“He’s what?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. He does this all the time. But I’m trying to get a hold of one of the other inhabitants of that household. It seems your daughter spent the day riding go-karts with the grandpa. Did you know about this?”
“What?”
“I will take that as a no. So, here’s the thing. She could still be inside. But the neighbor recalls seeing Vicious put her in the sidecar of the grandpa’s motorcycle and shoot off like a bat out of hell about two hours ago.”
“None of this makes any sense!”
He shoots me a look. “Doesn’t it?” Then he holds up the flyer. “Now listen, Ms. Lundin. I understand that sometimes things happen that you wish did not happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“And I’m not saying one way or another, but this child here?” He points to the flyer. “Looks just like that child there.” He holds up a picture on his phone of some other little blonde girl. “And that child there, she’s the niece of Vicious Vaughn. There’s a whole pack of these nieces. They live up in Bellvue and attend school at Saint Joseph’s. So if by chance your little girl is related to these little girls, well. What we have here is just a simple misunderstanding and not a manhunt.”
I take a moment to parse all those words and look for their hidden meaning. He’s not going to do anything if I say Vic is her father. He’s going to walk away and that’s all the help I will get. And that’s not how this day ends. So I say, “Absolutely not. She is not his child. He is a kidnapper. And I want him arrested immediately.”
His eyebrows go up. “That’s your story and you’re sticking to it?”
I nod. “That’s my story. Arrest him.”
He looks at me for one long moment. Like maybe I will come to my senses and change my mind.
But I will not.
Vic Vaughn might be her biological father. I never did a paternity test. He has no idea Vivian even exists. So there is no way in hell this is just a simple misunderstanding.
The sheriff leans into the radio on his shoulder. “Dispatch.”
“I’m here, Sheriff.”
“We’re gonna need an Amber Alert for one Vivian Lee Lundin. Last seen riding sidecar in a dragon motorcycle heading towards the Bellvue swap meet. She’s wearing a black leather jacket painted with unicorns and a white helmet covered in Sick Boyz stickers. She’s in the company of one Vicious Vaughn. He’s wearing the same, minus the unicorns.”
I turn away from him. I can’t even process what is happening right now. How? How did Vic know? How did he get his filthy, ink-covered hands on my little girl? It doesn’t make any sense at all.
She spent the entire day with him?
And he… what? Took her to an AA meeting? Got her coffee at the BPH? Brought her to some art show? Passed her off to his crazy grandpa and now he’s scootin’ her around town in a fucking sidecar?
I have to be dreaming. I’m still at home. My alarm is about to go off and then I will get up, get ready for work, wake Vivi, and we will end up right here in the Pancake House, but she will not go missing and Vic Vaughn will not be her father!
“Well,” the sheriff says. “It’s done. The alert should go out shortly.” He stares at me, those eyebrows still raised. “You’re positive that Vic is not her father?” I open my mouth to deny it, but he puts up a hand. “I know. I get it. He’s a dick. I hate that man. I hate that man’s entire family. So I get it, Daisy. I really do. But if he is her father, then this is gonna get messy. Did you ever have a relationship with him?”
All I can manage to do is shake my head. If I say another word, I will break down crying. Because this is not fair. After the shitty year I just endured, I do not deserve this.
“OK.” He nods at me. “I have a feeling they will end up at the Bellvue substation. So I’m gonna head on down there and you can follow.” Then he tips his cowboy hat and walks off.
I suddenly realize that Carla is still sitting in the chair next to me and she just heard everything. We lock eyes. She says, “OK. I’ll drive you. And now that you’ve proclaimed it to be true, you do not change your story, girl. Do you understand me?”
I nod.
“No matter what, you do not change that story. You do not remember ever sleeping with Vic Vaughn.”
SEVEN YEARS AGO
HALLOWEEN NIGHT
VAUGHN FAMILY MANSION
Everything about this man is sexy. His voice, his leather jacket, his helmet—which I am wearing instead of him, because he only had one. His ripped jeans, his old-ass boots. I mean, his costume is top-notch. It even comes with a bike.