Eve cried in Chad’s arms. Chad patted her back.

“ Mama, please stop crying. It’s going to be ok.”

Eve pulled away from him.

“ Didn’t you hear Whitney? The level of hatred in her voice? We’ll never have a relationship again.”

” Whitney’s in pain, and she’s lashing out. She’s also out of her mind with worry about Simone, and you were an easy target.”

“ She was telling the truth..”

” No. Now, so tell me what’s going on.”

“ Simone is gone.”

“ With Hakim?”

” Yes.”

” How? Why? How could this happen? When I left a few days ago, I felt that she was coming back to her old self. I could feel it. The time she spent with us….that Simone was far different from the one that was in your absence.”

” I was talking to Alexis.”

” Your attorney?”

” And, we were discussing the plans for the divorce. I told her that I wanted Simone to remain in TC’s custody and live at the house with him and Whitney. Simone burst in here, furious. I had rarely seen her that angry. She said that I didn’t love her, and that I didn’t need her now that I..”

” Had me?”

“ Yes. I mean, she didn’t wait for me to explain. She ran out of the apartment, and out the building before I could get to her. Next thing I know…TC calls me and asks me where Simone is, and we realize she’s gone.”

” Damn…damn…damn. “

” Do you know what’s wrong?”

” Mama, Simone had been counting on living with you. The first time  she came over to my apartment to help me, we had a long talk. She understood that you and Coach were going to get a divorce. She has resigned herself to that fact. But, she KNEW that she wanted to live with you.”

” Why? Kay said that Simone thought she was lost in the shuffle.”

” Yeah, that’s true. She felt like she didn’t matter. Coach wasn’t exactly a swell guy to be around, and Whitney, well…”

” Don’t forget me. I wasn’t there for her either.”

” Mama, stop being hard on yourself. But, these forces worked together to make her vulnerable, and to make her  open to a piece of shit like Hakim. She told me again, right before I left on my trip how  she thought that she would like living here with you. She had staked so much on it emotionally.”

” Oh…”

” I have to ask. WHY would you insist on Simone living with ‘that man’?”

” That man is her father, Chad. And, with all his faults, TC loves his children.”

” But, he could love her..”

” While she was living with me? Part of me would love to believe that. And, I do. It wasn’t that I thought TC would stop loving Simone. He would always love Simone. What worried me is if they could have a relationship with one another. The teen years are very important for a girl. She could run into so many things that could change her life. A father’s influence cannot be underestimated. As a doctor, I’ve seen it, time and time again, the difference a father BEING AROUND has on a girl. As a woman who never had a father, I DEFINITELY understand, now that I’m older, why I made certain choices.”

” Benefit of being locked up?”

Eve smiled slightly. “ Actually, yes. With all that time, you comb over your life with a fine-tuned comb.  I don’t think TC would have made a conscious choice to distance himself from Simone. I think it would just ‘happen’ between them, and once Simone turned eighteen, she would be off to college, maybe in another state. I would always be her mother, and I would make the effort. I didn’t want Simone to lament the loss of a relationship with her father later on in life. “

Chad kissed Eve. “ Thank you.”

” For what?”

” Being a wonderful mother.”

”I don’t know about that.”

” Well, I do. So, tell me, do they have any leads?”

” None. When we went to Hakim’s apartment, we found someone who said that Hakim had gotten into bad times with some bad people. They found the car registered to Hakim in a Massachusetts mall parking lot. He, nor Simone, were there.”

” He’d ditch the car some place public. If he’s decided to lay low and set up shop in a new town, he’d go to one with a large Black population. It’s not Boston.”

” Why?”

” Too close to where he ditched the car. So, the first place were I’ll go is New York City.”

“ Where YOU’LL GO?”

“ Yes. I’m not going to just sit around here, doing nothing. I’m going to find her.”

” Chad! Your father has hired the best people, and Sam and the rest of law enforcement..”

” Still don’t know how to navigate the streets. I know that you love living in a small town like this, Mama. And, I’ve come to enjoy it’s charms. One of its charms is that people feel like they count. But, Mama, if they’ve gone to a big city, then Simone is just another Black girl runaway, and Hakim is but one of many young Black men up to ‘ no good’. I don’t mean to insult law enforcement, but finding ‘ us’ has never been on the top of the list. Simone isn’t some blond, blue-eyed cheerleader.”

Eve nodded. “ I understand.”

” I know street life. I’m not so far removed from it that I won’t be able to maneuver. And, going alone will increase my chances.”

“ No! You should take one of Julian’s security men!”

“ No thanks. I have to do it my way.”

The tears ran down Eve’s face. She stroked Chad’s cheek. “It’s been a lifetime since the streets were my home. I can’t believe I’m facing the same horror – only this time, it’s my children.”

Chad kisses Eve. “ I won’t return until I find her. I promise.”

Eve hugged Chad. “ You promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”

“ I promise.”

Chad opened the room to his apartment and pulled out his dufflebag and began to pack. There was a knock on the door.

“ Chad!”, Theresa cried, as she flew into his arms.

” Hey.”

” I heard about Simone. I’m so sorry!”

” Thanks.”

Theresa looked at the dufflebag. “ Chad, are you going somewhere?”

” To find Simone.”

” Chad, how can you find her?”

” I have my streetsmarts to help me, Theresa.”

” I can come along with you.”

Chad kissed Theresa. “ That is a great offer, but this has to be a solo project. “

” What can I do to help you?”

” One, look in on my Mom? She really needs support now. Two, extend an olive branch to Whitney?”

” Chad..”

” She’s going crazy, thinking about Simone. Promise me, Theresa.”

” I promise.”

“ Help me pack.” Theresa went to Chad’s drawers and pulled out things she thought he would need. Chad picked up his phone.

“ It’s Chad. I’ll be there in about 30 minutes. I’ll explain myself when I get there, but I need twenty-five thousand, twenty in Ben Franklins, and five in twenties. Bye.”

Chad looked at what Theresa put in the dufflebag. “ This is good, Theresa.”

” This is dangerous, isn’t it?”

” I don’t know. The streets aren’t pretty. “

“ Where are you going?”

” New York.”

” New York!”

“ I think Hakim wants to get REALLY lost. And New York is the place for that.”

” Chad, let me go! I’ll help you!”

Chad laughed. “ You are persistent. But, then, so am I. Answer’s no.”

” Then, I’ll drive you to Julian’s.”

“ Thanks.”
 

Julian was sitting in the Library when Chad and Theresa came in.

“ You have my money?”, Chad asked.

Julian pulled out a bag.

“ I need for you to get the Crane Jet ready.”

” Where are you going?”

” To look for Simone.”

” I had assumed as much. But, where?”

” New York.”

“ I’ll call Security. They’ll go with you.”

” No. I’m doing this solo.”

” Chad, this is ridiculous. You don’t know what conditions you’ll find Simone in..”

” True. But, I’m smart. I know the streets. “

Julian looked in his desk and pulled out two cards. He handed Chad one.

” THIS is the card for the Crane attorneys in New York. Day or Night, no matter what. IF you find yourself in legal difficulty, CALL HIM. He’ll come.”

He handed Chad the other one.

“ THIS is a card that you call if you need ‘ other things.’ You know, more money, weapons, muscle. Day or night.”

” Thanks, Pops.”

Julian turned to Theresa. “ YOU support him going alone?”

” I’m smart enough to know Chad’s his own man.”

Julian nodded. “ The limo’s waiting out front.”

“ Thanks.”

Chad and Theresa left. Julian picked up his phone.

” Eve?”

” Julian? He’s gone, isn’t he?”

“ Yes.”

” Julian, I….”

” We have to trust him, Eve. He’ll be fine.”