Page 68 of Single Mom's Undoing

“She’s gone,” I whisper.

A few of Matty’s toys remain scattered about. A half-packed bag she didn’t bother to take with her. The bulk of both of their belongings, gone.

It lights a fire in my belly.

“She did what?”Jodie gasps.

Her eyes are wide as she stares at me, struggling to process everything I just said. I wish I had the time and the patience to further talk her through the steps of my discovery, but I don’t.

“Jodie, listen to me very carefully,” I say. “When is the last time you saw Clara?”

“Yesterday.”

“And when is the last time you spoke?”

She shakes her head slowly. “This morning, I asked her if she needed to drop Matty off with me today because she said she had some errands to run.”

“Show me.”

With a trembling hand, she gives me her phone, and I read the last few messages between them. It’s definitely Clara texting. Her lingo, her emojis. There’s nothing out of the ordinary in that sense. I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that she was already gone during the part where she says she had errands to run.

“She told you she was dropping Matty off at the Vanguard daycare,” I mutter. “She didn’t. She left, Jodie.”

“Are you sure, Jace?”

I nod. “Most of their things are gone. I can’t get hold of her. She’s not answering any texts or calls. She’s gone.”

“Something bad happened that night,” Jodie sighs deeply, lowering her gaze. “Clara never told me the details, but I know that she was terrified. She didn’t even want to come back here in the first place. And then Bill Lockwood came to see her, and she was downright scared, though she tried to hide it.”

“I know what happened that night, and I understand why she ran away.”

Jodie looks up at me. “Then do something about it. Bring her back, Jace.”

Easier said than done. Bringing Clara back means betraying her trust and revealing the truth to Carter and Damon. Damon will understand, but Carter will be devastated.

“I guess you’re right,” I tell Jodie. “I am going to have to do something about it.”

“I will keep an eye on my phone in the meantime,” she says. “If Clara reaches out, I’ll let you know right away. I’ll try to figure out where she might’ve gone, too.”

“The trust fund must’ve come through,” I conclude.

“Then she’s off to handle Matty’s surgery. I’m sure of it.”

“But where?”

Jodie shrugs. “There were a few options she was considering in the state, good hospitals with a high success rate for Matty’s procedure.”

That’s a decent starting point for our search.

But I can’t do it alone.

I giveCarter and Damon a moment to look around Clara’s cabin. I understand the shock, the confusion, and the ensuing anger. They’re all stages I’ve already gone through. We gather in the living room.

“Something happened,” Carter says, struggling to contain his rage. “She wouldn’t have just bolted like?—”

“Something did happen,” I cut him off, releasing a heavy sigh. “Five years ago.”

Damon looks at me. “What are you talking about, bro? You’re not making any sense.”