I nod, and he pulls me snug to his chest.
For the first time since Leo went missing, my thoughts start to calm down.
Maybe Maverick’s right. Maybe after a little sleep, I’ll have a better idea of what to do.
All night long, I dream about Leo crying.
Bright morning sun shines through the windows when I wake with a gasp. The only thing I can think about are those haunting wails in my nightmares. My baby needs me.
My phone rings, and I lunge for it. ‘Mom’ flashes on the screen. We spoke last night, so she knows what’s going on. She doesn’t bother saying hello. “You need to go to church.”
“To pray?”
“To ask for help.”
Sometimes, I don’t know if she’s doling out mom advice or telling me she has a feeling. By the time I get off the call, I’m still confused. I shake Maverick awake and tell him what my mom said.
Mav rolls over with a muffled groan. “We have to go to a service?”
I struggle to untangle myself from the blanket. “I’m not sure.Possibly? Or maybe we need to go talk to the congregation and ask for their help?”
He sits up next to me. “That’s a good idea. It’s our best chance to talk to as many people as possible. Ask if they noticed anything unusual.” He leans over and kisses the top of my head. “I’ll call my brothers.”
I can’t explain the comfort it brings me to have Maverick home to help me. Maybe we have a shot at finding Leo.
After he gets up, I scroll through my phone, which is filled with missed calls from Sean. I press play.
“Baylee, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I got your messages and calls from the sheriff. I lost my phone yesterday and found it this morning. I was visiting my parents in Dallas. I feel like a dumbass for not telling you I was going. But I’ll be back later today. Do you have any leads? I’ve been going out of my mind since I heard. Call me back when you can.”
I relay the message to Maverick. “He said he forgot to remove the ‘For Rent’ sign.”
Mav leans against the counter. “Do you believe him?”
“He sounds heartbroken. He said he’ll go straight to the police station when he gets back today and answer any questions.”
I don’t have time to call Sean, so I send him a text that explains our plan to go to church.
Ten minutes later, all the Walker brothers, Paige, and I drive into town.
We arrive about ten minutes after the morning service started, so there’s no parking in the lot. We came in two trucks, so we park on the street and head toward the building.
As we crest the hill, Mav pauses to peer into a car. I join him. There’s baby stuff in the back seat, except it looks like it could belong to any family. Nothing is familiar, but what if there’s a clue here somewhere?
Mav must have the same idea I do because he shouts to his brothers, “Let’s break up and check out all the cars in the lot. Maybe we’ll find something.”
Paige squeezes my hand. “We’re getting closer. I can feel it.”
I nod and scurry to check out the next vehicle as Maverick and his brothers fan out through the parking lot.
I don’t know what I’m looking for as I scan the cars, but I start running from one to the next, searching the floorboards and back seats… for something. Some windows are tinted, so we have to shield our eyes and press our faces close.
About twenty minutes later, we’re almost to the front of the lot, and I’m starting to panic that we won’t find any clues.
That’s when I lean over to look into the beige town car that’s parked in the front row. It’s spotless. The front only has a coffee mug in the holder by the driver’s side. Then I peek in the back. It’s empty.
I’m about to turn away when something catches my eye on the floor.
“Paige, come here.” My heart races as I shield my face to block out the sun and get a better look.
