Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
M ax burst through the tree line behind his house, Ford hot on his heels, and ran through the grass to the back door. Inside, Margot stood by the island, where Lily sat on a stool, eating a snack. Brooke was with her.
“What did you find? Anything?” he asked.
She looked at him, fear shining in her wide eyes. “She walked out your office door while I texted you earlier. We had the alarm off because we’d been in and out earlier and forgot to turn it back on.” She swallowed hard. “It looks like she ran into the jungle.” Her voice broke, and she slapped a hand over her mouth, a tear leaked out of her eye.
He closed the gap between them and gathered her into his arms. “We’ll find her.”
Ford laid a quick hand on Margot’s shoulder, then walked around her. “I want to look at that footage. Get a bearing for which way she went.”
She pushed out of Max’s hold. “I think she left because I told her we couldn’t surf. She wasn’t very happy about that,” she said, following him to the living room.
Max clenched his teeth. The beach wasn’t that far. Just down the hill and across the road. He took his phone from his pocket and called Sam.
“Go.” Sam’s one word greeting didn’t surprise Max. They were all on alert for something to happen with Berry at any time.
“Emily ran away. We think she’s headed down to the beach because she wants to surf.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“Yes. Can you call the others—Marchand and crew included—and get them looking? She went down through the jungle at the back of the house. Opposite from where we were, of course. We’re checking now to see if we can get a trajectory and figure out where she might come out.”
“I’m on it. Call me back when you know.” He hung up.
Ford stopped in front of the access panel for the surveillance system and keyed in the code to get to the stored footage.
Margot told him what time stamp to roll back to. In moments, Max watched the girl exit his office door, pause to look around, then dash toward the trees.
“That’s what? Thirty degrees?” Ford glanced at him.
“About that, yeah,” Max agreed.
Ford backed up. “All right. Let’s go.” He headed for the sliders on the rear living room wall.
At the door, Max paused to look at Margot. “You stay here.”
“What?” A fierce, determined frown overtook her face. “No, I?—”
“In case she comes home. I’ll find her, honey. I promise.” He leaned in and kissed her, then ran out the door behind Ford.
They hurried along the back side of the house to his office doors.
“How do you want to do this?” Ford asked.
“We go that way”—he pointed toward the jungle in the direction the girl ran—“and spread out maybe ten or twenty yards. Hopefully, she’ll respond and not hide because she thinks she’s in trouble.”
“Let’s go.” Ford jogged away.
At the tree line, they split, plunging into the thick foliage.
“Emily!” Max called.
A few seconds later, he heard Ford call. He couldn’t see him now. Max said a silent prayer they wouldn’t walk right past her in the dense growth.