Chapter 3

Grandma didn't even turn around as she nonchalantly said, "Don't worry. Theo went into the changing room with our neighbor Harold and his grandson. You know Harold. What are you getting so worked up about?"

Just then, the door to the men's changing room opened.

Harold walked out with his grandson.

Grandma hurried over and asked, "Where's my little Theo?"

Harold looked confused. "He hasn't come out yet? He got changed a while ago and said he was going out to find you."

My head began to buzz, and my hands and feet instantly turned ice-cold.

Beside me, Grandma was still shouting. "What? I left him with you!"

I stared at the door, my legs so weak that I could barely stand.

Grandma burst into tears and grabbed Harold's arm.

"I told you to take my grandson in there to get changed! How could you have lost him?"

Harold shook her hand off, looking exasperated. "Your grandson has legs of his own and ran off. What was I supposed to do? Besides, you're his grandmother. Why aren't you keeping an eye on him yourself?"

The two of them began arguing furiously.

I was frantic and desperately tugged at Grandma's clothes.

"Stop fighting! We have to find Theo!"

That seemed to snap her out of it, but by then, she was already completely panicked.

She dropped heavily into the floor, slapped her thighs, and started wailing. "Theo! My sweet Theo! Where did you go?"

I didn't have time to cry with her.

Remembering what I'd been taught at school, I ran straight to the wall and pulled the fire alarm.

A piercing siren immediately rang throughout the building.

One after another, the heavy fire curtains began descending from the ceiling.

Lifeguards and staff came rushing over.

"What's going on? Who pulled the alarm?" shouted a uniformed employee.

I ignored Grandma and ran straight up to him.

"My brother has been kidnapped! Hurry and lock the doors! Don't let anyone leave!"

Samson froze for a moment before recognizing me. Frowning, he asked, "Kid, did you actually see someone take him? You can't just make an accusation like that!"

I ignored him and ran back to Grandma. I whispered in her ear, "Grandma, Theo really has been kidnapped. If something happens to him, Mom and Dad will never forgive you."

Grandma's entire body jolted, and the color drained from her face.

She quickly wiped her tears, stood up, and grabbed a uniformed employee by the arm.

"If you don't lock the doors and help me find my grandson, I'm calling the police!

"My grandson is really missing! If anyone manages to take him out of here, I'll hold all of you responsible!"

Seeing how distraught she was, the employee finally snapped into action. He grabbed his radio and said, "Attention, everyone. Lock down all exits immediately. No one is to leave the facility.

"All units, we have a missing child. Repeat, we have a missing child."

A flurry of voices immediately came through the radio.

The main doors slammed shut, and everyone's attention turned toward us.

Grandma collapsed into a chair, repeatedly muttering Theo's name.

I stood there trembling, but my mind was racing.

In my previous life, it took us at least 20 minutes after Theo entered the men's restroom to realize something was wrong.

The police had brought in police dogs and searched the entire men's restroom, but they couldn't find a single trace of him.

Which meant that someone must have carried him out.

Furthermore, whoever had taken him might not have been Samson.

But if it wasn't him, then who was it?

The clues tangled together in my head.

Then, a bold idea suddenly came to me.

I stepped toward the crowd and pointed straight at Samson.

"It was him. He’s the one who kidnapped my brother."