Missing at 17

by Christine Conradt

  She smiled. “Haven’t I found him?” She lowered herself into the lounge chair next to him and cozied up under his arm.

  Toby didn’t answer. He just continued to stare off into the dark sky. Candace felt a tinge of doubt creep in. Maybe he’s telling me he’s not the one, she thought. As quickly as the thought came, she dismissed it. Toby was a complicated guy. Maybe he just wasn’t ready to say what he was really feeling. As the moment grew awkward, she decided it was time to change the subject. “Which way is the ocean?”

  He thought for a moment, then nodded west. “Santa Monica’s that way.”

  They sat in silence. The heavy thoughts that plagued Candace’s mind creeped back in. We have so much in common, though, she thought. They both wanted something more than they had, something that could help them define who they were. Los Angeles was a city of risk-takers, most of whom were destined to fail.

  Ten

  In the Darkest Hour

  Sleeping Beauty, Toby thought as he gazed at Candace, snuggled up in his bed, wrapped in blankets. She was naked under the sheets and he could see the outline of her perfect form. An hour ago, they’d stared deep into each other’s eyes as they made love and he felt even more bonded with her than before. He carefully reached over and touched her hair as it cascaded down the pillow. Sleeping Beauty? Or more like Beauty and the Beast? he wondered. He pushed away thoughts of the many ways he was bad for her. I’m not going to be bad for her, he told himself. I can be everything she needs.

  The more he thought about it, the more his palms began to sweat, so he decided to go pull Candace’s car into the garage. It had been on his mind since Candace told him her parents had called the police to report her missing. If they happened to drive past and see her car, they’d take her away. He didn’t want that. He wanted her to stay.

  Getting out of bed, he quietly opened Candace’s purse on the nightstand and extracted her car keys.

  Keenan was hanging out with a few friends when Toby walked through the living room and opened the door. “Hey,” Keenan said as he stood up. “You going somewhere?”

  “Just to pull her car into the garage.”

  “Why? Someone lookin’ for her?” joked Randy, a short, stocky guy with full sleeves of tattoos. He knew Randy had no idea that his joke was actually the truth, so Toby chuckled, trying to play it off.

  He started again for the door but Keenan grabbed his arm. “We need to talk,” Keenan said, dead serious. Toby nodded, then continued outside.

  Toby unlocked the driver’s door to Candace’s car, and as he pushed the seat back to make room, he noticed a little heart-shaped decoration hanging from the rearview mirror. He let the heart dangle into his hand. Everything about her is so innocent, he thought. She doesn’t belong here. She’s going to get hurt if she stays. Even if he could manage to protect her, this environment would eventually suck all the innocence and beauty out of her like a vampire. Toby glanced back toward the house. Even Keenan couldn’t be trusted. Right now Toby worried whether he’d slipped down the hall and into his room. Was he lingering in the doorway, lascivious urges flashing through his mind as he watched Candace sleeping? With that unsettling thought at the forefront of his mind, Toby quickly pulled Candace’s car into the garage and slid the door down, hiding it from the world. If he wanted Candace all to himself, he’d have to keep her safe. And that meant away from the police, away from Keenan, and away from the stolen bikes and petty crimes.

  As Toby walked back into the living room, he was relieved to see that Keenan was still seated on the sofa talking to his friends. He flashed his cousin a quick look before heading down the hall to his own room. As he passed the bathroom, he could hear Randy say, “So where’d he find this bitch?” and knew Candace had been the topic of conversation.

  Settling back down on the bed with Candace, he thought more about Keenan and Pedro’s plan to make a fast thirty grand by ripping off Dawson. He didn’t want to do it. Not just because it was risky, but because that was exactly the type of thing he needed to change about himself if he was going to have a future with Candace. He didn’t want to be a low-life thug and criminal. He wanted to be the type of guy Candace could be proud of. But he also wanted to make enough money to make her happy. She’d been so happy at the club. He remembered looking over and seeing her sip a glass of champagne, holding the flute in her delicate little fingers. How could he ever afford to give her that life if he stopped selling hot laptops and televisions? A legitimate job was out of the question. He’d never finished high school and knew no one was going to hire him to do anything more than bag groceries or flip burgers. The peer-to-peer lending gig was okay, but it didn’t bring in nearly as much as his criminal activity did. Plus, his resources were limited. There was only so much money he could loan out, and most of his time was spent waiting to be paid back.

  Maybe one last big score wasn’t such a bad idea. It’d give him enough cash to support himself and Candace for almost a year while he made plans to go legit. A year was enough time to find a job in construction or get his GED and take a few classes at a trade school.

  To make matters more complicated, Toby knew if he said no, his cousin would blame his lack of participation on Candace. He could feel the tension with Keenan ever since he brought her home, and he wasn’t sure if he resented her being there or just wanted her for himself. It didn’t matter, though. He and Keenan were tight and they’d always promised never to let a girl come between them. That promise, of course, was made before Toby ever laid eyes on Candace.

  Toby tugged at the blanket, pulling it up over Candace’s shoulders. Then he glanced at the clock. Dawn was only an hour away. Deciding he’d better get some sleep, he closed his eyes and joined Candace in a peaceful slumber. He knew he’d have to give Keenan an answer soon, but that decision could wait. At least for now.

  Get off the phone already, Candace silently pleaded as she and Toby sat in matching chairs across from the private investigator. Mike Foster seemed smaller behind his oversize desk than he should have at a significant 250 pounds. She looked around the room nervously as the detective continued his phone call. If someone had told Candace three days ago that she’d be sitting in the cluttered office of a private investigator trying to find her biological mother, she would have laughed. But there was nothing funny about this situation now. All she could feel was the swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

  “Sorry about that,” Mike apologized as he hung up the phone and ran his hands through his thick, graying hair. “I gave my secretary the day off cuz she was having morning sickness. I can’t wait till she pops that baby out and can keep her breakfast down.” Mike chuckled. Candace gave him an almost obligatory smile, wishing he’d just get to the heart of the matter.

  “So,” Mike said. “Do you know your natural mother’s name?”

  “No,” Candace responded, worried it could be a problem. In the back of her mind, her biggest fear was that this aging detective would tell her that he couldn’t help her, there was no way to find her mother, and she’d have to go through life wondering where she came from.

  “How about the agency your adoptive parents went through?”

  “I don’t know that, either.” Strike two. The anxiety was growing. Candace looked over at Toby, who gave her a little smile and a nod.

  “That’s fine,” Mike responded. “It just makes my job easier, is all. How about your social security number? You know that?”

  “Yes, right here.” Finally! She could give him something to start with.

  “Great.” He seemed relieved as he passed her some paperwork and she dug through her wallet for her social security card. “Fill out as much of that as you can. Also . . . it’ll be one thousand even.”

  Candace gave Toby a grateful look as he pulled out the cash to pay the man. She watched Toby count out the crisp hundred-dollar bills, all ten of them, into a pile on Mike’s desk. It was so much money! She still couldn’t believe Toby was loaning it to her. And he didn’t hesitate. S
he loved the fact that he cared enough about her to help her this way. And she loved that she was able to do this with Toby’s help instead of her parents’. Toby’s on my side. It was a comforting thought.

  Candace grabbed up one of the pens jutting from a coffee cup on Mike’s desk and began carefully filling in the form. When she got to the address line, she looked at Toby quizzically. He leaned over to see what she was pointing to.

  “Leave it blank,” he said. Candace continued to fill out the paper with her date of birth, her adoptive parents’ names, and even Andrew’s name and date of birth. She scribbled a little asterisk by his name and wrote Not adopted, though. Maybe that information wasn’t important to Mike, but in any case, she wanted him to have it. It was important to her.

  Candace signed the form and slid it to Mike as he printed a receipt for Toby.

  “How long do you think it will take?” she asked, secretly wishing he’d have the information by tomorrow.

  “Hard to say. Sometimes a day, sometimes a few months, sometimes a year. But usually within a few days. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m pretty damn good at what I do.” Mike’s tone was just as cocky as his promise. But it made Candace feel better.

  “Thank you,” Candace said, and stood up. Mike shook both her hand and Toby’s before walking them to the door. Despite all the worry and nerves, Candace had never felt more like an adult than she did stepping out of Mike’s office. She’d signed her first real contract, hired a professional to do a job. That, in and of itself, was life changing. For the first time ever, she didn’t need her mom or dad to do it for her. She’d handled it all on her own, and she was taking control of her life. She felt strangely self-possessed and confident as they strolled through the parking lot to Toby’s truck.

  Candace pulled her door shut and looked at Toby.

  “Well,” Candace sighed. “That part’s done. What now?”

  “Now,” Toby said, grinning, “we get lunch. I’m starving.”

  “Me too.”

  Eleven

  One Itty-Bitty Mistake

  Candace stared out the window of Toby’s pickup, watching the scenery speed by. “Do you really think he can find her within a few days? It seems like it might take longer than that.”

  “That’s what he said.” Toby shrugged. “But who knows? People lie.”

  Candace looked at him, appreciative. “It means a lot that you helped me out with the money. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably never find my real mom.”

  “Don’t thank me. It’s just an advance on the money you’re gonna pay back.”

  “Still,” she said, and took off her seat belt, sliding across the seat. Snuggling close, she kissed him on the cheek. “You’re pretty amazing,” she whispered in his ear.

  “All right, tough girl.” He grinned. “That’s enough.”

  The sudden ear-shattering shriek of a police siren prompted Toby and Candace to simultaneously look in the rearview mirror. It was coming from a cop car right behind him. Where’d he come from?

  “Shit,” Toby said. Candace quickly grabbed for her seat belt and slipped it back on.

  Toby pulled to the curb remaining relatively calm, and turned off the car. Candace stared into the side mirror as the door to the patrol car swung open. She was terrified. Images flashed through her mind of being cuffed and dragged away from Toby, forced to go back home. Please don’t let that happen, she begged the universe. I belong with Toby.

  “What do we do?” she whispered, panic rising in her voice.

  “Be cool,” he said. “We don’t know what he wants yet. Nobody can connect you to this truck, so it’s not about you.”

  Candace’s gaze flitted back to the mirror where the tall African-American police officer, looking even thicker with his bulletproof vest, was exiting his patrol car. Oh my god, she thought as she saw him unsnap the strap on his holster.

  Toby rolled down his window and looked up at the hulking figure who leaned down to take a peek inside the truck.

  “License and registration, please,” the officer said flatly. Candace just stared down at the floor, trying not to make eye contact.

  Toby pulled both from his wallet and handed them over. The cop glanced from the license to Toby, to make sure the picture was legit. “Can I ask why you pulled me over, sir?” Toby asked, showing him the utmost respect.

  Although Candace wasn’t looking, she could see the officer lean to his right and knew he was staring at her. She finally glanced up at him and forced a smile.

  “Passengers have to wear their seat belts at all times. That’s a ticket.” Thank god! Candace thought. He has no idea who I am! At the same time, she didn’t want Toby to get in trouble. It wasn’t his idea for her to take off her seat belt. Maybe she could mitigate this.

  “It was my fault,” Candace added quickly. “Please don’t give him the ticket.”

  Toby turned his head and shot her a look telling her to pipe down. Although the officer couldn’t see it, Candace could—there was anger in Toby’s eyes. The cop leaned farther into the window and studied Candace a little too long. Finally, he took Toby’s license and registration and walked back to his cruiser.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said as soon as the cop was out of earshot. She felt horrible. Now Toby was going to get a ticket that he didn’t deserve.

  “Keep your mouth shut, okay?” Toby said in a stern tone as he stared back at the steering wheel. Candace tried to touch his hand but Toby jerked it away and then looked directly at her. “You’re gonna get us both in a lot of trouble.” He shook his head in exasperation and turned his attention back to the policeman, who was now seated in his car, running the license. Candace slouched back into her seat, quiet. He’s mad, she thought. What if he’s so pissed off he doesn’t want to be with me anymore? What have I done? I’m such an idiot!

  The cop returned after what felt like an eternity. “Step out of the vehicle, sir,” he instructed.

  Toby, confused, obeyed orders. “What’s going on?” he asked steadily as he stepped out of the car. The officer shut his door.

  “Place your hands on the hood of the truck.” Again, Toby obeyed. Candace watched in horror as the cop frisked Toby. Toby made eye contact with her through the windshield as the officer knelt to pat down his legs. Although Candace was starting to panic, Toby appeared surprisingly calm. To Candace, it looked like the policeman was going to arrest him. But for what? He hadn’t done anything wrong!

  As the cop slid his hands up and down the front of Toby’s jeans he asked, “Are you aware you’re wanted on a bench warrant? Failure to appear on a DUI?” What? Candace was confused. What’s a bench warrant? What’s he talking about? DUI?

  Toby instantly became defensive but maintained his composure. “My lawyer was supposed to take care of that.”

  “I guess you’re going to need to sort that out with your attorney.”

  Candace continued to watch, confounded, from inside the truck as the cop placed Toby in cuffs and led him to the back of the squad car. He didn’t do anything to resist. She had no idea where they were taking him or what to do. Then the officer returned to the vehicle on the passenger side.

  “Open the door and step out of the car, miss.” Fear gripped her throat as Candace slowly opened the door and got out. “Do you have ID on you?” he asked. She nodded. “Get it, please.”

  She reached back into the truck and pulled her driver’s license from her purse. “Have a seat there on the curb,” he said as he took the license. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Candace could tell she was shaking as she sat there waiting. The glare from the sun made it impossible to see Toby in the backseat of the squad car. He’s going to find out I’ve been reported missing now. It’s over. All over. She didn’t care about the trouble she’d be in with the police or with her parents. All she could think about was whether this was the last time she’d ever get to see Toby. What if he went to jail? She couldn’t even picture him behind bars in one of those bagg
y orange jumpsuits. Toby wasn’t a criminal! He didn’t belong locked up with thieves and drug dealers and murderers. She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking, but as soon as she did, she could feel tears forming in her eyes. This can’t be the end, she thought. It’s just the beginning. The beginning of her new life with Toby and her real mother and discovering who she was meant to be. How unfair that she could get everything she wanted and have it all stripped away two days later. Damn them! Candace cursed her mom and dad. This is their fault for reporting me missing! I hate them so much!

  Candace held her breath as the officer returned and handed her back her license.

  “Miss White, are you aware that you’ve been reported as a runaway?”

  Twelve

  Little Girl Found

  Candace used her sleeve to wipe away the occasional tear that ran down her cheek. She leaned back against the wall of the holding cell, looking at a boy about Andrew’s age who sat on a bench opposite her. They’d taken her shoes and her purse and her hoodie before locking the cell door closed. She was sure they were calling her parents, telling them that their missing daughter had been found.

  She wondered what it must be like for Toby right now. Was he in a cell here too? Or had they taken him away someplace else?

  “Candace White?” a lady officer said as she unlocked the cell door. “Your parents are here.”

  Candace’s heart sank as she stood up and followed the woman through a corridor and was buzzed through a door to the lobby. The room was full of people and Candace didn’t immediately see her mom and dad until she heard her mother yell, “Candy!”

  Candace recoiled as Shannon rushed over and threw her arms around her. Candace had no interest in returning the hug. It felt like her life was over. She was numb.

  “We were so worried about you!” her mom said, the relief coming through in her voice. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”