go for fifteen minutes, then come back. Matt, you and Jacob stay here in the car, and if she shows up, keep her here—we’ll be back in a half hour.”
The shadows of the trees stretched across the road as they headed out. Erin went in the direction of the park, thinking Gwen would most likely go back there, although she couldn’t imagine Gwen leaving them at all. Why had she left? Did someone take her? Erin shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that until all other possibilities were done away with. She looked beside the road in both directions and watched for a small girl’s footprints in the dirt. Sweat dripped off her face and dampened her shirt as she approached the park. She called out, “Gwen!” several times and stopped to listen but heard no answer.
Noisy and crowded, the park was full of children laughing and playing. Erin looked at her watch; nearly fifteen minutes had passed, but this was the most likely place to find Gwen, and she wanted to search. She took the beach area first, peering into the face of every child there. She asked some older children if they’d seen her, describing her clothes, her size, her hair color, but no one had. When she reached the end of the park, she looked at her watch again—more than twenty minutes had gone by. She turned around and searched the picnic area as she wound her way back to the road. No success.
Each step back to the car became more difficult. She searched the trees beside the road for any clue. The car was a short distance ahead, and the boys must have been watching for her, because Jacob flung open the door and ran to where she was.
“Any sign of her?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Isn’t Gary back yet?”
“We haven’t seen him.”
She looked down the road and glanced at her watch; she was so late getting back herself. When they got back to the car, she reached into the open window and squeezed Matt’s hand. His face was pale, his eyes red.
“When Gary gets back, we’ll drive to the police station,” Erin said. She walked a short distance down the road and scanned the direction Gary had gone. She still couldn’t see him.
She walked back to the car, and Jacob rushed past her down the road. Matt flung open the door of the car and stood watching. Erin turned to look after Jacob.
Far down the road Gary was walking toward them, carrying Gwen. A sob escaped Erin’s throat and she raced down the road toward them.
“Gwen,” she called as she got closer. “Are you all right?”
“She turned her ankle and couldn’t walk back,” Gary said.
“Why did you leave? Where were you going?” Erin brushed the tears away from her face.
Gwen looked at Matt, who had just reached them. “I thought Matt was going to die like Daddy,” she whispered.
“Hey, I’m not going to die,” Matt said.
Erin bit back a sob and took Gwen from Gary’s arms. She hugged her close and said, “Don’t ever run away again. Matt’ll be okay. Now, what about your ankle?”
“I think I broke it.”
Erin put her on the ground and looked at her swollen ankle.
“I’d say you sprained it,” Erin said. “We can wrap it with the ace bandage I have in the car.” She looked up at Gary. “Thank you for finding her.”
“No problem. Glad to help,” Gary said.
“Would you mind carrying her back to the car?”
“Of course not.”
Gwen wrapped her arms around Gary’s neck as he picked her up.
They all got into the car and headed back to the ferry. The shadows were growing long as they pulled into the line of cars at the terminal.
The ferry was on time, and the ride home was much more subdued than it had been in the morning. They were drained. Gwen sat curled up next to Gary, Erin on his other side, and Jacob and Matt sat nearby talking and reading comic books. Erin fell asleep with her head on Gary’s shoulder until the captain announced their arrival at Anacortes.
The wait in the hospital emergency room didn’t take long. The X-ray
The shadows of the trees stretched across the road as they headed out. Erin went in the direction of the park, thinking Gwen would most likely go back there, although she couldn’t imagine Gwen leaving them at all. Why had she left? Did someone take her? Erin shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that until all other possibilities were done away with. She looked beside the road in both directions and watched for a small girl’s footprints in the dirt. Sweat dripped off her face and dampened her shirt as she approached the park. She called out, “Gwen!” several times and stopped to listen but heard no answer.
Noisy and crowded, the park was full of children laughing and playing. Erin looked at her watch; nearly fifteen minutes had passed, but this was the most likely place to find Gwen, and she wanted to search. She took the beach area first, peering into the face of every child there. She asked some older children if they’d seen her, describing her clothes, her size, her hair color, but no one had. When she reached the end of the park, she looked at her watch again—more than twenty minutes had gone by. She turned around and searched the picnic area as she wound her way back to the road. No success.
Each step back to the car became more difficult. She searched the trees beside the road for any clue. The car was a short distance ahead, and the boys must have been watching for her, because Jacob flung open the door and ran to where she was.
“Any sign of her?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Isn’t Gary back yet?”
“We haven’t seen him.”
She looked down the road and glanced at her watch; she was so late getting back herself. When they got back to the car, she reached into the open window and squeezed Matt’s hand. His face was pale, his eyes red.
“When Gary gets back, we’ll drive to the police station,” Erin said. She walked a short distance down the road and scanned the direction Gary had gone. She still couldn’t see him.
She walked back to the car, and Jacob rushed past her down the road. Matt flung open the door of the car and stood watching. Erin turned to look after Jacob.
Far down the road Gary was walking toward them, carrying Gwen. A sob escaped Erin’s throat and she raced down the road toward them.
“Gwen,” she called as she got closer. “Are you all right?”
“She turned her ankle and couldn’t walk back,” Gary said.
“Why did you leave? Where were you going?” Erin brushed the tears away from her face.
Gwen looked at Matt, who had just reached them. “I thought Matt was going to die like Daddy,” she whispered.
“Hey, I’m not going to die,” Matt said.
Erin bit back a sob and took Gwen from Gary’s arms. She hugged her close and said, “Don’t ever run away again. Matt’ll be okay. Now, what about your ankle?”
“I think I broke it.”
Erin put her on the ground and looked at her swollen ankle.
“I’d say you sprained it,” Erin said. “We can wrap it with the ace bandage I have in the car.” She looked up at Gary. “Thank you for finding her.”
“No problem. Glad to help,” Gary said.
“Would you mind carrying her back to the car?”
“Of course not.”
Gwen wrapped her arms around Gary’s neck as he picked her up.
They all got into the car and headed back to the ferry. The shadows were growing long as they pulled into the line of cars at the terminal.
The ferry was on time, and the ride home was much more subdued than it had been in the morning. They were drained. Gwen sat curled up next to Gary, Erin on his other side, and Jacob and Matt sat nearby talking and reading comic books. Erin fell asleep with her head on Gary’s shoulder until the captain announced their arrival at Anacortes.
The wait in the hospital emergency room didn’t take long. The X-ray
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