Finding Hannah (5 page)

We hiked back to our camp and I rebuilt the campfire. The calm night turned cold, keeping all the bugs away. Molly found her hooded sweatshirt and I put on my jacket.

“My legs are so tired,” Molly said as she sat next to me on the wall of our house enjoying the warmth of the fire.

“Mine, too.”

The stars had come out and filled the sky.

“Dylan, your dad is a police officer, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think you could have him arrest Tony?”

“Sure,” I said, with a smile. “Arrest him for what?”

“For being a drug dealer.”

I froze as I looked at her.

Molly stared up at the canopy of trees and the thousands of stars beyond them. “Do you remember how he wanted us out of the house today? That was because he had a client coming. That’s what he calls them, clients. They’re just a bunch of addicts.” Molly looked at me. “I have pictures of most of them.”

“What?” I asked. “You’ve taken pictures of them?”

“Yeah, I want them all in jail and out of my life. Tony turned my mom into an addict, and I want her back.”

My dad rarely spoke of work, but I knew enough to know these were the kind of people who wouldn’t want their pictures taken. “Molly, please be careful. If any of them found out, it would be bad.”

“They won’t find out. I keep them hidden. If I give the pictures to you, will you give them to your dad?”

“Yeah. Just be really careful, and please get them out of your house. I don’t want anyone finding them.”

“They won’t.” Molly turned toward me. “Hey, give me your hand.”

I held it out and she took it, turning it palm up.

“My dad used to read my palm. He said he was good at it and was never wrong. Of course he spoke in generalities, like any good palm reader.”

She stared at my palm, tracing her finger on the lines. “Hmm,” she finally said. “A heavy heart, but a strong one. Your courage will be tested and you’ll succeed. Oh, and I see you running from bear cubs.”

I laughed.

“Just kidding,” she said. My hand tingled as she traced her index finger across it. “I see a long journey ahead. I see hot sun and lots of trees. I see roads and river crossings. I see Wiz. He still has a toothpaste stain on his shirt.”

We both laughed.

“And I see you finding what you’re looking for.” Molly curled my fingers into a ball. She placed my hand in hers and moved it against my chest over my heart. “Now, my dad would say to me, ‘It only comes true if you believe it.’” Molly smiled, let go of my hand, and looked back at the fire.

“Your dad was one special person, wasn’t he?” I asked.

“He was the best.” Molly pulled her legs up to her chest. “I had this friend, Isabel, who was hands-down the best swimmer on our swim team. She told me her dad kept telling her swimming was a waste of time. He made her feel bad about doing what she loved. She eventually quit, and I knew why. Her stupid dad crushed her dreams to be an Olympian. Isabel could have been the best.

“My dad was the complete opposite. He came to all my swim meets.” Molly stood and faced me. “I remember when I was little, I’d stand on his feet while he danced with me.” She held out her hands and acted this out. “Sometimes he’d push the coffee table and the couch to the wall to clear out a spot so he could watch me dance. He loved that I’d found something that made me happy.”

“Just like the penguins,” I added.

“That’s right. I miss him.”

“I wish I could have met him.”

Our small fire crackled.

Molly sat down next to me. “Tell me about Hannah. What is she like?”

I smiled because there was only one way to answer her question. “Hannah is the most generous person I’ve ever met. She’s always on the lookout for what others need, especially Amy, our little sister. Hannah is also the voice of our family, which is a nice way of saying she thinks she’s in charge.”

Molly laughed.

“In her own words, she’s a benevolent dictator. She and my mom have shouting matches once in awhile. We argue some, but for the most part we get along. I know she loves everyone. It’s just the way she is.”

I stared at the fire and thought about Amy waking me up and telling me there was a man in our house.

“The man who took Hannah had a gun,” I said. “Hannah could have screamed. She could have cried out, and I would have woken up and run upstairs. I would have tried to stop him. I’m certain the man told Hannah if she screamed, someone would get shot. I know Hannah wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt. She always thinks of others before herself, even in a situation like that. She always does. That sums up who she is.

“Amy looked up to Hannah so much. Hannah knew it, too. She would do Amy’s hair and dress her up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Amy happier than when Hannah puts makeup on her and paints her toenails.”

“Those two really have something special, don’t they?” Molly asked.

“They do. There are times Hannah gets annoyed, but she loves Amy. Amy’s really having trouble with all of this. She’s only six and she—.”

“She saw him, right?”

“She’s the only one who did.” I threw a stick into the fire. “I still can’t believe one minute I was watching TV and joking around with Hannah, and the next minute she was gone.”

I envisioned putting Amy in my closet, finding Hannah’s bed empty, and Amy bawling as I screamed at her to tell me how long it had been since Hannah had been taken.

Molly’s hand on my shoulder surprised me.

“Is Amy getting better?” Molly asked.

“No. If anything, she’s gotten worse. My aunts keep saying give her time, but I don’t know.”

“She’s been asked a lot of questions, hasn’t she?”

I nodded. “Those first few days were the hardest. It was a full-day process just to get the description of the kidnapper out of her. It didn’t help with me and my dad being gone all day searching. We’d come home and Amy would just spend the rest of the night in my dad’s arms. I think she’s copying me because she isn’t saying much.”

“What do you mean?”

I closed my eyes. “I haven’t spoken to an adult since the night Hannah was taken.”

The fire snapped and popped.

“Not one?” Molly asked. “It’s been almost a month.”

“Well,” I turned and smiled at Molly, “I guess I did speak with Tony.”

“He doesn’t count. He’s the biggest child I’ve ever met.”

I laughed.

“What about Amy? Have you talked to her?”

I shook my head. “I’ve tried. She won’t talk to me.”

“How many times have you tried?”

“Two or three.”

“Two or three? That’s it?”

“I haven’t been around her much since the searching began.”

“Dylan, you need to talk to your sister!”

I nodded.

“She’s the only one who has seen this guy. It would be good if she could talk to you.”

“She won’t talk about him,” I said. “She certainly won’t talk to me about him.”

“Why not?”

The forest was quiet as I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Why won’t she talk to you?” Molly asked. “You’re her brother.”

I couldn’t meet Molly’s gaze as I spoke. “That night, when Amy first came downstairs to tell me there was a man upstairs, I hid her in my closet and then searched the house. When I found it empty, I asked Amy how long it had been since Hannah was taken. When she didn’t know, I yelled at her. It was bad. I yelled at her to remember, and she couldn’t. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I left her there. I left her alone as I ran out of the house to search for Hannah.”

I hung my head and stared at my feet. Amy had refused to look at me since that day, and I wondered if the damage was irreparable.

“Someday you’ll get your chance to apologize to her,” Molly said.

I nodded.

“Amy has been through a lot,” Molly said. “You both have. You’re her big brother and, whether you realize it or not, she needs you.”

* * *

When the fire was almost out I covered what little was left with some dirt. I climbed into the tent after Molly changed clothes. Light from my dad’s large flashlight filled the tent as Molly rolled on her side away from me while I changed into sweatpants. Once I was finished, Molly rolled onto her stomach and started writing on a pad of paper.

“What are you writing?” I asked.

“I write my dad a letter every night. It’s kind of like a diary.”

“That’s cool.”

“It was a tip someone gave me after he died, and I just kept doing it.”

“So you have a letter for every night?”

“I’ve never missed one. I have most of them on my laptop. This will do until I get back home.”

When she finished she said, “Do you want to hear what I wrote?”

“Sure.”

“Hi, Dad. Right now I’m in a tent in the middle of nowhere with a boy my own age that I just met today for the first time. I know you wouldn’t approve, but don’t worry, Dad. Dylan and I are on a mission. Plus, I really think you’d like him. We’re searching the central New Hampshire forest for Hannah, the missing girl I told you about. She’s Dylan’s older sister. I know we’ll find her. I love you, Dad! Yours always, Molly.”

Molly stuffed the notebook into her backpack.

“Thanks for sharing,” I said. I thought it was cool that Molly had found a way to keep her dad alive through all those letters.

“You’re welcome. It was a good first day. Good night.”

I turned off the flashlight. “Good night, Molly.”

In what seemed like seconds, she was sound asleep. I was jealous of how easy it was for her. I tried to do the same, but the invisible metal band around my head tightened at the thought of Hannah. When I finally did feel sleepy, images of Hannah popped into my head, forcing me awake. I saw Hannah being pulled along through the woods at gunpoint. I stared into the darkness, listening to the crickets chirping and Molly breathing peacefully, wondering what Hannah was going through. I’d fade, only to see her face again. It went on like that for hours before I finally drifted to sleep.

Chapter 4

Molly and I ate a quick breakfast of dried fruit and trail mix, and then we set off, leaving our tent and most of our gear. Molly was wearing her swimsuit underneath her hiking clothes and made me promise we’d find water today. We were happy the leafy green canopy shielded us from the sun. It was such a humid sticky mess that we removed layers of clothing as the morning wore on.

“Hey,” Molly said, “do you think your parents are going to be mad at you when you go home?”

“Probably.”

“How mad?”

“Well, you saw I left a note, but they’ll be worried I’ve been eaten by a bear or something. They’re pretty smart, so they’ve probably spoken to Wiz, who undoubtedly told them everything. And they’ll notice my tent and sleeping bag are gone. I’m guessing right now they’re waiting for me to return home safely, so they can kill me.” I knew they’d be worried, and I felt bad that I was making the situation worse by disappearing into the woods.

After an hour of hiking, we spotted the first house since leaving the trail. Molly and I climbed to the top of a hill that overlooked the small two-story farmhouse and barn. I lay on my stomach, propped myself up on my elbows, and looked around with the spotting scope. The discomfort from the hot sun disappeared when Molly lay down to look through her binoculars and her hip touched mine.

The house was in a sad state, complete with chipping paint and the same dusty-looking lawn that surrounded Tony’s house. The upstairs window shades were drawn as were a few windows on the main level. The downstairs sliding-glass door allowed us to see a bare living room with an old couch and a small TV.

“I don’t see anyone outside,” Molly said. “The house looks empty, and I don’t see a basement.”

The old house looked lived in. An empty carport stood against the barn.

“It’s Tuesday,” I said. “Maybe they’re at work.”

A large picture window next to the sliding-glass door allowed us to see into the living room.

I told Molly to stay where she was, and I walked down the hill to have a look inside. I could see a sink full of dirty dishes, and the refrigerator still had holiday cards stuck to the side of it. I walked in a circle around the house. There was no sign of anyone.

“Hannah!” I shouted. There was no response.

I marked the location on my GPS unit and walked back to Molly. “We can come back tonight and have another look.”

We hiked the rest of the day, and covered a twisting path of nearly twenty miles through hills and valleys.

“Wow, look at that,” Molly said.

The heavy green canopy opened to reveal a river about thirty yards wide.

Molly and I stood on the bank and smiled. The lengthy drought forced water to flow slowly and the water level looked low, but we didn’t care. It was so hot that, without saying a word, Molly took off her socks and shoes and then removed her shirt and jeans, revealing a one-piece black swimsuit.

I knew the water would be cold, but that didn’t seem to matter to her as she ran, high-stepping her way into deeper water. She swam to the middle of the lazy river and went under.

I felt like a fool as I took off all my clothes except my gray boxers. Being in my boxers wasn’t the problem. I stood in the cold ankle-deep water not knowing how I’d tell her I couldn’t swim.

“Come on in,” she said, swimming back to me. She stood in water to her waist and saw I wasn’t moving. “What’s wrong?”

“Molly, I don’t know how to swim.”

“I thought you told me Hannah was a lifeguard.”

“When I was four, I almost drowned. I fell into a pool at someone’s house. I don’t remember it. My parents told me later I freaked out when they tried to send me to swimming lessons. After that they gave up on the idea of me being in the water. I really don’t remember any of it. Hannah offered to teach me, but I wouldn’t let her. I know. It’s stupid.” I felt like an idiot and wondered what Molly was thinking.

Molly slowly smiled, as if she was formulating a plan, and then trudged through the water toward me. She held out her hand. “Will you let me teach you?”

I would have let Molly lead me into a river of lava. I took her hand and she pulled me into the river. Soon we were in waist-deep water. I could feel the slight current and was about to protest going any farther when Molly stopped.