Finnick grabbed onto Vivian’s arm just as she was about to get off. “Vivian, you look very worried. Are you sure you don’t need my help?” he asked with a serious face.
Vivian looked into his earnest eyes. Her hesitation lasted just one moment, and she shook her head. “There is no need. I can handle this on my own. You should just go. If I really need your help, I will call you.”
“Then I’ll just wait for you here. In the event you need me, it’ll be more convenient,” said Finnick. He actually felt slightly angry that Vivian insisted on not letting him know what was wrong.
Hearing this, Vivian was even more flustered. What would happen if he found out about Larry while waiting here? She frowned and tried to urge Finnick to leave. “This is a Morrison family matter. My brother and I can manage it. You should just go.”
“Then I shall wait for you to resolve it before I go back,” insisted Finnick. If he just went back under such circumstances, he would be constantly worried about Vivian. It was better to just stick around.
“Suit yourself,” Vivian replied in defeat. Anxious about her son’s safety, she had no energy to keep up the game of tug-of-war with Finnick. She hurriedly got off the car after her curt reply.
Finnick followed after her. He had intended to go in with her, but he stopped himself when he thought of all the times that she had refused him. Perhaps she has some unspeakable reasons for doing so.
Considering this, he stopped at the gate. He decided that he would just wait there, so as not to make matters worse for Vivian.
Just as Vivian stepped into the house, Ms. Booker went up to her and blubbered, “Miss, I’ve looked everywhere! Mr. Larry is still nowhere to be seen. What should we do now?”
“You need to stop crying now and tell me how Larry went missing. Tell me everything clearly,” Vivian said. Her stomach knotted uneasily when she heard that Larry was not found. She had to stay calm and find out what had transpired.
Wiping the tears off her face, Ms. Booker recounted the whole ordeal between sobs. “I was accompanying Mr. Larry as he was drawing in the playroom. Halfway through, he suddenly said that he was hungry and craved bread. He requested for me to make it for him. After that, I went to the kitchen.”
As she reached that part, she broke down in tears uncontrollably. “Before I came down, I had reminded Mr. Larry to wait for me and not run off on his own. He promised me that he would stay put. But when I came back, he was gone! I’ve looked inside the house and everywhere else, but I just can’t find him anywhere!”
“Did you hear anything while you were in the kitchen? Did Larry go out on his own, or did someone take him?” Concerned that Larry could be in danger, she wanted all of the details.
Ms. Booker tearfully shook her head. “No, I did not hear anything out of the norm while in the kitchen. It was quiet in the house. I didn’t see anyone come in as well,” she said. “I thought that Mr. Larry was drawing in the room upstairs the whole time. How did he go missing?”
Since no one came in, does this mean that Larry went out on his own? Vivian was at a loss herself. “Ms. Booker, I need you to call the police and lodge a report. Tell them the whole incident and have them help search for Larry. I will call Ben and ask him to send people to help with the search.”
“O-Okay,” Ms. Booker replied. She staggered towards the phone and dialed some numbers with trembling hands. “Hello, is this the police? I need to make a report. A child from my household is missing… “
At the same time, Vivian whipped out her phone and called Benedict.
“Ben, Larry has gone missing!” she informed quickly in a crackly voice the moment the call went through. The tears that she was holding back rolled down her cheeks as well. “Please come back now. We can’t find him anywhere.”
Benedict was alarmed when he heard what Vivian said. “How did Larry go missing? When did this happen?” he asked anxiously.
“It happened while I was out. I got a call from Ms. Booker all of a sudden. She said that Larry went missing after she was done cooking in the kitchen, so I came back immediately,” Vivian explained shakily. Then, she continued, “I’ve asked her to call the police, but I’m still worried that something might happen to Larry. Ben, please get someone to go search for him.”
