I hugged Greta before leaving.
She held onto me a little longer than usual.
I noticed.
But I was already late, so I kissed her forehead and ran.
About an hour later, Owen texted me.
“Greta’s checked in. She’s excited. Everything’s good.”
I finally relaxed.
Then around noon, an unfamiliar number appeared on my phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Karen from Greta’s summer camp. She’s safe, but I need you to come here as soon as possible.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
There was a short pause.
“It concerns the man who brought her.”
“Owen?”
I nearly laughed.
“There must be some mistake. He’s one of my closest friends.”
Karen’s voice stayed serious.
“I think you should come.”