Page 98 of Sing with Me

Diehl’s eyes met Skye’s. He knew she tried to help him with his hangover without making a fuss about it in front of his family.

“I’m not feeling well,” Diehl said. “Might be something I ate.”

Or drank.

“I have Pepto,” Cara said. “Or Tums.”

“I might ask you for them later.”

“Everyone is in the living room getting interviewed,” Cara said. “I’ve already talked to the police. Your mom did too, and now Detective Jeong is talking to the Bishops. Malik is checking all the security videos.”

Didn’t Ethan say that Elisa had been gone awhile? “When did they arrive?”

“About an hour ago. They came as soon as your mother called.”

“An hour ago?” Diehl gently unraveled Ethan off his waist. “Didn’t you try to call me and text me for the last few hours?”

Ethan’s lips quivered.

“When did you know that your sister was missing?” Diehl asked.

Ethan didn’t say anything.

“An hour ago? Two hours ago?” Diehl pressed.

“I don’t know, Dad. This morning. The sun was up when she was gone.”

Diehl felt warm fingers on his arm. Skye.

“Let’s pray that she will come home safely. Right now you need to go to your mom,” Skye said. “Ethan, have you eaten your breakfast?”

“I had cereal,” Ethan said. “But if you cook me pancakes, I will eat them.”

“We have pancake mix,” Cara said.

“With chocolate chips in it?” Ethan’s eyes grew wide.

Diehl chuckled. To Cara, he asked, “Have the police talked to him?”

“Ethan wouldn’t talk to them until you got here. He’s Dad’s boy.”

Diehl barely smiled. “Either that or he has a lawyer sense about him.”

“Now that’s scary.” Cara laughed.

He watched Ethan hold Skye’s hand and drag her down the hallway. “The kitchen is this way!”

Diehl walked upstairs where the family room took up the entire third floor. Before he reached it, he could hear Zeta’s voice.

“If he can’t even keep Elisa safe, then he’s unfit to be her dad.” Her voice was sharp. “We want custody of both kids.”

Diehl hesitated at the door.

Should he go in?

Someone tapped him on his shoulder. He turned to look. A badge met him.

“Detective Terence Jeong,” the man said. He did not shake Diehl’s hand. “Sorry if we don’t shake hands anymore at the department since the virus pandemic.”

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