“Owen, we need a new plan,” Calvin suggests.
Like I don’t know that, I want to shout at them. But right now, they are, once again, the only people supporting me in my search for Myah. I can’t risk losing them too. Still, I know they’re also human, and they can only tolerate me so much. So, whenever they’re back from their search, I do my best to reel in all the hatred inside me.
I try to scour my mind again for places that Myah may have mentioned, but lately, I haven’t been listening that much. So, we’re at our wit’s end. My daughter is a slippery young woman, and I can’t help but feel some pride over her ability to hide. She is good, and I think she will fare well in undercover missions. However, I don’t want her to ever do that, and I don’t want her to feel like she has to escape from me again. I must try harder to be a better father. But how?
“Owen,” Andrew calls me out.
I have been disconnecting more and more from my surroundings. It’s hard to focus on them when it means acknowledging that we can’t find my daughter. Why are the women in my life like this? Why do they seem like always on the hunt to hurt me?
“Can you tell me again where we have looked?” I reply. I know the answer because we have a list. Yet, I need to hear them again because I still believe that we are missing something obvious.
“We checked the following museums,” he shows me the places on the map we pinned on the wall. “Metropolitan, Museum of Modern Art, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Morgan Library, Bronx Museum, and the American Folk Art Museum.”
These are the places that Myah told me she wanted to see. So, we have directed our focus on them. We’re only a team of five people, but we have asked these museums for help. Andrew is in-charge of talking because the slightest rise of tone sets me off. Still, three days of footage from these places yields nothing. Myah is not in them.
Calvin chimes in. “We also checked her school three times and visited Laura’s place. She is still under surveillance. We have the feed here. However, so far, no signs of Myah.”
My ex-wife has been more irritated because she has to look for her daughter again. As years pass by, I become even more sure that leaving her was the best decision in my life. I regret nothing now.
“We also looked at all the bookstores that we visited and talked with management about sharing with us their feeds. Most of them agreed, but we still haven’t seen Myah,” Andrew adds.
I eye the boxes of books near the door. Those are all the copies we bought from every bookstore we visited. Maybe I have to read them to get a clue? But do I have the time for that?
I feel my heart sinking lower after every report. And I’m slowly losing hope. Do I need to call the whole army in to look for her now? Do I really need to go there?
“Where are we looking next?” I ask, even though it is my duty to find the answer to this question.
“Well, there’s Central Park and all the coffee shops you’ve visited. We also still have the mall to look at. Those will be done today.”
Calvin and Andrew are efficient, but my daughter is slyer. I realize now that she will never visit those places again.
“Are we missing something?”
I notice them looking at each other. Am I missing something? Maybe I am not seeing something important. So, I stare at the map again. We have already pinned every place we’ve been to and all the other possible places she may have visited. And no, we haven’t, I haven’t missed anything.
“Spit it out,” I growl at them.
“Owen, there’s one thing,” Calvin starts, but he retreats in fear of me. Why?
Andrew continues, “maybe it’s time for you to call Sloane.”
They don’t know the whole deal because I’m not in the mood to recall the lies. No one has brought her name up again, except for now.
If I’m being honest with myself, I know this is a possibility, but I’m not ready to face Sloane again. I don’t want to see her and find out that she is hiding my daughter. What will I do to her if that is what happens? Or better yet, what will I do to myself if that happens?
“If you can’t call her, we will,” Calvin adds. “We just never did before because we want you to know that we will. We respect you, and we’re not betraying you, Owen. We just want to find Myah soon.”
I know they’re not betraying me. Myah is like a young sister to them, and they will always put her safety before anything else, so I nod. Andrew picks his phone up, but I find myself gesturing for him to stop.