24. Chapter 24
Charlie
C harlie sighed, leaning back against the rough bark of a pine tree.
Finally, a minute to herself. The morning had been crazy, even by second-grade teacher standards.
First, the bus had taken a wrong turn, which had added twenty minutes to the trip, by which time several kids had needed an urgent bathroom break.
By the time they’d arrived in the forest, it was almost an hour later than planned.
Then, to top it all off, several kids had tried to eat some wild berries. Carmen had gotten to them just in time.
“I’ve never seen you run so fast,” Charlie said, laughing.
“They almost gave me a heart attack,” Carmen replied, leaning over to offer Charlie her baggie of carrot sticks. Charlie took one and started munching on it.
“One more thing to add to the rules, for next time.”
“And the snails,” Carmen said. “Don’t forget the snails.”
“Yeah. Not sure how to turn that one into a rule. No adopting snails?”
Carmen laughed. “He’d already named it, if you can believe it! See? This is why I always volunteer for primary school field trips.”
“The snails?”
“The excitement,” Carmen said. “You don’t get this with the older kids.”
Charlie glanced at the children clustered in small groups, eating their snacks. She automatically counted heads without really thinking about it. A reflex from years of teaching. They were all there, except for the four who’d been taken by the teaching assistant to the hut for a bathroom break.
Charlie finished the carrot stick, wishing it were a croissant.
“I could stay here all day,” she said.
“You mean if we didn’t have about twenty seconds left before the kids finish their snacks and run off in all directions?”
“Maybe we should come back next weekend.”
“Maybe you should come back with Lorenz,” Carmen said mischievously. “I have some ideas of things you could do if you bring a blanket.”
“Out here in public? Not sure I’m ready for that.” Not sure she’d ever be ready for that. Though her mind did wander. Was that something Lorenz would—
Rennie, the teaching assistant, dropped off the four girls and selected the next group of four. Three loud boys and one very quiet one followed her out of the clearing. Charlie sighed. She wished there was something she could do to help Théo.
“So. Where are you guys going?”
“Hmm?”
“Tonight,” Carmen said. “Where’s Lorenz taking you?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie said.
“Don’t worry. He knows you well enough not to take you climbing. Though I’m sure he enjoyed the view that day at Les Bois,” Carmen laughed.
“I don’t know. I think he was too shocked to enjoy anything.” Charlie sighed. “It’s … it’s so strange to be this happy, Carmen.”
“No. You’re not going to second-guess this. I won’t let you do it.”
“Okay. How about you, then? Any more dates with the good-looking fireman?”
Carmen’s eyes looked up and left, as if remembering something hard. “Those arms. Forget porn. I could do with just a picture of his arms. From his biceps, all the way down to those strong forearms and wrists.“
“Okay, okay. Stop. Too much detail,” Charlie laughed.
“It was an amazing night, but I don’t think I want to see him again.”
“Why not?”
“I’m bound to discover something I don’t like about him, and that will ruin everything. I’d rather just stick to the memory.”
“You do know a second date is required, in order to progress to a relationship, right?”
“Who says I want a relationship?” Carmen laughed. “I came here for the adventure. I don’t need—“
Charlie stopped listening and pushed herself upright. Because Rennie was back, but there were only three boys with her.
Charlie jumped to her feet.
It’s okay. He’s probably right behind. It has to be okay.
He wasn’t right behind. Or at least, she couldn’t see him.
Her eyes moved fast, scanning faces, backpacks, hats, searching. Had he come back before the rest of the group, and she’d missed him?
No .
“Rennie? Where’s Théo?” Charlie asked, her voice shriller than she meant for it to sound. Rennie and the three boys looked up at her, startled.
Rennie’s face looked red with exertion. “His father came to pick him up. Small family emergency. Nothing serious, he said, but he had to take Théo home now instead of later. I called you, but you didn’t answer.”
Charlie didn’t even bother looking at her phone. There was no reason to doubt Rennie’s words, and reception out here was sketchy at best.
Rennie paused for an instant, as if troubled by whatever was showing on Charlie’s face. “It’s okay, though, right?”
No.
Not okay.
This can’t be happening.
Charlie’s pulse spiked. She wanted to scream, but that wouldn’t help anything.
She knew Sean would have sent an email out this morning, informing staff—without giving too much detail—of the situation with Théo.
If they’d been at school, all teachers would have read that email.
But because they were out here, nobody knew.
Except for her, and she hadn’t been careful enough.
“How did he look?” she asked.
“ Monsieur Pelletier?” Rennie stuttered. “He looked fine. A bit nervous, but I figured it was because of the family emergency. What’s going on, Charlie? Did I do something wrong?”
Charlie’s pulse spiked. Rennie hadn’t done the wrong thing. She had. How could she have been so stupid? It hadn’t even occurred to her that something like this could happen.
Find him first, figure it out afterwards.
“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t know. But Théo’s not safe with his father,” she said, the words like glass in her mouth. “We need to find him.”
Carmen and Mathieu, the other teacher, were counting kids. All were accounted for except for Théo.
“Stay here,” she said to the others. “Keep the kids together.”
“What are you going to do?” Carmen asked, her face pale.
Lorenz.
He’ll know what to do.
“I’m calling Lorenz. We need the PGHM.”
“Shouldn’t we look for them, first? They might still be at the parking lot,” Mathieu said, his expression concerned.
Charlie considered his words for an instant. There was a chance her colleague was right. Perhaps there was a good reason Pelletier had come to pick his son up. Maybe his mother knew about it. But she didn’t believe it, and she was willing to bear the embarrassment if that turned out to be the case.
Something has happened to him.
“We make the call first, then we look for him.”
Her fingers shook as she dialed Lorenz’s number. It suddenly occurred to her that he might be busy on a rescue. Perhaps this wasn’t—
He picked up on the second ring.
“Charlie.” There was noise behind him, so he was out, but he sounded happy to hear from her.
“I need your help,” she said. “The PGHM’s help. Maybe the police.”
She could tell she had his full attention now. “Slow down, Charlie. Tell me what’s going on.”
“We’re on a field trip in the Parc de Merlet. We came to collect leaves … it doesn’t matter. One of the kids went missing. His father took him. Lorenz, the mother was at the gendarmerie last night. She asked for a restraining order against her husband—”
“Hell. Is this the same boy?”
“Yes. Théo.”
“How long has he been missing?”
“Not long.” She looked at Rennie, who made a sign with her hands. “Maybe twenty minutes.”
“Where are you exactly?”
“By the picnic tables. Fifteen minutes’ walk from the parking. “
“I know where that is.”
“The kids were having a snack, and we were bringing them in groups to the bathroom. It never occurred to me that—”
“Charlie,” Lorenz said, stopping her. “It’s going to be okay. Remind me of the man’s last name.”
“Pelletier,” Charlie said. “I don’t know his first name.”
“It’s okay. We’re putting out a call, and we’ll start searching for his vehicle.”
“Yes. He had to have a car. Rennie, did you see a car?”
Rennie shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”
“It’s not your fault,” Charlie said.
It’s mine.
“What do I do?” Charlie asked Lorenz. “Who do I call?”
She heard him speak to someone else for a moment. “I’ll make the calls. Stay where you are, Charlie. You have … how many kids do you have out there with you?”
“Forty-five kids.”
“Are there other teachers there with you?”
Charlie shook her head, even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m here with Carmen, Mathieu and Rennie.”
“Good. Can you call the bus, and get the kids back to school? We will need to talk with anyone who saw Pelletier, but the kids should leave. We’ll be there soon.”
Charlie’s hands shook in relief.
“You will?”
“We were on our way back to Les Bois from a training session. Tristan will detour and drop us off at the large parking lot outside the Parc de Merlet.”
“Oh, God … what if he hurts him?” Charlie asked.
“Stay calm, Charlie. Just as you’re doing. And keep all the kids together until the bus gets there. We’ll be there soon.”
Lorenz
Lorenz stood next to Beau, Hugo, and Ry, watching the helicopter carrying Alex rise into the air.
The chances of finding two people from above in a forest were not great, but it was worth a shot, particularly if they were in a car and moved onto roads.
Beau didn’t waste any time.
“I’ve already looped the colonel in,” he said. “Second team is on its way—thirty minutes out. We’ll start by speaking to the teachers and get the search organized.”
Lorenz gave a short nod, not even trying to pretend this wasn’t personal.
“We can’t assume anything about Pelletier’s intent. The colonel is liaising with the team who met his wife yesterday at the gendarmerie . Apparently Pelletier had been making threats. It got bad enough that she was afraid for her life and her child’s life.”
Shit .
Hugo’s jaw was clamped hard. “Fucker.”
“No sign of Pelletier’s car yet.”
“We treat this as a kidnapping,” Beau said, his expression as serious as Lorenz had ever seen it. “Until we find the vehicle, we assume they’re still on this mountain. We start tight.”
“How was Charlie doing?” Ry asked, picking up his pack.
“Like she was holding it together.”
“Good. We’re going to need her help.”
“Alright. Let’s move,” Beau said.
It took them nine minutes to reach the near-empty picnic area. Lorenz could imagine what it must have been like just an hour earlier, with more than forty kids running around. Now, only Charlie and a young, red-haired woman were there.
Lorenz made his way straight to where Charlie was standing, her posture tight, her hands clenched into nervous fists by her side.
She looked up as he approached, and there was hesitation in her face, as if she wasn’t quite sure how to address him. Lorenz felt no such hesitation. He walked right up to her and pulled her into his arms. He stood by everything he’d told her the night before, and he wasn’t about to hide it.
Charlie’s posture remained strained for an instant, then softened against his body.
“He was here one moment, then gone the next,” she sobbed, her voice muffled against his jacket.
“It’s going to be okay, Charlie,” he said. He knew better than to make a promise he couldn’t keep, but there was one thing he could say. “We’re not leaving here until we find him.”
Behind them, Beau coughed gently. Charlie disengaged herself from Lorenz.
“Charlie,” Beau said. “We’re going to need to ask you some questions.” He turned to include the other teacher. “And Mademoiselle …”
“Rennie Meyers,” the young woman said tearfully. “I was with Théo. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Mademoiselle Meyers,” Beau said kindly. “Please sit down, and the two of you can take us through everything that happened. But first, the other children are gone?”
Charlie nodded. “Carmen and Mathieu—the other teachers who were with us—went back to school with them. I’ve also spoken to our principal.”
“Good. What time did you arrive here this morning?”
The younger woman sniffled loudly. It was Charlie who spoke. “We arrived around ten thirty—a bit later than planned. We had a restroom break in the bathrooms next to the parking area, and then walked up here in groups. On the way, the children picked up leaves, sticks, things like that.”
“And the boy was here at the time?”
The teachers nodded. “The kids were all here when we sat down for the picnic.”
“Then what happened?”
“We were taking the kids to the hut in groups, so they could go to the bathroom before heading back to school. Second-graders don’t have very big bladders,” Charlie explained.
“ Mademoiselle Meyers. So, you took Théo to the bathroom?”
The woman blew her nose loudly before responding.
“Yes. He was in the fourth group I took. The boys were in there for a few minutes, then they came out. I asked them if they’d washed their hands.
They hadn’t, so I sent them back inside.
” The sniffling grew louder. “That’s when Monsieur Pelletier arrived. ”
“Did you see his car?
“His car? No. He was on foot.”
“And he told you he had to take the boy?”
The young woman nodded. “He said he’d already cleared it with the school, that there’d been a small family emergency.”
“What did he look like?”
The young woman paled. “Normal. A bit out of breath, perhaps. A bit nervous, but I thought that was due to the family emergency.”
“What was he wearing?”
“Jeans, I think. And a dark jacket. Black, or very dark blue.” She paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t … I wouldn’t have let the boy go if I’d thought—”
“It’s okay, Mademoiselle ,” Beau said kindly. “Everything you’ve told us will help. Now, if you can just wait here, the gendarmes will take your contact details.”
“That took some balls on Pelletier’s part,” Beau said, once the woman was out of earshot.
“He probably saw his chance and took it,” Lorenz said. “But there’s no way he walked.”
Beau looked down at his phone. “I agree. We need to find the car.”
Charlie walked up to them. “Is it okay if Rennie leaves?” she asked.
Beau nodded. “Of course.”
“I’m not leaving,” Charlie said mutinously, glaring at Beau. “I can help.”
Beau considered her for a long instant before replying. “I wasn’t going to ask you to leave, Charlie.” It looked like he was going to say something else, but by then Ry was jogging towards them.
“The father’s not picking up the phone, and he didn’t show up at work this morning. Nobody’s seen him.”
“Shit,” Beau said.
“The colonel’s sending someone to his house now.”
“We need to search nearby traffic cameras,” Lorenz said.
“Vincent’s team’s already on it. If Pelletier drove out from here, we’ll know soon.”
“And the mother?” Charlie asked. “You need to find her as well.”
Beau nodded. “We can’t assume anything. Until we know more, we search as if they are still in the forest. We’ll split into two teams. Ry, Lorenz, and Charlie, the three of you go together. Hugo, you’re with me. We sweep in parallel lines and keep comms tight. Is that clear?”
Lorenz knew Beau’s words were meant for him, so he replied in the affirmative. He wasn’t going to do anything to interfere with the search. But he wasn’t leaving Charlie alone for an instant. They’d tear the mountains apart to find the missing boy, if necessary, but her safety was paramount to him.