Run Away

Chapter 34

A knock at the door, made the entire family freeze and look in the same direction as the noise. Owen was the first to recover, jumping from his chair and running to the door to answer it, hopeful that in some way Evie had changed her mind.

Twisting the doorknob, Owen pulled the door open and found a familiar face, but not the one he was hoping.

"Zane," Owen stated, deflated.

"Good morning to you to," Zane replied, pushing inside, past Owen.

"What are you doing here?" Owen asked as he closed the door again.

"I'm here to help you find Evie."

Owen led the way back into the kitchen where his family sat solemnly.

"It's just Zane," Owen announced, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Zane, darling," Sandra smiled weakly; trying to act like everything was okay. "What brings you here this morning?"

"I came over because I thought you might need help looking for Evie," Zane replied, looking from one family member to the other, taking in their lack of motivation in finding Evie. "Why are you all just sitting there, doing nothing?"

"Zane, it's very kind of you, but there is nothing you can do," Sandra told him. "We've told the police, they will let us know if they see her."

"That's all?" Zane's eyes dashed to meet Owen's, who looked away. "We could be out there, driving around and looking too."

"It's not safe," Brian answered.

"Safe?" Zane asked bewildered. "What's going on?"

Before anyone could answer him, there was another knock at the door. Everyone jumped, ready to answer it this time.

"I'll go," Brian stated as he rose and walked to the front door.

Everyone listened carefully. Brian and another male voice spoke briefly, before the front door closed again. Brian walked back into the kitchen carrying a pizza box.

"Kelly," Owen scolded.

"What?" Kelly responded with surprise, "I didn't order any pizza."

Brian laid the pizza on the kitchen table uninterested in eating.

"Then who did?" Sandra asked, looking around at her family.

No one admitted to ordering it.

"So, I just paid for a pizza no one even wants to eat?" Brian queried, sounding only slightly annoyed.

"I'll have some," Zane offered, reaching over and flipping the lid open, before pulling back in disgust. "Eww, pineapple. Who would order a pizza with only pineapple on it?"

"Who would put pineapple on a pizza?" Kelly protested, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

Owen smirked slightly, and replied in almost a whisper that no one could understand him, "Evie would."

"What was that?" Sandra asked him.

Owen's eyes widened, as he stood up straight and approached the table as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head.

"Evie would eat a pizza with pineapple," Owen explained, "She said it added some sweetness to the pizza."

"Did you get the receipt?" Sandra turned quickly to Brian, understanding where Owen was going with his thought.

Brian handed her the receipt that was slightly greasy and crinkled. Sandra's eyes ran over the slip quickly, looking for a clue that might help her.

"Nothing," Sandra shrugged, putting the paper on the table. "It's just the order for one plain pineapple pizza."