A Town Called Solace

Clara tells a panicked Dan what Liam told her, promising him that he won’t get in trouble. Liam’s car pulls up, and Dan dives into the bushes to hide. Liam asks Clara if he has spoken to Dan yet, and when Clara is evasive, he realizes that Dan is still around. He announces that he will take Dan to talk to Sergeant Barnes and stay with him the entire time, ensuring nothing happens to him. After a while, Dan emerges from the bushes, and he and Liam drive away together.

Clara tells Moses later that day that since it is Tuesday, Rose will be home no later than Friday. The rest of the week Clara is in good spirits, even stepping out at recess to skip rope with the other girls. When Rose isn’t back by Saturday, Clara spends the whole morning at the living room window, humming tonelessly. She goes over to play with Moses in the afternoon, who disappears as usual as soon as Liam walks in the door. Liam tells Clara it might take the police a while to find Rose.

On Monday, Clara comes home to find neighbors over and her mother extremely upset.