Once Upon a Grind by Cleo Coyle Read Free Book Online

That’s
your
fault, not mine. I left Molly and Jeremy with
you
. You agreed to watch them!”
    A wall of muscle stepped between us. “That’s enough. Bickering and blame aren’t going to help us find two lost kids.”
    Leila’s eyes flashed at Matt. “They
also
had their collie with them.”
    â€œOkay, and their little dog, too.”
    Leila demanded the police be called, and a perpetually grinning Cheshire Cat stepped up, informing us he’d already spoken to 911.
    (The cat was actually James Elliot, whose popular portobello mushroom burger prompted his embrace of the
Alice in Wonderland
theme, complete with inflatable hookah-smoking caterpillar atop his bright orange sandwich truck.)
    Within a minute an electric buggy with two park policemen rolled up, while in the background an NYPD sector car approached along the narrow road circling the ball field.
    Samantha Peel arrived with her handy Bluetooth—and a bearded man in a navy blue blazer (the festival’s legal advisor).
    The police were serious and professional, but they were not overly alarmed; in other words, no Amber Alert, not yet. They calmed Leila and launched some basic protocols.
    A smartphone alert was sent to Sam’s staff, and an announcement was made over the loudspeakers for “Jeremy and Molly to please come to the coffee truck . . .” Meanwhile, Leila was instructed to ring her building’s doorman
(no sign of them)
and the kids’ friends.
(No luck.)
    Finally, the police shared their plans for a systematic search of the entire festival area, as well as the museum’s grounds near the festival’s entrance. If the kids didn’t turn up, the hunt would be widened.
    The Mad Hatter joined the Cheshire Cat in offering to help search, as did Jack and Jill, Snow White’s Huntsman, and Little Bo Peep (who clearly took her role to heart). But while the police outlined their plan, I felt a cold itch at the back of my skull.
    That little dream I’d had in Madame Tesla’s tent had involved Mike’s kids, and they hadn’t led me to any of the places the police were about to search.
    It bothered me. But what was I supposed to do about it? Tell the police to base their response on a coffeehouse manager’s naptime musings?
    Rationally speaking, I had no idea where Molly and Jeremy were. And I certainly didn’t want to divert official resources on
this
mother’s “goose chase.”
    Yet my dream had seemed
so real
. I couldn’t let it go . . .
    That left me with one solution. But first I had to call Mike Quinn and tell him the truth. There was no getting around it—
    I’d let down the man I loved.

T WELVE

    Q UINN picked up on the first ring. As soon as I explained the situation, he went into full cop mode, peppering me with questions on the official response, the name of the officer in charge, the search procedure, and a dozen other things.
    â€œI’m sorry this happened, Mike. You warned me about Leila’s flaky behavior, you asked me to keep an eye on your kids. I should have been more careful—”
    â€œStop. It’s not your fault—”
    â€œI don’t care what you say. I feel responsible—”
    â€œLet me finish, Clare. It’s not your fault for a very simple reason. It’s mine.”
    â€œHow could it possibly be yours? You’re four hundred miles away.”
    â€œExactly.”
    I closed my eyes and took a breath. “Mike, I’ll find them. I promise—”
    â€œI’m coming to help.”
    â€œIn the morning?”
    â€œNow
.
I’m already in the car. If I can’t book a seat out of Dulles, I’ll go on standby. Call me anytime, okay? If you can’t get through, I’m on the plane. I’ll call you back as soon as I can . . .”
    We said our good-byes and I turned my gaze skyward. The night felt especially dark with the glow from