Chapter 34 - Ethan
Zoe isn’t answering her phone, and my heart feels like it’s dropped to my stomach. The anger that consumed me when I saw Margaret McCoy at the festival has disappeared. In its place is a dark hole in the center of my chest. I just need to explain to her how I feel about her.
My hands are shaking as I dial Zoe’s number again. Dominic’s heavy hand drops on my shoulder and I take a deep breath.
“She’ll come around,” he grunts. I turn to look at him and see real concern in his eyes.
I shake my head. “I don’t know if she will.”
Dominic says nothing, and the two of us wander out of the fair grounds. I glance down the street towards my house, and I wonder if Zoe went there.
Maybe she’s getting all her things, packing them up to leave. The thought sends a sharp pain straight through my heart, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
“I fucked up,” I say, looking at my brother. Dominic’s eyebrows draw together, but he says nothing. He takes a deep breath and looks down the road with me. “I should have just told her the truth when she asked about the fire.”
“You couldn’t,” Dominic says gently.
I sigh. I’m not sure how long we stand there. Dominic seems to understand that I don’t want to say anything, but I appreciate his presence. Before long, Aiden’s truck pulls up in front of us. His face is dark as he looks at us, killing the engine and sliding out to meet us.
“I heard what happened in there,” he says, glancing behind us at the festival. I follow his gaze and scowl. Hearing the laughter and chatter and fair music is like a slap in the face. “What did Margaret say?”
“I don’t even know anymore,” I reply, suddenly exhausted. “I just snapped. I just got sick of pretending like I don’t have this hatred for her inside me. Or like I didn’t enjoy burning down that fucking hotel.”
My brothers are quiet for a few moments, until Dominic clears his throat. “You guys want to get a beer?”
Harold’s Bar is just a few doors down, so I shrug. “Sure.”
The three of us walk in silence, with me flanked on either side by my brothers. Once again, I’m grateful that they’re not talkative. I’m not even sure what I would say. The way I feel right now is hard to describe. It’s like I have this searing pain in my chest, but at the same time the rest of me feels numb. When we sit down at the bar and I grab the beer that Harry puts in front of me, I can hardly feel the cool glass in my hand. My fingers are tingling slightly, but apart from that I feel nothing.
“She was the best thing that ever happened to me,” I say when I’ve drank half my beer.
My brothers don’t respond, and I take it as agreement. She was the best thing I ever had, and now I’ve lost her. Her, and Bernie, and Audrey. All three of them are beyond my reach.
I lift my beer to my lips as my phone starts buzzing. Just when I reach into my pocket to grab it, Dominic’s phone starts ringing as well.
“Zoe,” I say, just as Dominic says “Mara.” We look at each other, and then at Aiden before answering the phones.
“Zoe,” I answer, breathless. My heart is beating furiously against my ribcage, when a minute ago my chest was hollow.
“She’s gone,” Zoe’s panicked voice answers. “Where is she!”
“Who’s gone? Slow down, babe, come on,” I say, my heart racing as I try to keep my voice calm.
“Audrey! I came to the hotel. I sent her to go find Mara and now she’s gone and the baby’s gone too!”
I can hear Mara’s panicked voice behind her and I glance at Dominic. The blood has drained from his face and my heart starts thumping.
“I’ll find her,” I answer. “I’m sending Aiden to get you.”
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “But I’ll find her.”
I hang up the phone and all three of us stand up at the same time. Aiden tosses some money on the bar and stalks towards the door.
“Audrey and Hailey are gone,” I explain as we go outside. Dominic is seething beside me, his face completely white and his hands balled into fists. I look at Aiden. “They’re at the hotel. Go get Mara and Zoe. Dom, you go check your house and my house. Maybe Audrey took Hailey for a walk, or something. I’m going to head towards the airport.”
Both brothers stare at me. “Airport?” Aiden says with a raised eyebrow.
My face darkens.
“You think Margaret McCoy has something to do with this? Skipped town with the kids?” Dominic growls.
“I don’t know, but knowing Margaret’s history of disappearing. You saw her face back there.”
Dominic nods and starts jogging towards his truck, parked down the street near the festival. I follow him and head towards mine. I nod to Aiden. “Call me when you’re with Zoe and Mara, and go check the community center and the rest of the hotel.”
Aiden nods without a word, and jogs towards his truck. I jump in the driver’s seat of my vehicle and start the engine, gripping the steering wheel with both hands and trying to ignore the thumping of my heart.
My blood runs cold with fear as I rush down Main Street towards the freeway. I press the pedal down a little bit further as my mouth goes dry. I need to keep my hands on the steering wheel to keep them from shaking. My phone rings, and I put Dominic on speaker.
“Not at my house,” he says. “I’ll check yours. Any luck?”
“Not yet,” I say with a strained voice. “Hold on, Aiden’s calling.” I hang up and answer Aiden’s call. “Yeah?”
“They’ve checked the hotel from top to bottom. They’re not here. The baby’s diaper bag is still here and there’s no sign of Audrey. It’s like they just disappeared into thin air.”
“Smells like Margaret,” I say through clenched teeth. Aiden grunts in response as my heart hammers in my chest. My eyes narrow as I stare down the highway, trying to see a car in front of me. If I’ve gone the wrong way, I’m speeding in the opposite direction and I’ll never find them.
My eyes widen at the thought. “Fuck,” I say under my breath. If Margaret did take them, she’ll be banking on me racing towards the airport. I’ll get there in three hours and by that time she’ll be long gone.
Following my instinct, I check my rear-view mirror and slow down to do a quick U-turn. Soon, my foot is pressing the pedal down and I’m racing back towards Lang Creek. My heart is in my throat and my vision is blurring along the edges. I lean forward until my chest is almost touching the steering wheel, and all I can do is take short, shallow breaths to keep myself from passing out.
I need to find them. Hailey is my niece, and Audrey is becoming like a daughter to me. My phone rings again and I see Zoe’s number.
“Ethan,” she says as I put her on speaker. The anguish in her voice pierced through my heart and I take a deep breath.
“I’ll find them, Zoe,” I say. “I promise.”
“I’m sorry,” she breathes. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry about? Stop it, Zoe.” I struggle to say as a lump forms in my throat. “I love you and I love Audrey and I’m going to find them.”
She sobs, and my fear turns to anger. I’ll find them, and Margaret McCoy should pray for her life if she’s the one who took them.