style="font-size:15px;"> “That’s fine, since the girls will be in school. I think it’ll be fun.” Liam started to say more, when his cell phone rang. Hmm... Aunt Betty calling. Not good. She only called him at work when something was wrong. “Liam here.” He steeled himself for what his nieces had done this time.
“I went out into the backyard to get the girls for lunch. They were playing in a fort they built out of blankets. But they’re gone.”
“You know how they love to play hide-and-seek.”
“Liam, I promise I looked everywhere before calling you. They aren’t at my house, and I even went over to yours, but they aren’t playing in the yard there, either.”
His brother had installed a gate between the two properties when, at three years old, Madison had tried to climb the fence to see Aunt Betty on her patio. “I’ll be right there. You might talk to your neighbors and ask if they saw anything.”
“I just went inside to make lunch. I brought it out to have a picnic. I knew something was wrong when it got so quiet.”
With his nieces, that was usually an indication they were up to something. When he hung up, he turned to the lieutenant. “Madison and Katie aren’t where they’re supposed to be.”
“You go. I’ll follow with a couple of the men.” Richie strode toward the bay area of the station while Liam made his way to the parking spaces at the side and jumped into his red car, his heart racing.
What if someone had kidnapped them?
Eight minutes later he arrived at his house and noticed the girls’ pink and purple bicycles weren’t leaning against the back of the fence where they’d put them last night. The sight of them gone calmed him a little as he loped toward his aunt’s yard. If someone had taken them, their bicycles wouldn’t be missing.
At least he prayed that was true. He wanted the Lord to show him where they were, but he doubted he would hear from Him. He couldn’t blame God. Liam hadn’t had the strongest faith, and when his wife had walked out on his marriage, his life had fallen apart. Since coming to Buffalo, he was trying to change that because of his nieces.
Aunt Betty rushed out the back door. “A fire truck pulled up out front.”
“A few of the guys are going to help us look for the girls.”
“Should I call the police?”
“I don’t think anyone took them. I think they went riding on their own.” Liam rounded the side of his aunt’s house toward the front with her following. He spotted his lieutenant and waved. “I’m going to drive my car around the area. The girls’ pink and purple bikes are missing. They love the park two blocks away. Can you and the guys search there while I go up and down the streets?”
“Sure. If we find them, I’ll call you on your cell phone.” Richie turned to leave.
As the company of firefighters climbed back onto the engine truck, Liam headed toward his car.
Aunt Betty hurried after him. “I’m coming with you.”
“No. Stay here in case they come back. You have my cell number. Call me. If I find them, I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. I’m so sorry. I should have made them come in when I did, but they were having so much fun with the fort.”
The sorrow in his aunt’s voice halted his steps. He hurried back to her at the gate between their yards. Tears filled her eyes. Her short graying hair wasn’t its usual neat style but looked as though she’d run her fingers through it repeatedly. “This wasn’t your fault. I suspect the girls wanted to go riding and left without asking you because you would have said no.”
“Of course. They’re too young to go by themselves, and I could never keep up with them while walking.”
“I’m going to make sure they understand that when I find them.” How, he wasn’t sure. It was possible they rode to the park to play on the swings as they had yesterday evening with him. If so, Richie and the others would find them.
Driving about ten or fifteen miles per hour, he started down his street, going all the way to the dead end. He got out of his car and yelled their names into the wooded area near the creek. That was another place they loved to play, but there was no sign of them.
He started back the other way, inspecting every place he could. An invisible band around his chest tightened, threatening his breathing. When he reached the block Sarah lived on, he thought he spied the back end of a pink bike in her yard. He increased his speed, afraid to be optimistic. But as he neared, he saw the pink bike and then Katie’s purple one.
He exited his car, praying they were at Sarah’s. He rang the doorbell. No one answered. Stepping to the large picture window in her living room, he pressed his face close. Empty. He shouldn’t be surprised. Most likely Saturday was one of her busiest days at the salon.
But if the girls are here, then where are they?
He reached for his cell to call Sarah at work. A deep bark echoed through the noonday air, and he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He rushed around the side of the house and went into the backyard through the gate in the wooden fence. Giggles echoed in the quiet and spurred his pace. When he rounded the house by the kitchen, he found his two nieces lying on the grass, playing with Gabe.
Finally he allowed relief to loosen the tight hold tension had on him. He sank against the side of the house, watching his nieces so enthralled with Gabe they didn’t even know he was there. He understood their attachment, but he couldn’t let them think they could leave the house without a word to anyone. What should he do?
He took a step toward Madison and Katie, their laughter filling the air and wrapping around him. He hated to see it come to an end, but he had no choice if he was going to do his job as their guardian.
At the sound of the back door opening, Madison looked toward the deck and smiled. “Hi, Sarah. You said we could visit, and we figured Gabe was lonely while you’re working.”
Liam focused his attention toward the young woman, who had occupied his thoughts more than he wished these past few days since he’d met her. She glanced at him, puzzlement in her dark brown eyes.
He fortified himself with a deep breath. “Girls, you need to get your bikes. We’re going home. Now.” Amazingly he said it in a calm voice, but he’d learned in stressful situations that shouting didn’t do any good.
Madison stared at him for a few seconds then whispered something into Katie’s ear. Immediately both girls shot to their feet. Madison started for the gate at the side of the house while Katie bent and hugged Gabe before quickly catching up with her big sister.
When his nieces passed him, he said, “Wait by the car. I need to let Sarah know what happened.”
“Uncle Liam, we didn’t—”
“Madison, we’ll talk when we get back to Aunt Betty’s house.”
Both girls slumped their shoulders and hung their heads as they trudged the rest of the way to the gate.
As Sarah descended the stairs to the deck, commanding Gabe
