Page 63 of Never Fall Again
He scanned the crowd while he listened to Landry murmur to Eliza. He knew every face, and while some of them might have been carrying a weapon, he couldn’t imagine anyone flashing a gun around kids.
Gray approached, all business, and with a gentleness not many people saw, spoke to the girls. “Miss Eliza, Miss Abby, are you ladies okay?”
Abby nodded. Eliza pointed toward the seesaws. “The man was over there. He had a weird mask on. He pointed the gun at us and said he was sorry.”
Cal shifted Eliza to his left hip and pulled Landry in close to his right side. Her arm wrapped around his waist, and he took most of her weight.
“He asked us what our names are.” Abby looked at Chad. “But I told him I didn’t give my name to strangers.”
“Good girl.” Chad touched his forehead to Abby’s.
“Do you know who screamed?”
“Mallory.” Eliza pointed to a girl on the opposite side of the parking lot. “Her brother was with her, and he yelled for everyone to run, so we ran.”
A small sound came from Landry, and Cal squeezed her closer.
Gray ran a hand over his chin. “You two are very smart. Thank you for talking to me. I have one more question, then I’m going to go talk to Mallory and her brother.”
“Her brother’s name is Leo,” Eliza said. “He’s in sixth grade.”
“Good to know. Now, you said the man had on a weird mask. What was weird about it?”
The girls exchanged looks, and their confusion was evident. When Abby spoke, her voice was filled with uncertainty. “It was kinda dark. But his mask looked like a person’s face. Sort of. But not really.”
“You’ve both been very helpful. If you think of anything else about the mask, tell your parents, okay?”
“We will,” the girls responded in unison.
Gray made eye contact with the adults. “I’d say the best plan for tonight is to get these ladies home for the evening. I’ll touch base tomorrow.”
Chad handed Landry a large bag that Cal realized was Eliza’s haul from the evening. They must have grabbed it when they left the table. With a nod, Chad and Naomi headed to their car with Abby.
Cal paused by Gray, Landry and Eliza still attached to him. “Do you need any help tonight?”
Gray looked from Landry to Eliza to Cal. “No. Get your girls home. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
Eighteen
Landry didn’t argue as Cal, still holding Eliza on one hip and her against his other side, maneuvered them through the dispersing crowds and toward her car. When they reached it, she had to disengage from his side to dig her keys from her pocket. She’d left her purse locked in the trunk and kept her keys and phone in her jeans and her license, some cash, and a credit card in a small pocket in the inner lining of her jacket.
Her hand shook as she tried to find the right button on the fob. It took a few tries, but she got the doors unlocked, and Cal gently extricated Eliza’s arms from his neck. “Okay, Liza Lou.”
“No.” Eliza clamped herself around Cal again.
“Sweetheart.” Cal knelt beside the car, setting Eliza on her feet even as her arms stayed locked around him. “The safest place for you to be is at The Haven. Safe and sound in your own bed. Abby’s going to her house right now.” He pointed to the spot a few cars down where Chad had pulled out of the parking space.
“Can you come home with us?”
At Eliza’s query, Landry sagged against the car. She’d never wanted her child to experience any sort of trauma. And now, her five-year-old stood clinging to Cal, trembling with fear. She expected Cal to tell Eliza no.
“I can follow you to your house and make sure you get tucked in. Would that work?” Cal’s voice held a barely controlled emotion that Landry couldn’t quite define. Was it anger? Fear? Whatever it was, he had it in check. All he was showing Eliza was gentleness and compassion.
Eliza nodded.
Landry turned to Cal. “Where are you parked?”
He pointed to the far side of the church. “I’m over there. Why don’t you drive me to my truck?”