Free Friday's Child by Clare Revell Page B

someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him. He fixed his gaze on Elle’s stiff back. His free hand twisted through the hair on the back of his neck. “ What? Say that again.”
     
     
     
     

7
     
    Patrick stood stock still, hardly daring to breathe, waiting for his boss to confirm or deny what he’d just said.
    “Abbie is missing,” Nahum repeated. “She left school on time, but never made it home. Is she with you?”
    “No, of course she isn’t. No one knows we’re here except you and Shay, and she is out doing the grocery shopping.”
    “The police are searching the area between the school and the house. Mrs. Harrison is frantic. For some reason she’s convinced this is Eleanor’s fault. I need you to ask her if she has any idea where Abbie is or where she would go. A friend’s house or somewhere like that.”
    “Hold on.” Patrick turned away from the phone. “Abbie didn’t come home from school.”
    “What? No…I thought she’d be safe if I did what he…” Elle broke off and spun around. Tears trickled down her cheeks, her skin pale. “You have to let me go and find her. Please…”
    “Safe if you did what?” He studied her. Was that guilt? Again, something didn’t ring true.
    “Nothing, I meant nothing. Let me go and find her, please.”
    He let it drop for now. “The police are searching for her. Where would she go? Does she have a friend she’d go home with?”
    She shook her head. “No, she doesn’t have any school friends. At least not like that. She comes to the library to sit with me or the recording studio or she just goes home. No, wait, it’s Thursday.” She took a deep breath and sank on the bed rubbing a hand over the back of her neck. Was that relief in her eyes? “She has flute lessons on Grosvenor Square. I pick her up at five o’clock and then we go home together.”
    “Does your mother know?”
    “About the lessons?” She shook her head, pushing upright again. “No, if she did she’d put a stop to them. It counts as enjoying yourself and therefore isn’t allowed.” She crossed over to him. “You have to let me go and find her. What if something’s happened to her?”
    He held up a hand needing to silence her for a minute. “What number Grosvenor Square?”
    “One two four.”
    He turned back to the phone. “Did you get that?”
    “One two four Grosvenor Square. We’ll send someone over. Don’t let Eleanor out of your sight.”
    “Oh, don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere. Let me know when you find Abbie.” He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.
    Elle crossed over to the door. “I have to find her.”
    He grabbed her arm. “No, you don’t. The police will find her.”
    “Will they bring her here?”
    “No, she’ll be taken home. Your mum is worried about her.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    “And I want to know what you meant by ‘I thought she’d be safe if I did what he’?”
    “I told you, I meant nothing. I say stupid things all the time. What matters is Abbie. Have you any idea how scared she’s going to be when a uniformed police officer picks her up? She’s going to assume someone’s hurt.” She paused as if something occurred to her. “Look, let me use your phone for one minute. Please.”
    “No.”
    “Patrick, please. Just one call.”
    “Whatever for?”
    “Because you took mine away and I need to use it. Abbie has a phone. I bought her one, but Mum doesn’t know. Let me just text her, warn her. You don’t understand.”
    His face scrunched and his mind whirled. “You’re right. I don’t understand. She has a phone, but your mum doesn’t know? Along with flute lessons she doesn’t know about either? Why not?”
    “It’s complicated. Can I try to contact Abbie or not?”
    “One text. I check it before you send it.” He handed over the phone.
    Elle snatched the handset from him and glanced at the screen. Her face fell. “I can’t work touch screen.”
    He sighed and took the phone back. He tapped