Man of the Hour

After Kat and Gregg left them, Sabrina said, “Are you doing okay? Is there anything I can get you? Something to eat?”

Glynnis shook her head. The thought of food made her feel sick.

“What about you, Michael?” Sabrina said.

“He ate earlier,” Glynnis said.

“A cookie, maybe?”

Glynnis knew Sabrina just needed to feel she was doing something useful, even if it was only feeding them. God knows Glynnis understood. She’d felt totally useless for hours. She looked down at Michael, who gave her a hopeful smile. “Are the shops in the food court still open?”

“Not all of them, but the cookie place was when we came in.”

“I’ll walk out with you,” Glynnis said.

They bought Michael his cookie and then slowly walked back to the management office. Gregg and Kat rejoined them a bit later. Gregg sat next to Glynnis and squeezed her hand. “Lieutenant O’Neill knows what he’s doing, Glynnie. He’ll find her.”

But as the clock moved inexorably forward, Glynnis’s hopes began to fade. If Livvy had been in the mall, surely they would have found her by now.

Finally Sabrina rose. “Glynnis, Gregg is going to stay with you, but I’ve got to go. I told Mrs. Phillips I’d be back for Samantha by ten-thirty, and it’s almost that now.”

Glynnis looked at her sister-in-law. “It’s okay. I understand.”

“How about if I take Michael with me? He can spend the night with us.” Michael, head leaning against Glynnis’s shoulder, had fallen asleep an hour ago. “In fact, you can spend the night with us, too. I don’t think you should be alone if…” Sabrina, looking stricken, let her voice trail off.

“If they don’t find Olivia tonight,” Glynnis finished for her. Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t think they’re going to.”

“Oh, honey,” Kat said. “They might. They haven’t finished searching everywhere yet. That woman might have found a hiding place.”

Glynnis shook her head. She knew Olivia was not in the mall, because if she had been, that woman—whoever she was—would not have been able to keep her quiet. Livvy was nothing if not vocal. If she was anywhere within hearing distance, the police would have discovered them.

Gregg, who’d been out front talking to the security people, walked back into the office. “You going to leave now?” he said to Sabrina.

“Yes. And if it’s okay with Glynnis, I’ll take Michael home with me.”

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” Glynnis said. “But I won’t be coming. When they finish here, I’m going home.”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Sabrina said. She looked at Kat. “Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But what if Livvy or that woman who took her should call? I have to be there.”

“How could they call? You said you didn’t know the woman. Do you think she knows you?” This question came from Dan O’Neill, who had walked in behind Gregg.

“No, I don’t think she knows me, although I can’t be sure. But Olivia has an ID tag inside her jacket, sewed on to the lining in front. It’s required at her day care center. The tag lists her name and our phone number.”

“You’re right, then. You should be at home,” Kat said. “Don’t worry, Sabrina. I’ll stay with her. In fact, I’ll call Bill right now and tell him.” Out came her cell phone before Glynnis could even think of protesting. Not that she wanted to. She had no desire to be at home alone.

“I just came back to give you a status report,” Lieutenant O’Neill said. “We’ve finished searching all the stores and the areas behind each store, as well as all the places in the inside of the mall. Everything is locked up now, and the mall’s been emptied of all the shoppers and most of the store employees. The only ones left are a few maintenance people, the mall manager and his assistant, and the security personnel.”

Glynnis’s shoulders sagged. Even though she’d been afraid the woman who took Olivia was long gone, it was one thing to fear something and another thing entirely to know it for sure.

“Now that we’re sure your daughter isn’t in the mall,” the lieutenant continued, “I called Chief Crandall, and he’ll take care of issuing an Amber Alert. Do you know what that is?”

“It’s a nationwide alert system, isn’t it?” Gregg asked.

“Yes. A description of Olivia, along with her photo and the photo of the woman from the security tape will be faxed to primary radio stations under the Emergency Alert System. In turn, that information will be sent by them to area TV stations and radio stations. The radio stations will interrupt their programming to broadcast the information and TV and cable stations will run a ‘crawl’ on the screen along with the photos. In some places, the authorities will even incorporate electronic highway billboards. Every possible avenue will be covered. We’re also setting up an 800-number hotline for people to call.”

Glynnis nodded, unable to speak.

“Chief Crandall said to tell you we’ll work on this night and day until we find your daughter.”

“Th-thank you,” Glynnis managed.

“Yes, thank you,” Gregg and Sabrina echoed.

“Now I think you should go home and try to get some sleep,” Dan O’Neill said.

But everyone in the room knew Glynnis wouldn’t sleep tonight.

Not until Olivia was home again and safe in her own bed, would Glynnis be able to sleep again.

Chapter Three

“What if they don’t find her?”

Gregg looked at his wife, who was in the process of undressing for bed. She’d voiced the question he’d tried not to think about, yet it had hovered at the back of his mind like a poisonous snake waiting to strike. “They’ll find her.”

“But Gregg,” Sabrina insisted, her green eyes clouded with worry, “what if they don’t?” She lowered her voice, although no one could possibly hear her. Samantha, their one-year-old, and Michael had been asleep for hours, and Glynnis was at her own home with Kat. “It would destroy Glynnis. I’m not sure she could survive.” She shook her head. “God. Hasn’t she been through enough? I know other people think she’s really strong, and she is, but everyone has a breaking point.” She unfastened her bra and tossed it on the bed.

“Let’s not talk about this, okay?”

“I think we have to talk about it, because if the unthinkable happens and they don’t find Livvy…or they find her—” Sabrina swallowed “—they…find her body…we have to be prepared. Glynnis will need us more than ever before.” She reached for her nightgown.

Gregg knew Sabrina was right, but he didn’t want to say the words out loud. To do so would give them a reality he couldn’t acknowledge. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk about this.” He put the shoes he had just removed back on. “I know I won’t sleep. I’m going for a walk. I need fresh air.”

“Gregg, it’s midnight.”

“I won’t be gone long.”

“Gregg…”

“What?” He didn’t look at her, although under normal circumstances he would rather look at Sabrina than anyone else in the world.

“Running away won’t solve anything,” she said gently.

“I’m not running away.”