The ambassador is pacing the stone drive when Emily rolls up less than an hour later. Emily climbs out of the vehicle, and follows her mother inside.
Elizabeth motions to the phone, and laptop sitting on the table in the middle of the foyer in front of a huge arrangement of flowers.
"Does Kiley have a pet?" Emily questions as she picks up the phone.
Elizabeth points to the hybrid, hypoallergenic pooch quietly sitting on the bottom step of the staircase in front of them.
"What does any of this have to do with Princess?"
"That is too many characters. Is there something else she calls her?"
"Princess Peanut. Emily why are you asking about the dog?"
"I'm trying to figure out the code to the phone," she growls.
Emily enters the numbers that correspond with the name Peanut. After a few keystrokes she unlocks the phone, and begins scrolling through text messages.
"Who is Shamrock Shake?"
"Emily, I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."
Emily shows her mother a contact picture of someone with their back to the camera in a black hooded sweatshirt.
"I wouldn't know who that is. Why are you asking?"
"That is the last person that she had contact with. It is a text from him this morning asking if she's ready to go."
"What else does it say?"
"Nothing. They probably used an app for the rest of their communication."
"Are you suggesting that she took off with some boy? I'm not sure if that is reassuring, or alarming to you."
"She probably just cut school."
"Emily, she isn't the kind of kid that cuts school."
"What do you think happened here?"
"I think that she's been lured away by a predator, and you're acting as if it is nothing to worry about."
Emily rolls her eyes, and continues tapping away at the phone. She taps the contact, and the phone begins ringing.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth queries.
"Calling whoever this is."
After several rings the party on the other end answers.
"Hello?" An adult male voice answers.
"I hate to bother you, but we are looking for Kiley, and we were wondering if you've seen her."
"Yes, Emily, I have her."
Those four words send chills up her spine, "Where is she?"
"She's safe."
"That didn't answer my question. Who is this?"
"You know exactly who this is, Lauren." The call ends abruptly. The phone slips from Emily's hand, and kits the mezzanine floor, sending the protective case flying into pieces across the room.
"Emily, what is going on? Who was that?"
Without a word Emily lowers herself to the ground. Elizabeth watches from the sidelines, completely helpless as Emily proceeds to hyperventilate.
"Emily! Snap out of it!" Elizabeth insists.
Emily meets the ambassador's glance. She shakes her head, and wipes her face on her sleeve.
"This can't be happening."
"Emily, what is happening?"
"I'll take care of this."
"By yourself? Shouldn't we call someone in to help us?"
"There is only one person on the entire planet that I trust to help us."
Elizabeth shakes her head, "Then why are you sitting there?"
Penelope pushes her door open after returning from a quick snack break. As she steps through the door she finds Prentiss sitting in her seat.
"What on Earth are you doing here? I thought that you were on vacation."
"I took vacation time. I never said I was going on vacation," Emily clarifies.
"Why are you here in my space?"
"Penelope, I need your help."
Penelope waves the phone in her hand. "You could have called."
"You need to see my face when I ask you for this favor."
"I'm listening."
"I need you to find someone."
Penelope's brow furrows, "Emily, why is your face doing that?"
Her grim facial expression remains unchanged, "I have epically screwed up, and I'm terrified that it is going to cost me more than I am willing to sacrifice."
"I'm sure whatever you believe has happened is completely fixable."
She shakes her head vehemently, "It's not. While I was sitting here in this chair agonizing over how I'm going to explain this to you, I realized that I have wasted so much time that I am never going to get back," her voice cracks. Her brown eyes begin to fill with tears as she continues, "Truth be told, I may have run out of time, and I've never stopped for even a second, to consider what that might mean."
"What on Earth are you talking about? Out of time for what?"
"To set things right."
"Instead of being cryptic, why don't you just spill? Tell me what has you tied in knots. I have never seen you like this."
"I need you to find Declan."
Penelope's face practically scrunches into a question mark, "Why would you want to find him?"
"I don't know what he is planning. I just need to find him."
"Emily, why do you need to find him?"
"He took her."
Penelope squats down next to the office chair. "Emily, I am not following. I need more information."
Emily rises from her seat, and cross the room. At the door she bolts the lock. She looks around at the technology before her as if she's paranoid.
"This is never to leave this room."
"Understood," Penelope nods.
"You have no idea the lengths that I've gone to prevent any of this."
"Emily! Just tell me!"
"Declan has Kiley."
"I don't know who that is. I don't know what that means. Why is any of this a concern of yours?"
"My mother called me earlier panicking because Kiley didn't make it to school. She was convinced someone had taken her. I told her that she was overreacting. Then I managed to get into her phone, and I called the last person she had sent a message to. It was Declan."
"Emily," she touches her arm, "when was the last time you slept?"
"I know that I sound like a crazy person, but I need you to believe me."
"I don't even know what you're telling me."
"He took her!"
"Who?"
"He took Kiley!"