hope is down there, she could be hurt. He walked back downstairs. Walking up to the girls’ bathroom, he rapped on the door. When no one answered, he opened the door slightly, and took a step inside. It was pitch black. He couldn't see anything. Deftly feeling around the wall, he made contact with the light switch.
Nothing.
A breaker must have been thrown downstairs. He called out Hope's name again, sighing when he received no answer.
“Kyle? Kyle, where are you?”
Grace. He could hear her calling from upstairs. She sounded upset. Kyle quickly stepped out of the restroom and dashed upstairs. “I'm here.”
“ Hope wasn’t at Diana’s office. Have you seen her, yet?” Grace asked, running up to him.
“No , not yet.”
“Diana told me that the ambulance is here. Mr. Collins is organizing a search.”
“ I just don’t understand why we haven’t found either one of them, yet,” Kyle
Similar Books
