On the drive back home, sharp guilt gnawed away at him relentlessly. If Clara had been scared and in trouble, his stupid little passport prank might have pushed her further into harm’s way. He replayed her silence over and over in his head until the pain became completely unbearable.
By later that day, his dread had swollen into a weight too heavy for him to carry alone. With shaking hands, Adam called the police, reporting Clara as a missing person, explaining she’d vanished without a trace, wouldn’t answer any calls, and might be in serious danger. He didn’t care how irrational or over-the-top he sounded. He needed professional help before his fear consumed him entirely.
