[A/N. I made this chapter smaller for two reasons: 1) the next chapter could be a long one, and 2) I didn't want to reveal who it was or wasn't in this chapter, I wanted that to be in the last chapter. I wonder whether anyone can work out who it was?!? I think it is pretty obvious, but then that's because I know who I am planning on it being. Cheers.]

EIGHTEEN:

The drive back to Provincetown was a mainly silent one. On a few occasions either Cary or I would speak. "Where could she be?" But the other one would have no answers. We couldn't imagine where she could be, nor who had taken her. "I don't think we have any enemies.." Cary mused on one occasion. "I don't think so either." I replied, wracking my brains for who it could be.

We arrived back in Provincetown in what I was sure was record time. Out the front of Aunt Sara's place were a few cars; Holly and Kenneth, the Judge, and a police car. Cary and I raced inside. Aunt Sara was sitting on the couch in hysterics. As we entered she was saying "...it's not like I wasn't looking after her. I mean I didn't expect someone to come and get her in the middle of the night."

"Ma." Cary called and she looked up, her eyes bloodshot from crying.

"Cary, Melody.I'm sorry, please don't blame me." She cried, as Cary raced to her side. He knelt down and put his arms around her.

"Oh Ma, of course we don't blame you, how could we?" He assured her. "Now, has anyone got any idea where the hell my daughter is?" He straightened up and looked at the people who were assembled.

Holly came to my side. "Are you all right?" She asked me.

"As all right as I could be considering the circumstances." I said, brushing my hair from my face. "I just don't understand how this could have happened."

There were two police officers in the room and one stepped forward. "You're the parents I assume?"

I nodded.

"Well we'll need to get some information from you. We've got officers out looking now, but to be honest Mr. and Mrs. Logan, we don't know who we're looking for. Do either of you have any idea who could have taken your baby?" He asked.

"We were talking about this in the car obviously," I said slowly. "But neither of us could come up with someone who could do this."

"Well the thing is Mrs. Logan, people don't normally just abduct babies for no reason." The police officer said, chewing on the end of his pen. "And more importantly, it had to be someone who knew she was here."

"Well a lot of people knew we were going away.." I offered. "But like I said, we can't think of anyone who would want to take Lara."

"I'm afraid that doesn't help us much." The police officer said with a sigh, putting the pen back into his pocket.

"I'm sorry." I snapped. "But we don't have enemies, we don't have people who hate us..."

"What my wife means is that there isn't anyone who comes to mind." Cary said firmly. "And if that doesn't help you, we're sorry. But we've had a terrible shock, and we don't need to be treated as though we're impeding your investigation or something."

I looked at Cary in shock and admiration. He'd said exactly what I was trying to say.

The police officer nodded. "Right. Well we'll get back to the office and see how the search is going. Please contact us if you come up with any more information. And the officers are still checking the room where Lara was for fingerprints and doors so please don't get in their way."

The two of them left and I glared at their retreating backs. "They're acting like we know something but don't want to tell them. If we knew something don't you think we'd tell them for god's sake." I asked angrily. And then my anger left me in a rush, and I started to cry. "Who did this?"

Cary hurried to embrace me. "It's okay sweetie, we'll get her back." He assured me, but I didn't know how he could be so confident.

I noticed that Kenneth and my grandfather had not spoken and I looked over at where they were sitting. Kenneth was holding Nelson on his lap, and my grandfather was holding onto Nelson's hand. "What do you think?" I asked them through my tears.

Kenneth looked uncomfortable. "Melody, I know you're not going to like this, but clearly you do have an enemy somewhere. A stranger wouldn't just decided to come and take Lara."

I knew he was right, but I didn't know who my enemy was. "A wolf in sheep's clothing." I said.

"Huh?" Cary looked confused.

"Our enemy is obviously someone who hasn't shown their true colors if we can't think of them. In other words it's probably someone we think is our friend." I explained to him.

Cary swore under his breath, earning him a dirty look from Aunt Sara which he ignored, and sat on the sofa. "That could be almost anyone in the town."

I felt my heart skip a beat. Could it possibly be someone else, someone who didn't live here?

"I feel like we should be doing something, not just sitting round doing nothing." I said.

"What can we do?" Cary asked.

"We could look for her!" I snapped.

"That's what the police are doing Melody, and they're trained to do it." Cary argued. He was slumped on the sofa and he looked as though he was exhausted.

"Fine." I said. "You stay here and wonder where she is, but I am going to look for her."

"I'll come with you." Holly said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's probably not much good, but it's better than sitting around doing nothing."

"We'll stay here with Cary and Sara." My grandfather said. "And if there's any news we'll get the police to find you."

A sudden thought occurred to me. "Where's May?"

"Up in her room." Aunt Sara said. "I think she's devastated about this, and feels like it's her fault."

"Can you wait a moment Holly?" I asked, and she nodded.

I went upstairs and slowly opened May's door. She was sitting on her bed, staring into nowhere. Her eyes were as bloodshot as Aunt Sara's and her face was so pale it was almost gray. She must have noticed me out of the corner of her eyes, or sensed me there because she blinked and focussed on me. "I'm sorry." She signed. "I am so sorry."

"Why do you think it's your fault?" I signed.

"I was meant to be looking after her, and I let her get taken!" May signed back hastily.

"Listen May, I want you to understand this okay?" I signed slowly so she'd be sure to get every word. "If someone wanted to take Lara they would have done so regardless of where she was, be it here, or at our house. In no way whatsoever is this your fault! Do you understand me?"

She sighed and signed "Okay."

"Now, how about going downstairs? Aunt Sara is a mess and we don't want her to get too upset all right?" I signed.

May nodded and jumped off the bed. If there was one thing she loved more than Lara it was Aunt Sara, and like Cary and I she knew perfectly well that there were things which could send Aunt Sara over the edge. As she got up I hugged her tightly and quickly and we both went downstairs together. May raced to her mother's side, and Holly and I left.

"So what's the deal?" Holly demanded.

"Deal?" I asked.

"You've got something on your mind..do you know who took Lara?" Holly asked.

"I've got an idea." I replied grimly, as we got in the car. I put it into gear and pulled away fast. "And let's just hope I'm right."