Contents
Chapter 49
Overview
Veronica wakes after a long sleep to find Dominic gone and Clay intoxicated. Clay admits he may have left Dominic in the car, but the baby and car seat are missing. The crisis validates Veronica’s fear that Dominic was taken and propels the investigation as they resolve to call the police.
Summary
Veronica wakes after an unusually long, restorative sleep expecting Dominic to be in his bassinet, but the crib is empty. She recalls Clay took Dominic for a calming drive and checks the living room, where Clay is passed out without the baby.
Alarmed, Veronica wakes Clay and notices his dazed look and pinpoint pupils, realizing he has relapsed. When she demands Dominic’s whereabouts, Clay belatedly suggests he might have left the baby in the car.
Veronica sprints to the parked car, trying to reassure herself, but finds neither Dominic nor the car seat inside. Clay arrives and confirms the absence, and Veronica vents her fury at his drug use while the gravity of the situation sinks in.
With Dominic unaccounted for in the apartment or the car, Veronica concludes he is missing. The scene ends with Veronica insisting they call the police, escalating the crisis from parental error to potential abduction.
Who Appears
- Veronica (Ronnie)New mother who wakes to find her infant missing; furious at Clay’s relapse and resolves to call the police.
- ClayDominic’s father; relapses on drugs, admits he may have left the baby in the car, then faces the disappearance.
- DominicNewborn son; last seen with Clay on a drive, later missing along with his car seat.