Page 40 of Look for Me

Martin didn’t want to call Dad and worry him. Besides, it was a long way to haul his car back to Savannah. At the very least, Pete’s friend could give him an estimate of the damage.

He didn’t want to leave his key in the ignition, so he waited for the tow truck, who came about the same time as Pete.

Martin prayed that the police would find Corinne. And that, in the meantime, God would keep her safe.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it if he lost her a second time.

Pete took Martin and Pilar back to the hotel. It was convenient that both of them were staying in the same hotel.

After a quick shower, Martin couldn’t sleep. He felt restless. He called Corinne’s pastor from the phone number at the back of last Sunday’s church bulletin, and told him everything that had happened that night, remembering as hard as he could that Corinne went by Dinah now.

Still, when he reverted back to calling her Corinne enough times, Pastor Butler caught on. “No wonder we know so little about her past.”

“We’ll sort out names later. Right now, I need to find out where Co—Dinah—lives. Her daughter could be in danger.”

“And Wanda as well.” Butler gave Martin his home address, and Martin called Uber.

The painted house was nestled among many other nondescript coastal-style houses up and down the road. The pastor was waiting outside his front door.

Pastor Butler climbed into the backseat with Martin. He buckled in.

“Wanda lives five minutes from here.” Pastor Butler swiped his phone to get the address for the Uber driver.

“All we can do now is pray, really.” Pastor Butler moved on to the most important call to action.

Martin was reminded again that there were more critical matters than his muscle car. In fact, if he had to sell his muscle car and his hard-earned share of the family business, he would—if he could get Corinne back.

It wouldn’t be a fair trade, as Corinne was more precious than anything—or anyone else—in this world.

“I should have married her four years ago,” Martin blurted as the car backed out of the pastor’s driveway.

“We can’t go back, but you knew that. We just have to trust that Almighty God has a better plan than ours.” Pastor Butler turned up the sound on his phone so that Martin could hear the directions.

The driver drove within the speed limit, but Martin wished he could go faster.

“Sometimes God allows what He allows for a greater good.”

Martin grunted. “Like what? Corinne’s been through so much. I wasn’t there to protect her.”

“You are now.”

“Am I? We lost her tonight.”

“Have you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Exactly, Martin. Only God knows.”

“You’re saying…”

“Let this play out. We’ll see where it goes. We pray all the way that God will keep Corinne safe. She is praying too.”

Before they arrived, the entire street had been blocked off by police cars and fire trucks. Martin had no idea Key Largo had this many cops in town.

Before the Uber driver could find a place by the side of the road to let them off, a police officer stopped his car and approached the driver side. “No parking, sir. You’ll have to take another road.”

“We’re here to see Wanda Lewis,” Pastor Butler said from the backseat. “I’m Wanda’s pastor from her church.”

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