the stars that shone above Paris, but only despair rained down on him.
“Is she hurt bad? Do they know where she went?” His voice became a whisper as he digested the news.
“I wish I had some answers for you. The authorities are looking, but Libby’s disappeared, she doesn’t want to be found. If she contacts you, please let her know I’m here and want to help.”
“She doesn’t have my new number. She doesn’t even know how to reach me.” Peter’s heart dropped. “Do you think they’l find her?” His mind began to reel. Too many possibilities. Too many unanswered questions.
“She’s falen off the radar. They’ve al but given up. She hasn’t shown up in her old neighborhood in Michigan, there is no sign of her here in Rockvile. I don’t know what to do.” Miss Orman’s voice heavy with emotion. “I pray she’s okay. I’m so sorry. I feel I let her down.”
Silence hung between them as they both felt responsible.
“I know, me too. Thank you for caling, I’ve got to hang up,” he said before he broke down. He slid the phone closed. Around him the room buzzed with excitement. The sound became a static white noise in his ears. He saw, but heard nothing. Libby was gone.
There was no way to find her. How had life gone from perfect to this nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.
Garrett and Adam walked over.
“Pete, what’s up?” Garrett said.
He looked up from his stupor. “Nothing. Nothing at al.” The other two exchanged a worried glance. He knew they’d been growing more concerned about him.
“At least nothing you care about.” Peter looked around the room filed with happy friends and coleagues. “I gotta get outta here.” Despair filed his eyes as he searched for the closest exit and took it.
Garrett nodded to Adam. “You better get Mom. It’s gotta be about Libby.”
Adam took off, darting through the crowd of VIP attendees who sipped their cocktails oblivious to the crisis. Garrett went after Peter. “Pete, wait up!”
Peter stopped and turned around. They stood in the staging area of the restaurant kitchen. Around them a busy staff of waiters and chefs looked up from their work, surprised to see the superstar guests of honor in their kitchen.
“Is everything okay?” He searched Peter’s face Peter offered nothing.
“Come on, dude, what’s going on? What was that phone cal about? Is it Libby?”
“Yeah, it was about Libby.” Peter stood, with his hands deep in his pockets, his voice heavy with emotion.
Their mother entered the kitchen, and rushed over. “What happened?”
“She’s gone,” he whispered.
“Peter, everything is going to be okay.” His mother tried to soothe him.
“No, it’s not okay. It’s never going to be okay. Don’t you get it? She’s gone. She ran away. No one can find her. Libby’s hiding and the authorities don’t care. She’s already become a statistic.” Garrett, Adam and his mother looked at each other, obviously unsure what to say or do.
“She’s out there alone and she has nothing!” He screamed, fisting his hands in the air, silencing everyone. “I was al she had.
Just me. I was it.” He spoke to no one in particular, his body tense, a sheen of perspiration on his brow. “Everyone in her life has let her down and now you can add my name to this list.”
“They’l find her, Pete. Just give it time,” Garrett said.
“Don’t be an idiot, It’s been ten days, everyone she’s ever trusted has let her down. She’s gone!” The restaurant staff watched his uncomfortable tirade
Peter slumped forward, his hands gripped the metal counter meant for food service. “Mom, I promised her. I promised I’d get her out of there. We had a plan.” I was going to save her.”
“I’m so sorry. We should have done something to help her. I just didn’t realize how difficult her situation is.”
“Of course, it’s difficult. Her life was ripped out from under her. She used to be just like us. She lived in suburbia with a happy family and a dog in the backyard. Life happened to her and sucked everything away. Damn you. Al of you!” He looked from one family member to the next. “Al you did was judge her and get in our way.
He gazed down at his Armani suit and designer shoes. “Look at us, standing around like royalty with more than we ever imagined; while she is homeless and alone in the middle of January. She has nothing left. Nothing.” He pounded on the food prep table. “Where can she go? How