small artificial tree, which she’d bought years before; she would’ve preferred a real one but didn’t want to spend the money this year. Then she’d draped it with lights, and she and Gabe had carefully arranged the ornaments. They were almost done by the time Jake came over, and Gabe insisted that he place the angel on top of the tree. Holly wasn’t sure how he’d react to that request. At first he’d hesitated until she explained it was an honor and that it meant a lot to Gabe. Then he reluctantly set the angel on the tree.
Maybe it wasn’t up to her to change—or try to change—his feelings about Christmas, but she hoped to coax him by creating new memories and by reminding him of happy ones from his own childhood.
On Friday, after school and his playdate with Billy, Gabe had been exhausted by ten o’clock. Holly tucked him in, and then she and Jake had cuddled and kissed in front of the television. She couldn’t remember what TV program they’d started to watch because they were soon more focused on each other than on the TV.
Thinking about Friday night with Jake made her tingle with excitement and anticipation. Bill could have his Tiffani. Holly would rather be with Jake. Their relationship held such promise….
Unfortunately, Jake was so busy at the store on Saturday that a couple of quick phone calls had to suffice. On Sunday evening he came to the apartment, bringing a take-out pizza and a bottle of lovely, smooth merlot—the best wine she’d had in ages. Jake had been full of tales about the store, and especially how well Intellytron was now selling. Rumor had it that Finley’s was the only place in Manhattan that had the robot available, and customers had flooded the store, many of them going straight from Santa’s throne to the toy department. No one else had guessed that Intellytron would be one of the hottest retail trends of the season.
While Holly was thrilled for Jake, she was still concerned that there wouldn’t be any left once she could afford to make the purchase. Jake had again assured her she didn’t need to worry; he’d put one aside for Gabe. It was safely hidden away in the back of the storeroom, with a note that said it wasn’t to be sold.
Holly dashed into the office just in time. She saw Lindy Lee glance at her watch but Holly knew she had three minutes to spare. While Lindy Lee might not appreciate her new work habits, she was well within the bounds of what was required. Before Gabe’s advent into her life, she’d often arrived early and stayed late. That wasn’t possible now, and she was paying the price for her earlier generosity, which Lindy Lee had quickly taken for granted. Still, she enjoyed her job and believed she was a credit to her employer, even if Lindy didn’t agree.
“Good morning,” she said to her boss, sounding more cheerful than she felt. Holly was determined not to allow Lindy Lee’s attitude to affect her day.
At noon, Holly began to check her watch every few minutes. She kept her cell phone on her desk, ready to receive Gabe’s call. He should be phoning any time now; school was out, and he’d be going home with Jonathan. At twelve-thirty Holly started to worry. Gabe should be at the Krantzes’. Why hadn’t he called? She felt too anxious to eat the crackers and cheese she’d brought, too anxious to do anything productive. She’d give him until one-fifteen and then she’d call.
At one-thirteen, her cell phone chirped, and she recognized the Krantzes’ number. Holly heaved a grateful sigh. “Hello,” she said.
“Holly?” It was Caroline.
“Oh, hi. Did everything go as scheduled? Did Gabe and Jonathan walk home from school together?”
“Well, that’s the reason I’m phoning. Gabe didn’t come home with Jonathan.”
A chill raced down her spine. “What do you mean?”
“He told Jonathan there was something he needed to do first, so Jonathan came home by himself. I … I feel really bad about this.”
“Where is he?” Holly asked, struggling not to panic.
“That’s just it. I don’t know.”
There was a huge knot in Holly’s chest, and she found it difficult to breathe. How could she tell her brother that Gabe had gone missing?
Panicked thoughts surged through her mind. He’d been abducted, kidnapped, held for ransom. Or even worse, simply taken, never to be seen or heard from again.
“I’ll call you if I hear anything,” Caroline told her. “I’d go look myself but I can’t leave the children. If he’s not here in an hour, we’ll reassess, call the police. In the meantime, I’ll phone some of the other kids’ parents.”
“Yes … Thank you.” Holly disconnected the line, her cell phone clenched in her fist.
“Holly?” Lindy Lee asked, staring at her. “What’s wrong?”
Holly didn’t realize she’d bolted to her feet. She felt herself swaying and wondered if she was going to faint. “My—my nephew’s missing.”
“Missing,” Lindy Lee repeated. “What do you mean, missing?”
“He didn’t show up at the sitter’s house after school.”
Lindy Lee looked at her watch. “It’s a bit early for him to be out of school, isn’t it?”
“No, not today,” she said, panic making her sound curt. She was torn by indecision. Her first inclination was to contact the police immediately, not to wait another hour as Caroline had suggested. They should start a neighborhood search. Ask questions.
She wondered crazily if she should get his picture to the authorities so they could place it on milk cartons all across America.
Her cell phone chirped again and she nearly dropped it in her rush to answer.
“Yes?” she blurted out.
“Holly, it’s Jake.”
“I don’t have time to talk now. Gabe’s missing and we’ve got to contact the police and get a search organized and—”
“Gabe’s with me,” Jake interrupted.
She sank into her chair, weak with relief. “He’s with you?”
“Yes. He came into the city.”
“On his own?” This was unbelievable!
“Yup.”
“You mean to say he walked from school to the subway station, took the train and then walked to Finley’s by himself? “ It seemed almost impossible to comprehend. She held her head in one hand and leaned back in her chair, eyes closed. She remembered what he’d said that morning, about wanting to see the robot, but she’d had no idea he’d actually try to do it.
“Would you like to talk to him?” Jake was asking.
“Please.”
“Aunt Holly?” Gabe’s voice was small and meek.
“So,” she said, releasing a long sigh. Although the urge to lambaste him was nearly overwhelming, she resisted.
“You didn’t walk home with Jonathan the way you were supposed to?”
“No.”
