They wouldn’t.
Would they?
No, of course not. They were also keeping Sydney away from him, and they would never do that.
Yet none of this made sense. If they’d been abducted, their cell phones would still work. They might not answer, but the numbers would still go through.
More importantly, there’d be evidence of some sort of struggle. Something would have been left behind. Maybe the gunman had made them pack everything up—
No.
Her body went limp. In her heart, she knew the truth.
They had left.
Her parents were good people. They wouldn’t have done this if they hadn’t thought it completely necessary. Desperation had obviously fueled them.
What could she do? She could wait for them to show up at home. They’d have to answer the land line sooner or later.
If, indeed, they went home at all.
The thought nagged her. If they’d canceled their cell numbers, they probably weren’t headed home.
They were headed somewhere else. Somewhere Sam—and no one else—would ever find them.
Sydney buried her face against the palms of her hands. How had it all come to this? She swallowed. She could go after them, look for them. Not bother Sam until she knew something concrete.
No. She couldn’t do that to Sam. She couldn’t keep this from him. Not only would he have one more reason not to trust her, but more importantly, this was Sam’s business. He had a right to know.
She’d taken away his rights five years ago. She could not do it again. She had to find Sam and tell him.
Her heart sank when a truth struck her in a black haze.
She’d tell Sam what happened—that her parents had skipped town and taken Duke with them. That they hadn’t told her they were leaving and they’d canceled their cell phone numbers.
It was the truth and nothing but the truth.
There was only one problem.
He wouldn’t believe her.
Chapter Sixteen
“How could they?” Sam paced around the living room of his guest house. “How could they just pack up a sick little kid and leave?”
“I don’t know, Sam. I guess they thought they had no choice.”
“Why don’t you tell me the truth for once, Sydney,” he said. “You sent them on their merry way, and now you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
Just what she’d been afraid of. He didn’t believe her. “I swear to you that’s not true. Call the hotel if you want. I was frantic this morning looking for them. Their cell phones have been disconnected, for God’s sake. I had nothing to do with this.”
“You never wanted me in the picture from the beginning.”
“That’s not true!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’ve explained all that.”
“Why should I believe any of this?”
She sat down. What could she say? “ Sam. I can only tell you it’s the truth.”