Two Weeks (The Baxter Family #5)(59)

When she returned they sat down at the table and he read her work. Just like he thought, it was perfect. “You should be an author.” He shook his head and glanced over the grant again. “This makes me want to buy you the equipment. I practically cried reading it.”

Alma laughed. “I’m becoming the school grant writer.” Her eyes sparkled. “I’m working on another one.” She clicked her computer keyboard a few times and a second document filled the screen. “This one’s for the school library. We haven’t had new books in twelve years.”

He was halfway through reading it when he caught the time on the screen: 8:53. The number seemed to jump out at him. His heart skipped a beat and he looked at Alma. “Why isn’t she back yet?”

Fear gripped her face even before he finished his question. “I should’ve asked for the girls’ numbers. Jessie and Sarah Jane.”

“They probably ran into friends at Foster’s.” Theo’s voice was trembling. “Or they got caught in a conversation about dance.” Anything to convince himself this was normal. That she would take twice as long as she had told them and not call to say she was running late.

But the truth was something different, and they both knew it. Vienna would never be late without calling or texting.

Theo stood and walked fast to the counter. “Where’s my phone? I can never find it.”

By then Alma was right behind him. She found her phone on the desk in the adjacent den and called Vienna. After ten seconds, she clicked the screen. “Nothing.” She stared at him. “Do you have Coach Taylor’s number?”

“Maybe.” He was moving faster now, trying to keep up with his racing heart. “Can you call my phone? I can’t find it.”

Alma was pacing, her heels clicking across the kitchen floor. “It’s ringing.”

The sound was coming from their bedroom. Theo ran to get it and then returned to Alma. They faced each other, Alma waiting while Theo searched his contacts. “Here it is. Coach Taylor.”

But before he could tap the man’s name, before the call could go through, there was the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Theo set the phone on the counter and exhaled long and loud. “Thank You, God.”

“She should have texted.” Alma’s irritation was masked with relief.

The two of them went to the front door, but when Theo opened it he didn’t see Vienna skipping up the driveway, waving back at her friends.

He saw a police car.

And in that moment his world stopped turning. Two officers got out of the vehicle and started up the sidewalk. Long before they uttered their apology, the words were written on their faces.

“No!” Alma doubled over, dropping to the floor. “Please, God, no!” Her screams shattered the calm of the night. “Not Vienna! Noooo.”

Theo caught her and pulled her into his arms even while she was still shouting. What happened to our baby girl? Why, God? Why our Vienna? Theo felt the ground shift and as the officers reached the door he and Alma both fell to their knees, crying out, clinging to each other, desperate for this all to be a bad dream.

That was it. Theo held his breath. None of this was real. It was all a terrible nightmare. Vienna was fine. She was just here, dancing in the kitchen and laughing about the encore. Hugging them and kissing their cheeks.

Theo squeezed his eyes shut and held on to his wife, held her with every bit of strength he had. As if by doing so they could somehow turn back the clock. He would heed the bad feeling and tell Vienna not tonight. No one needed ice cream tonight.

And a thought occurred to him. If Vienna was gone, if something had happened to her, then Theo’s life was over, too.

No matter how long his traitor heart kept beating.

? ? ?

ELISE COULDN’T STOP shaking as she stepped out of Cole’s car that Monday morning. The news was too tragic to take in. And as she and Cole walked onto campus it was clear something was terribly wrong. Groups of students gathered near lockers and on the stairs. Many of them were crying.

Lately Cole had been picking her up, and this morning on the ride to school he had shared the saddest news with her. Two girls from their school had been killed in a car accident last night. They were on a five-minute drive to get ice cream when a drunk driver crossed all four lanes and hit them head-on.

At seventy-five miles an hour.

Elise and Cole stopped near the science building and three other kids came and stood with them. One boy put his hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Last night everyone thought Jessie was killed, too. Your cousin was supposed to be with them.”

Cole nodded. “We all thought that.” His mom had heard from Jessie’s mother, Aunt Kari, last night. “But at the last minute she didn’t go with them. Too much homework.”

The kid shook his head. “Saved her life.”

A heaviness came over Elise. How could this happen? She knew the girls who were killed. Sarah Jane was in her English class and Vienna sat at the table next to Elise’s during lunch. And of course Elise knew Jessie Taylor because of Cole. Apparently on the dance team Jessie was a special friend to Vienna. Like a mentor.

Something caught Elise’s attention and she turned just as Jessie walked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, empty, like she was still in shock. She set her backpack down as Cole came to her. Jessie stepped into his arms and started crying again. “Cole . . . they’re gone.”