The Vanishing Girls by Alexandira Clarke

Author:Alexandira Clarke [Clarke, Alexandira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-24T23:00:00+00:00

34

It was a little odd to see such a cute-looking shop surrounded by police cars. The building was big by bookstore standards. Not quite as big some of the chain bookstores, but not small either. It was the perfect size for a child to wander off in, leaving their parents unable to find them for at least a few terrible minutes. It was the perfect size for someone to walk out with a child without notice.

The shop had been closed for the time being while the area was being searched. A team was already inside, going through every inch of the store and talking to the customers. More officers were outside, checking the perimeter of the building, as well as the plants and streets surrounding it.

The bookstore was joined by trees and plants behind it, but it was still close enough to other shops and such that it’d be difficult for the child to wander off and hide outside. So, officers were also going into the shops closest to the bookstore to search for her there as well. If Hazel was nearby, she would be found quickly.

The police force in this town always took matters like this seriously. But child abductions from strangers were rare. Often when children went missing in the area, they could be found hiding somewhere nearby or having simply walked off and gotten lost. Mia suspected that would be the case here. She hoped it would be anyway.

She walked over to where she saw Adam talking to a frantic-looking woman. He was tall next to her short frame. His strength could be rather intimidating, but his warm brown eyes framed by neat brown hair softened him a bit. He was usually wonderful at talking to victims and suspects, able to switch between caring and stern easier than most.

“Jennifer, this is Detective Anderson,” Adam said as Mia approached them.

“You can call me Mia,” she replied, shaking Jennifer’s hand. “I’m sorry we have to meet under such awful circumstances, but I assure you we will find your daughter. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to bring her back home as quickly as possible.”

“Thank you,” Jennifer said with tears in her eyes as her voice shook. She was somewhat comforted though by seeing Mia. Jennifer could tell right away that this detective was a mother herself. That made her trust her more. She could understand how Jennifer was feeling. She would understand the urgency to get her daughter back home to her.

“Can you tell me what happened here?” Mia asked.

“I brought my daughter here to pick out a book,” Jennifer said. She shook her head. “I thought the bookstore was safe. It’s always been safe before. I…”

“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Mia assured her, making sure her tone was compassionate and levelheaded.

“No, but I should’ve been more careful. Hazel, my daughter, was looking at the books as she loves to do. I got a phone call and I looked away for a moment too long, I guess.

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