Safe Harbor – 23

Morning came and with it a problem which superseded any personal ones Kurt thought he would be having. He came downstairs to find Jo-Jo and Cry huddled together in the community room, with Bobby and a few other kids trying to calm them down.

Kurt hurried over to them, asking "What’s going on?" although he had a really bad feeling he knew.

"It’s Bets, she’s missing," Bobby told him, keeping his arm around Cry’s shoulder.

"She…she said she needed to do something when we got back to the place we’re staying. She wouldn’t let me go with her, just…just made me promise not to worry, which was stupid ‘cause of course I worried but she wouldn’t come inside when we got there. She does that sometimes. Ask Jo-Jo."

Jo-Jo nodded. "I think she’s got some man who…well you know. Someone she keeps a secret from the dude we’re staying with."

"And like an idiot she took off," Bobby muttered.

"And she never came back." Cry wiped her sleeve over her nose, prompting Kurt to hand her a tissue which she took with a weak "Thank you."

"All right," Kurt said. "Before you panic any more than you already have, stop and think. When she does this, does she always come back to your place by morning?"

"Yes," both girls replied at the same time.

"We all have to be there when the dude wakes up so we can…well…" Jo-Jo looked down at the floor.

"Give him the cash they made the night before." Bobby glanced at Kurt as he explained. For a second his eyes widened in surprise when he obviously realized Kurt wasn’t wearing his collar.

Kurt caught the look and smiled slightly at him before getting back to the business at hand. "Neither of you have any idea who this other man might be?"

Jo-Jo shook her head. "But I think he has money because sometimes she comes home with stuff, you know nice stuff."

"She’s not with him. I know something horrible’s happened to her. Those men got her." Cry buried her face in Bobby’s shoulder, sniffling.

"Now I know why they call you Cry." Bobby chuckled, patting her head.

For a second Kurt felt a flash of jealousy which he quickly tapped down with the admonition he was being stupid. "The first thing we’re going to do is let the police know she’s missing."

"Like they’d give a damn," one of the kids muttered.

"Under the circumstances I’m sure they will."