Fears Realized Part 1
That evening, the group of friends were all sitting in the living room of the Lake family apartment above the Riding Ring.
Michael was reading from the list of possible places Nikki could be that he had, with Stevie's help, written down, Stevie was reclining on the couch propped up on a pillow.
"We were able to come up with several other places to look." Michael said. "first, she may have gone over to her grandparents' place."
"Unlikely," Lisa said, shaking her head. " if she was there, your parents would have called you already."
"She's right." Stevie said before turning to Phil who was adjusting her pillow for the fourth time in the last fifteen minutes.
"There you go, Dear." Phil said to Stevie.
Stevie turned to her husband, "Phil, I love you dearly but will you please stop fussing, I'm okay!" she chuckled.
"Sorry," Phil smiled. "I'm just worried about you my dear."
Stevie raised an eyebrow at her husband.
"I hope our new baby won't be as big a worry wart as his or her father." Stevie said, feigning annoyance before grinning playfully at her husband and pecking his cheek.
"Okay I get it," Phil said. "I'll dial down the fussing a notch."
Then, Michael went on with the list.
"Before we moved to the apartment over the the dance studio we now own, we lived in the Willow Creek Arms apartment building," Michael said. "there was an unused attic that she liked to use as her hangout when we lived there, she called it her secret hideout."
At this phrase Stevie and Lisa immediately sat up and looked at each other, they were both thinking the same thing.
Years ago, Lisa and her cousin, Elle had discovered a secret tunnel that connected their childhood homes, down inside the tunnel, they had discovered a large room that had been part of an old speakeasy during prohibition, they had turned it into a secret lounge complete with a connection to an underground stable they had built for their horses in a cave that came out on the main trail at Pine Hollow.
"The secret lounge," Stevie whispered. "only members of the Saddle Club know about It!"
"Nikki could be there and no one else would know about it, because, we didn't even tell our parents about it!" Lisa said.
"Before we investigate any farther," Rafael reminded Lisa. "we have to pixk up Risa and Evie from your mother's, we have a show to do tonight."
"That's right, I hope to see you all at the show tonight." Lisa said to the Lake siblings.
"Just a minute, Lisa! Nikki loves watching you all perform! Maybe she's at your camp!" Michael theorized.
"She could be there." Rafael agreed.
"Now, you two, it's a very good lead," Lisa reminded Rafael and Michael. "but we shouldn't be jumping to conclusions."
Both men looked at Lisa.
"You're right, Dear." Rafael said to Lisa.
"Sorry about that, Lisa." Michael said.