“Not yet,” she said, feeling even more miserable. “We’re doing our best, and everyone is helping in the search.”
“Eva, I can’t lose Mikey—I just can’t.” Pete’s voice was full of harsh desperation. “I never should have come to this stupid conference. I don’t care if I’m the training coordinator. I should have told my boss to forget about it.”
“I’m sorry, Pete. I feel terrible. Did you get a flight home?”
“Not yet. There’s a huge thunderstorm moving in, so there is a delay on all outgoing and incoming flights.” He sounded upset, not that she blamed him. “I’m trying to find another option, see if I can rent a car to get to another city that is outside the range of the storm.”
“Pete, don’t do something rash,” she cautioned. “The storm might blow past before you reach your next destination. Stay put for now. I’ll update you on a regular basis, okay?”
There was a long silence from the other end of the line. When Finn and Abernathy turned away from the apartment building, her hopes plummeted. But she did her best to sound upbeat for Pete’s sake.
“Pete? Really, we’re going to find him. We have cops and search-and-rescue K-9s combing the entire Queens borough.”
“This is all because of some stupid package Malina took from them?” Pete finally asked.
“Yes. I’m afraid so.” She fell into step beside Finn and Abernathy. “I’ve searched the entire house twice but haven’t found anything. Are you sure you don’t know of any other hiding place Malina might use?”
“I’ve been racking my brain about it since you called. I don’t know of anywhere she would use other than her work or our place. You have my permission to search every nook and cranny.”
She wasn’t sure if Pete knew Malina had been fired from the guide dog training center but decided this wasn’t the time to tell him. There was something else nagging at her. “Did Malina have a gym membership?”
“She used to,” Pete acknowledged. “But we stopped paying for it a few months before she died.”
“Yeah, okay.” She vaguely remembered Malina talking about some new gym she was going to that was located near her home. The Fitness Club. “Stay in Atlanta until it’s safe to fly,” she repeated. “And I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”
“Thanks, Eva.”
She closed her eyes momentarily, thinking that she was the last person Pete should be thanking. “We’re in this together,” she finally said. “And we won’t rest until we find him.”
“I know.” Pete didn’t say anything more as he disconnected from the call.
“What was that about a gym?” Finn asked.
“Malina used to go to a place called The Fitness Club to work out, but Pete says that they let their membership lapse a few months ago. I keep thinking of the stinky guy and how he reminded me of how a gym smelled.” As they started down another block, Eva noticed the sun was slowly beginning to set. In another hour or two the city would be shrouded in darkness.
Her heart squeezed painfully. Surely the two men wouldn’t hurt the boy, but would they understand he was afraid of the dark? Would they care enough to put a night-light on for him? Would they give him a bath and a snack before bed?
Of course they wouldn’t, and the overwhelming feeling of despair almost sent her to her knees. She stumbled, instinctively reaching out for Finn.
“Eva? What’s wrong?”
“I just...can’t stand it. The thought of Mikey being scared and alone, it’s killing me.”
Finn put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s pray for Mikey,” he suggested. “Let’s pray that God will watch over him, keeping him safe. That he’ll be strong and brave, secure in the knowledge that we’re coming for him.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“Dear Lord, we ask that You please keep Mikey safe in Your loving arms. Give him the strength he needs to hang on until we can get there. Guide us on Your chosen path and provide the light we need to find him. Amen.”