Chapter 29

Cam

My eyes opened and I was overjoyed that Katie had stayed over, even though that had not been her initial intention. I rolled over and rested my head on the pillow to watch her sleep. I felt happy she had stayed over, and I wished she would do it more often. I could see Katie was changing and slowly being more accustomed to being here with me. But she was worried about all the sneaking around and the stares from the concert last night.

I showered and got dressed. I left Katie a pair of my sweatpants and one of my old baggy t-shirts to wear once she finally surfaced. I was surprised Emmy had not woken up early again this morning, just as she had been doing for most of the week. I sneaked into her bedroom, and she was sleeping like a log, with her new stuffed unicorn under her arm. Since we arrived home, her unicorn had been in her hand. She even sat it next to her while we were eating, and pretended she was feeding it.

I shook Emmy gently and she started to wake up.

“Good morning princess,” I said and kissed her on the head.

“Morning Daddy,” she said and sat up, starting to play with her unicorn.

I washed and dressed her, ready for a fun day; a relaxing stress-less day, just relaxing at home. I chased Emmy into the kitchen area. Katie had started to prepare breakfast. I played with Emmy on the living room floor and that is when the cell phone rang.

Shit, there goes my stressless weekend, I said to myself.

Owen had called and asked me to go to their house urgently. The shit had hit the fan, and he needed my assistance.

“Owen needs me,” I said to Katie and grabbed the car keys.

“No problem. I have Katie. Go and help Owen,” she replied.

I quickly jumped into the car and drove over to Owen’s house. He had said that he had gone to his house and a big argument had started.

“Owen, what’s the problem?” I asked.

“I tried to get into the house, and I find that she has changed the fucking locks to my house and I’m locked out,” he screamed.

“Calm down a minute. Explain what has happened,” I said.

“I came for my motorcycle, and I have just found out that she has sold it without asking. I want my God-damned money,” he screamed and banged the door.

“Quiet, she will call the cops,” I said, trying to calm him down.

“She has already done it. They should be here any minute. I was a bit louder earlier, but I had calmed down a bit just before you arrived,” he responded.

“Fuck, this is just what you needed. And you know you got warned last time you argued like this,” I added and heard sirens in the distance.

“Well, it is she who is going to be in shit. It was my name on the God-damned papers. But… that was different though. I hit someone, and there is no one to hit this time,” he said between clenched teeth.

After a few minutes, the police arrived and somehow I managed to convince them that everything was cool between them and it was a misunderstanding. Owen and his ex were given a warning and told to keep their problems quiet, and behind closed doors. Owen was also reminded that their arguments were not for the neighborhood to listen to at this time of day, or at any time of day for that matter.

Owen apologized to the police and said everything was cool. He would just call his ex-wife rather than cause a confrontation in public.

“I’m sorry for dragging you out this early in the morning,” Owen said, apologetically.

“It’s alright bro.”

“You must have been worried that I had really gone off on this one?” he said with a grin.

“No sweat. Any time you need me is fine by me. We have been through thick and thin, so why should this time be any different. That’s what buddies are for,” I said.

“Thanks, Cam,” Owen said and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“No sweat.”

“It is appreciated,” he said and leaned on the car.

“Nah, it is nothing. You were there when my wife died, so it is the least I can do to help you back,” I said and patted Owen on the back.

“Where is Emmy anyway?” Owen asked. “I’m surprised to not see her in the back of the car, grinning at me.”

“She’s fine. I have left her with Katie. So, she’s in good hands with her. She loves Emmy, just as if she was her own.”

“You left her with Katie? She was up this early? Or did she… ooh, I get it she stayed over?” Owen said, when he realized.

“Things are looking serious. So how is it going with her?” he asked.

“Well it isn’t easy, I can tell you. She’s young, so it is going to be hard,” I explained.

“Well you have had some rough times, so it will probably be a breeze,” Owen replied, leaning on the car.

“I’m falling for her though, big time. She has got me hooked bad,” I explained.

“Well, you better get back to her and Emmy. You don’t want women problems like mine, that is for sure,” Owen replied with a grin.

“If everything is okay here, I will head off home,” I said.

“It’s cool, I promise you,” Owen said as I climbed into the car.

After parking the car, I walked into the house and was greeted by the smell of burnt food and oil. Katie was stuck to the sink, scrubbing burnt food from one of the pans.

“Damn. What happened here? I asked.

“I burned the food. I needed a pee, so I ran off. I thought I had turned the stove off, but obviously not,” Katie said. I opened the patio to let the smoke out.

“Emmy, Daddy is home,” I called.

Silence. There was never silence when I arrived home. Maybe the door to her room had closed with the patio open. I walked to her room and found the door closed.

She has been locked inside?

I opened the door and walked into Emmy's room.

“Emmy, where are you?” I called.

Maybe she's hiding?

“Are you hiding from Daddy,” I said jokingly and opened the closet door.

Nothing.

“Or maybe you’re hiding, under the bed,” I yelled and dropped on my knees to look under the bed.

Still nothing?

“Have you seen Emmy?” I called to Katie.

“She was here. Is she not in her room?” Katie called.

“She’s not there, and she’s not in any other rooms,” I yelled back.

“Emmy, where are you?” I yelled and ran into the back garden.

There was no sign of Emmy in the garden. I went around the side of the house. Fuck, the gate was open. I ran back to the kitchen.

“Where the fuck is Emmy? God, she’s not here,” I yelled.

“She was just playing, and when I went for a pee, she was still there. I opened the patio door to let the smoke out,” Katie explained.

My heart raced like a freight train.

“I only stood by the sink, so she must have just sneaked out because of the smoke,” Katie added.

“Well she is fucking gone now. God knows why I left you in charge of a kid. I must have been crazy to think she would be okay,” I screamed.

“I only took my eyes off her for a second,” Katie said in defense.

“Katie, it only takes a fucking second to disappear. Fucking kids; they have no sense,” I screamed and headed to the front door.

I ran down the driveway and looked down the road. There was no sign of her anywhere.

“Katie, how the fuck could you let this happen to Emmy? I have already lost one woman in my life, and I don’t want to lose another one due to you being irresponsible,” I yelled.

“It was a second, Cam. That’s all! I wasn’t irresponsible. You know how I care for her,” Katie said as tears started to fill in her eyes.

“Well, she isn’t on this street. You go down that one, and I will check this one towards the day care center. Bang on fucking doors and ask if anyone has seen her!” I yelled.

Katie had tears streaming down her face. She was devastated, but I was too. I couldn’t see past my own horror to help the situation at all. I had to find my little girl.

“You can forget crying. That isn’t going to help. This is Emmy we are talking about, and if anything happens to her, God-damn it, just move your ass and get looking,” I yelled and headed off down the next street.

I ran to each house and asked the families there is they had seen a little kid walking around. Many answered that they had not been out front, so they wouldn’t have noticed. The feeling was worse than war. One by one, the houses were checked on each side of the road. I could see the base shopping strip in the distance. Maybe she had walked this way to look for me.

Fuck, Katie, why did you do this to me? And why would you do it to Emmy? You know how much she means to me. Shit, fuck. Emmy, where are you?Where the fuck are you Emmy? You can’t walk that fast. You wouldn’t get that far. Damn. It is my fault! I should have taken her with me. I always knew Katie would be trouble, and what fucking trouble it turned out to be.

I glanced behind me up the street and there was no sign of her. I could see a few of the families checking around the area. Emmy was small, and she could have gone anywhere, even the drain covers could have swallowed her up if she had fallen in.

“Emmy,” I yelled. God, no. Fuck no. “Where are you dear? Daddy’s not angry. He just wants you to come home.”

I approached the shopping strip and ran around the shops. I stopped by the ones that were open and asked the staff if they had seen Emmy anywhere. No luck. There was just the daycare center, and then from there to the gate, was the park. Fuck, if she has walked into the park, she could have fallen and hurt herself in the trees.

I got to the daycare center and it was closed. The only person who worked there on the weekend was the janitor.

“Clive, have you seen Emmy this morning?” I called into the playground.

“No Sir, seen no sign of any kids this morning. And I have been here since six,” he called back.

“Just keep your eyes open, will you?” I asked.

“Sure thing. If I see her I will bring her home,” Clive said as he entered the center.

I sat on the bench for a few minutes to gather my composure. She wouldn’t be able to go further into the base as there was another security gate and they would have brought her straight home. There were only the park and two other streets she could be in.

Katie appeared at the bottom of the one street, and I walked over toward her.

“Any sign?” I asked.

“Nothing down that street. I knocked on all the doors, and everyone has checked their yards,” Katie explained.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, Katie! Why did you not watch her all the time. You know how quick she moves, now that she can walk,” I said angrily. “I’m going to the security gate for the base. You check the end street, and I will do this street. I will meet you back at home.”

“Okay,” Katie said and walked off, upset that I was holding her responsible.

I walked toward the gate on the main road. If there was no sign, the only explanation could be she has been taken, and God knows what would happen if someone has the indecency to nab her and take her from the base.

“Morning Sir,” Scott said as he saluted me.

“Fuck that Scott. Emmy has gone missing. Have there been any strange vehicles in or out this morning?

“Not really. It has been quiet after the concert,” Scott said.

“Do me a favor and keep an eye out for her,” I said.

Shit, the fairground. I never thought of that. Maybe she had toddled onto the base and gone back to the fairground. I ran across the bottom of the support road and headed into the base. I could see teams of people busy wrapping up the fairground and loading it into trucks.

I asked around all the teams, and none of them had seen her. I quickly ran back to the last street and checked all the doors. No one had seen Emmy. They said they would all keep their eyes open in case they saw her.

My head bowed down as I slowly walked back toward the house, very slowly and mulled over the whole situation of what could have happened to Emmy. I could see Katie sitting on the curb; her head was bowed and I could hear her sobbing as I approached.

She looked up at me as I neared her.

“I take it no one has seen her?” I asked Katie.

She shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. I could see her holding something close to her chest.

“What you got there?” I asked.

“It is her unicorn from the fair,” Katie said Her tears flowed.

Emmy had instantly fallen in love with her stuffed unicorn and wouldn’t put it down. She even took it to bed with her last night.

“Well, that won’t help find her,” I said angrily.

“No, I found it,” Katie said and wiped her eyes.

“Where was it, in the house?” I asked.

Katie lifted her head and looked deep into my eyes. “No, it was on the road.”

Well, at least we know she went down here, and it is the only street left that we have not checked. My heart sank and I started knocking on all the remaining doors asking if anyone had seen Emmy this morning. The answer was the same from each home. No one had laid eyes on Emmy. I reached the bottom of the street and could see Katie slowly walking down the center of the road.

Her head was bowed down as she took short steps towards her home.