Alex’s gaze shifted around the group until it met Nick’s. The terror in his best friend’s eyes gutted Alex. He started to say something, but Genevieve spoke first.
“Tinsley was here, so we’re heading in the right direction. Let’s keep going! Time is of the essence.”
Alex raced over to Nick. “Have you called the station?”
He grimaced as he glanced over at his fiancée holding the bear. “Not yet, but it’s looking like I’d better. I thought we’d find her inside or near the treehouse. It’s looking worse by the moment now.”
“Want me to call?”
Nick shook his head. “Thanks, but I’d better.”
Alex put his hand on Nick’s arm. “We’ll find her.”
Nick just nodded as he pulled out his phone and headed toward Genevieve.
Alex turned back to Ariana and Ayla. “How are you two holding up? Do you want me to take you home?”
They both shook their heads.
He couldn’t blame them, though they looked more exhausted than he felt. They wanted to find their friend, and Alex wanted to find her as well.
“I called it in,” Nick called. “They’re heading over now!”
A small amount of relief washed through Alex. The more people searching, the better. But things weren’t looking good now that they’d found the bear. He turned to the girls again. “Was Tinsley attached to the bear?”
Ariana nodded. “It’s one of the only things she had before.”
“Oh.” His stomach knotted. There was no way she would’ve willingly left the bear. It wasn’t some random stuffed animal. The stuffed animal probably meant the world to her. He cleared his throat, tried to ignore the worry in their eyes, and put his hand on their shoulders. “We’ll find her. Let’s keep going!”
He led them down the muddy path, his shoes sticking nearly every other step. Unfortunately, the earlier rainstorm made it impossible to see any of Tinsley’s footsteps. Any evidence would’ve been washed away.
Alex cupped his mouth. “Tinsley!”
His daughter and niece also called out for her. Not too far away, the others shouted for her.
Hopefully, they were getting close. But these woods weren’t all that big. They provided privacy for the homes tucked away, but not much else. It would have been easy for someone to take off with the girl then make a quick getaway in a car. Not that Alex would voice that thought, even though Nick and Genevieve had to be aware of the fact themselves. He didn’t want to crush the girls’ hope.
“Tinsley!” Alex was yelling so loud, his throat was starting to hurt.
Everyone continued calling out for her.
Sirens sounded.
His shoulders relaxed. “Finally.”
“Dad.” Ari tugged on his arm.
He turned to her. “What is it?”
Fear shone in her eyes. “We’re almost to the end of the woods. What if she isn’t here anymore?”
Alex played with his wedding ring and considered his wording. He didn’t want to crush their hope, but at the same time, they deserved the truth. “We’ll still find her. She couldn’t—wait. How do you know this is almost the edge?”
Ari looked away. “Ava and I went exploring with Parker. We didn’t take Tinsley or Hanna.”
He tilted his head. None of the kids were supposed to have gone through the woods without Nick or Genevieve. But now wasn’t the time to discuss that. He pointed toward the house. “Don’t they wrap around the other way?”
Ari shrugged. “There’s a ravine not far from here, and on the other side of that, barely twenty feet away is the road.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Dad.”
“We will talk about this later.”
“I’m trying to find Tinsley!”
“That’s what we’re all doing.”
The sirens grew louder, unsurprising if they were actually that close to the road. It felt like miles, but probably because of how dark the night was—though the storm had stopped, the dark clouds blocked the moon and stars.
“Where’s the ravine?” he asked.
“Just over here, if I remember correctly.” Ari led them to the left, and Alex kept his light pointed on the ground for any footprints. Even just one could tell them if they were going in the right direction or if Tinsley had been with anyone. It seemed unlikely she hadn’t been taken, though it wasn’t something he wanted to think about.
Nick and his family had been through enough. This was the last thing they needed—even if they hadn’t also been planning their wedding. When would the police captain and his fiancée finally get a break?
The sirens moved closer to the house. The other officers would park and make their way into the woods.
“Should someone meet them at the house?” Ayla asked. “So they know where to look?”
Alex glanced in the direction of the ravine. “Maybe Nick will meet them. We’re so close to the edge, we should keep going.” He turned to Ari. “Is there a way around the ravine?”
She nodded. “It’s the only way to get to the road. The hole is too steep. There’d be no way to get out.”
“Let’s head that way. Maybe Tinsley got lost and headed for the street to find her way back.”
“But she doesn’t know her way around the woods.”
“Unless she and Hanna are as sneaky as the rest of you kids.” Alex tilted his head and marched in the direction of the edge of the woods. He didn't know if he hoped she’d gone that way or not. She could’ve found help or someone could’ve driven her away.
“I found something!” Parker called from the opposite direction.
Ayla tugged on Alex’s arm. “What should we do, Uncle Alex?”
He looked back and forth between the direction they were heading and the sound of the teen’s voice. “Let’s see what they found.”
Ari stood taller. “Or we could split up. You see what Parker found and we’ll keep going.”
“Nope. If anything, I’d keep going and you would check out what he has. But we’re not splitting up.”
His daughter groaned but relented. As they neared Ava and Parker, Alex saw that he held something soft. “Another stuffed animal?”
“Her slipper.”
Alex’s heart sank. “You’re sure it’s hers?”
Parker spun it around. “It looks like it, but it’s so muddy, I could be wrong.”
Ayla pulled on Alex’s arm. “It looks like the ones she was wearing earlier.”
“What should we do?” Parker asked.
All the kids stared at Alex in expectation.