"-Manny? Come on, it's not funny to scare me like that. Come inside, please"
She didn't get any answer, not that she was waiting for one. He would come back in when he damn well pleased. She went back in the house, knowing he would come in when he thought she wouldn't be looking for him anymore. Manny was like that. He would always show he was his own boss, no matter how he was being punished. He was untamed. A wild five years old. Elizabeth knew him like the back of her hand, he was so much like her it was scary. At his age, Liz would always do the same. She would show her parents she was doing what she wanted, and that no one would prevent her from it.
Time passed by and he was still not in sight, and Elizabeth grew nervous. Manny may be a stubborn kid, but he wouldn't just leave for two hours without telling her. She got up and went once again in the backyard, looking at all his usual hiding places, in his big tree house, in the dog house, he felt asleep in there once, while everyone looked for him, but this time he wasn't there. She looked in the garden house, where they kept the tools, a lawn mower, bicycles, but he wasn't there and his little BMX was still inside. That meant he was on foot. Elizabeth, after searching the whole backyard, went back inside and called Audrey.
"-Yeah Gram, I checked Trevor's dog house, he wasn't there. -- Not inside and his bike is still there-- No I haven't checked the basement. -- You're right, maybe he's stuck between the washer and dryer again. Thanks Gram, I'll keep you posted"
Elizabeth opened the light at the top of the basement's stairs, and called out.
"-Manny? Are you down there?"
She started to walk down the stairs, and looked around. The basement had a lot of hiding places for a skinny, fearless five year old boy.
"-You know Manny, if you wanted to play hide and seek you should've told me, I would've play with you . Come out now, it's not funny"
But the only thing answering her was the silence. Elizabeth was starting to be nervous. This wasn't like Manny to leave for a long period of time without telling anyone, stubborn as he may be to prove he did what he wanted, when he wanted. Elizabeth looked at her watch and saw it had been three hours since the last time she saw him. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine, as she ran upstairs again.
"-MANDEL WEBBER YOU BETTER GET OUT THIS MINUTE OR YOU CAN BE SURE MY FOOT WILL MEET YOUR BUTT A COUPLE OF TIMES"
She waited for him to giggle. He knew she would never hit him, never have and never will, and every time she made physical threats to him, he would just laugh. But this time, nothing. Elizabeth fought back the tears. This was not the time to panic. It was almost dinner time, he would show up. He was always hungry and he never, in his life, been late for a meal. She started to cook his favorite meal, spaghetti and meat balls, knowing if he was hiding to scare her, the smell of the spaghetti sauce would make him come out and they would play their ever lasting game. Manny would try to get a spoon to steal a couple of spoonful of sauce before dinner, and Elizabeth would try and stop him.
But the meal was done, ready to serve and still no sign of him. She called back the hospital, and Audrey said she would be there as soon as possible. Manny had been out of the house for a little more than 5 hours now. Elizabeth called some of his class-mate, but no one had seen him. That's when she decided to call the police. She may be panicking and would look like an idiot when Manny would walk through the front door, covered in dirt, saying he forgot the time, but she didn't care. Better safe than sorry. Although now, she was sorry she didn't pay more attention on where he was.
The standard at the police station told her the boy had to be missing for more than 24 hours before they could do anything, but Elizabeth slammed down the phone, angry. Tears of desperation ran down her face and she slid to the ground. She had been in this position for quite some time when she heard the doorbell. She ran to the door, hoping it would be the police, holding Manny by the back of the neck, telling her they found him doing God knows what. She slammed the door open and she came face to face with Lieutenant Taggert.
"-Lt. Taggert? Said Elizabeth, in shock.
-Hi Ms. Webber. May I come in?
-Sure. Elizabeth let him pass, but thee reality hit her like a ton of brick and she started to hyperventilate. It's Manny isn't? Something happened?
-Oh no, calm down. I just heard the caall you made about the boy missing, and I came on my own to see if I could be of some help"
Elizabeth smiled at him and showed him the couch. Ever since he helped her with the rape, and then the Tom Baker trial, Elizabeth learned to appreciate Taggert. He was cold and heartless when he had to be, but deep down inside, he was a good man, always eager to help her every time she needed some for the last 6 years. When Tom got out of prison two years ago for good conduct, Taggert risked his badge to fabricate evidence against him so he would go back in the slammer for a long, long time. And now that Manny was missing, he was the first one to answer her cry for help.
She told him everything she did since she saw that Manny wasn't in the house anymore, she detailed the search she did, all the places she look, the boy's usual hiding places, everything she knew. Taggert took note on his little black book, and said he would be right back, he had to get his new colleague.
"-You understand I will be working unofficially right? Asked Taggert
-Thank you so much Lt. I don't know whhat I would do without you
-I think it's about time you call me Maarcus. I'll be right back
-Will your colleague accept to work tonnight? I mean, aren't you on call?
-Yes we are, but it's a slow night. Beesides, I can assure you he won't mind."
With that he was out the door, leaving Elizabeth in this state of desperation again. She looked at her watch and started to cry. It was already 7 O'clock, and Manny's bedtime was coming fast. Where was he? Why wasn't he home? What could a kindergarten boy do away from home for nearly 7 hours?
Marcus wasn't back and Elizabeth was starting to be nervous. What if his new partner refused to help her because it wasn't an official complain? Would Marcus still take it upon himself to find the missing boy? What would she do if he didn't? She couldn't leave here to look for Manny in town, what if he came back? Or what if a ransom demand was asked and she was not there to receive it?
"-NO! YOU WILL NOT THINK LIKE THAT! She said out loud"
Finally, the door opened again and she came face to face with her grandmother. The two women held each other close. They knew something was wrong, deep down inside, they knew if Manny could've called, he would've, but neither of them was ready to admit it to the other. Maybe if they didn't admit it, it wouldn't be true. Maybe if they acted like he was just at a friend's house and forgot the time, Manny would come home unharmed. Maybe, just maybe....
The doorbell rang, interrupting Elizabeth's train of thoughts. Marcus entered, after greeting Audrey. The old woman's face came white as a sheet, and Elizabeth told her she was the one who called Taggert. Elizabeth knew what Audrey thought, she did the same when Marcus showed up the first time.
"-Still no news? He asked
-No, I haven't heard anything and he iss still not home. What about you?
-My partner is out back, he is looking for anything that might give us an idea about what happened to Manny. Answered Marcus"
They heard a knock on the patio door, and they rushed to the kitchen, but Elizabeth stopped in the middle of it, unable to make one more step towards it. Audrey and Marcus looked at each other, not knowing if they should answer it, or let her do it. Finally unfrozen Elizabeth opened the door and flew right into Lucky's arms. Lucky held her close and he closed his eyes, one hand in the back of her head and the other on the small of her back.
"-Lucky I'm so glad you're here. You have to help me
-Elizabeth, calm down. Lucky said, gettting away from her. You have to tell me exactly what happened from the start OK? Talk slowly so you won't forget anything."
Elizabeth sat on a chair and passed a hand in her hair. Once again, she told everything that happened, how she noticed the boy was silent, how she looked for him, not scared because it was like him to wander like that, but how she started to be when she saw the time go by and still no news. At the end she was crying again, and Lucky kneeled down in front of her.
"-Will you help me?
-Elizabeth, have I let you down before?? He saw she was hesitating. Come on Elizabeth, in all the years you've known me, have I ever let you down or broke a promise to you?
-No, she said, unable to look at him. Never.
-Then I'm not gonna start now. You havve to trust Marcus and I. I promise you, we're gonna find Manny and bring him back to you, safe and unharmed"
Elizabeth met his eyes for the first time, and saw that, for the first time in the 7 years they've known each other, he was making a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.