The news hit her like bricks slamming into her chest, stealing the wind out of her lungs. She inhaled deeply, touching her stomach. “You’re what?”
“I’m leaving. Moving.”
“What are you talking about? Where? Why? For how long?” The questions poured out of her, the room spinning.
“I’m heading to New Orleans. That call was from the manager of a nightclub I’ve been trying to get a contract through for years. They’re restructuring and looking for a new company to run their security. It’s…it’s good money. With Todd gone, most of my profit is coming from our larger areas: the Tampa office, Houston, and St. Louis. If we could break into New Orleans too it would be world changing for SecureHome. I never would’ve considered it before. But now, well…there’s nothing left for me here.”
She felt her chin begin to quiver, her knees feeling weak. “I’m going to miss you,” she said honestly.
He held out an arm, pulling her in for a hug. “You and me both, babe.”
She hugged him tightly, trying to keep the tears at bay. “What am I going to do without you? You’re the closest thing I have to a brother. The only uncle Kyle’s ever known.”
“This doesn’t change that. I’ll still be around. Just a plane ride away rather than a car now.”
“I know it’s the best thing for you, but the selfish part of me doesn’t care about that,” she said, pulling out of his hug. “I’m really going to miss you. When are you leaving?”
“Probably in a week or two, maybe a month. It’ll depend on what I find out from this guy.”
“You have to wait until Kyle’s home. You have to be the one to tell him. I just can’t do it.”
He paused. “I already told him.”
“You what?” she exclaimed. “What do you mean you already told him?”
“I told him it was a possibility last night.”
“That’s why he’s run away then,” she nearly screamed at him. “Didn’t you realize that?”
“What? No! He seemed fine with it when I told him.”
She sighed. “Frank, of course he seemed fine. He’s a teenage boy. He’s not going to tell you how he feels. He left because you’re leaving him just like his dad left him. I’m all he has left and he…he hates me.” She broke down, tears falling freely. He caught her just as her knees gave out underneath her, holding her tight. He rubbed her hair carefully.
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“He does.”
“And I’m not leaving him.”
“You are.”
He scooped her up, carrying her to the couch and laying her down. “He doesn’t hate you,” he repeated, wiping a tear from her cheek. He reached beside the couch, pulling out his laptop.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m finding Kyle so he can tell you how much he doesn’t hate you.”
“What are you talking about? You said I had to wait. Give him space.”
“He needs that, but you obviously can’t take it. He can be mad at me all he wants, but he’s not going to leave you like this.”
“Frank, don’t.”
He stopped, staring at her. “You don’t want to know where he is?”
She frowned, biting her lip. “It’s that simple?”
“I’m good at my job,” he said to her.
“Why didn’t you just check on him earlier? Before we called the police? If it was that easy, why wouldn’t we just track him down this way all along?”
“I did before I called you. His phone showed he was home. You said he wasn’t, so I assumed he’d left it there to throw us off the trail. Then you said you talked to him when you were out searching, so he must’ve gone back to get his phone.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “I never said I was at home.”
“Huh?” he asked, typing again.
She grabbed his arm. “Frank, I never said I was home. I was at Clay’s house when you called. Has he been at home this whole time?” she asked, sitting up and staring at the computer screen.
Frank cursed under his breath. “You were at his place?”
“That’s an entirely different argument. Where is he now?” she asked, watching the flashing red dot on the screen.
“It looks like his phone is off right now. I don’t have a tower signal in the last hour.”
“What does that mean?”
“He may have figured out that we were planning on tracking him.”
“He’s smart,” Peighton said proudly. “He would figure that out.”
Suddenly, Frank gasped. “Oh my god.”
“What is it?”
“Where’s your phone?” he demanded.
“On the counter. Why? What is it?” she asked.
“His last signal wasn’t from home,” he said adamantly, “but I know where it was from.”
“What? Where?”
He turned to face her, confusion filling his face. “He’s with Isabel.”
Twenty-Three
PEIGHTON
Peighton stood at Isabel’s front door. She had called her housekeeper eleven times on the drive over, but to no avail. Now, she knocked on the door for the third time.
“Isabel!” she shouted again. “Isabel, it’s Peighton!”
The door swung open. The little old woman stood before her, her face pale white, a green and blue flannel robe wrapped around her, her red hair sticking up in every direction.
“What? What is it?” she asked. “Is everythin’ all right?”
“Isabel, where’s Kyle?”
“How on earth should I know?” she asked. “Do you know what time it is?” She glanced at the giant wall clock behind her.
“Kyle’s missing, Isabel. We know he’s here,” Frank said.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, exasperated. “He most certainly isn’t here. Why would he be here?” She stepped back. “Come inside if you’re so convinced. We’re just letting moths in this way.”
They stepped into her house, allowing her to shut the door. “Izzy, his phone is here. We tracked him,” Peighton said firmly. “Now, if you’re trying to help him, we understand. I just want to know that he’s safe.”
“He’s not here, Ms. Peighton,” she said slowly, as if Peighton were a child incapable of understanding. “Just like I told you…he’s not. What good would it do me to lie? Of course I would help him if he’d come to me, but he didn’t. And why would he? I would’ve called you. He knows I would’ve.”
“Was he here? Before?”
“What? Do you think I’d have just forgotten to tell you that? It just conveniently slipped my mind? Kyle isn’t here and he hasn’t been here, m’dear. I don’t know what sort of fancy tracker you’ve got on him, but it’s broken. I wouldn’t lie to ya. Why don’t we call the police? Shouldn’t they be the ones hunting him down?”
“We’ve already called the police,” Peighton told her. “But then I spoke to Kyle. He’s safe but hiding. The police won’t help us if he’s not in danger.”
“But he’s a minor.”
“I know. That’s just what they said.”
“Well, then, if we know he’s safe and just acting out, we shouldn’t worry ourselves with it tonight. Now, if that’s all of the interrupting of my beauty sleep you’ll be doing tonight, I think I’ll just head off to bed.”
Peighton frowned. “Could we just look around?” she asked.
Isabel’s jaw dropped, outrage filling her face. “Oh, so you don’t trust me? You think I’m hiding wee Kyle out in my underwear drawer, do ya? Go right ahead.” She waved her arm toward the hallway. “Check anythin’ you’d like. Best check the oven too, dear, I may have baked him into a pie.”
“Izzy, I don’t mean to upset you—”