Chapter 37 West
I’m up front talking to Beatrice when Sarah bursts through the doors, out of breath and in a flurry. Her eyes meet mine, and the terror I see in them has my body stiffening.
“Sarah, what is it?”
“It’s Jade!” she cries. “She’s gone!”
“What do you mean she’s gone?” I try to stay calm, but every nerve cell in my body is screaming that something isn’t right.
“When I got to the bakery, there was a crowd and no Jade in sight. The kitchen was left a mess as if she just vanished in the middle of baking, and I can’t find her! She would never just leave the bakery like that!”
“I need an APB out right fucking now!” I scream to everyone in the station. Everyone erupts in a flurry, and Cade comes running from his office.
“What’s going on?” he asks, looking around the room.
“I need you to trust me, brother, but Jade is in danger and she’s missing.”
“What do you need from me?” he asks, clapping a hand onto my shoulder.
“Go to the bakery with Sarah, see what you can find.”
“You got it. We’ll find her.”
All I can do is nod and swallow down the bile that’s threatening to rise.
Hours go by, and even with all men on hand, we can’t locate her. Night is starting to fall, and I’ve been fighting against the sorrow that wants to consume me as each moment of daylight fades. I know how cases like these go. If she isn’t found in the first twenty-four hours, it’s likely she’s dead.
With each passing moment, my hope begins to fade and my heart feels like it’s being shredded in half.
I can’t lose her. I barely even had her.