Suddenly, Carrie pulled Gloria aside. "See that man in the dark blue jacket?" She indicated the person that had been behind them as they peeked from behind a pillar.
"Yeah?"
Second Sis stepped back. "Isn't that the guy the cops warned us about?"
"My kidnapper?" Gloria took a good look.
Sure he had the combed hairstyle. But from that distance, she could not see his face clearly. Also, his demeanor felt wrong. He was a little jumpy, fidgeting nervously with his hands in his pockets. He was unlike the confident face she had seen in the wanted poster.
Gloria turned back to her sister. "It might not be him," she said.
Carrie pointed at Gloria's white handbag. "Don't you have a picture of him?"
"No, it's at home." It was creepy to have his picture in her handbag, especially since he was such a handsome fellow. No one was going to mistakenly think that she was attracted to him!
"Why didn't you bring it?"
"Why would I? It's not like he's my boyfriend that I'd have to admire his face all the time."
Carrie peeped around the pillar again. Then she pulled Gloria to the back staircase behind the stores. "If he follows, then it's him," she said.
Yeah, right. If it was him, it would be safer out there where there were more people!
The girls waited - Second Sis with bated breath, Gloria with casual ease. The little girl jumped in surprise when the man did follow them to the stairs. Carrie pushed her sister behind her.
The man stopped three paces away. "Sorry to startle you," he apologized, "but, ah, I was hoping you can help me."
"With what?" Gloria asked from behind her sister.
"Erm, you see," the man began sheepishly, "I need to get some... tampons, for my wife..."
"And you're embarrassed to buy it yourself," Gloria finished for him. She stepped out. "Sure, I can get some for you."
"Hey, wait," Second Sis stopped her, "it'd look weird for a little kid to buy them."
Little kid!?
"I'll go," Carrie offered and hurried off before anyone could object.
Close up, Gloria saw that the man did look a little like Zamback. However, his nose was wrong and his chin was not as striking. It was all well and good that he was not the kidnapper because that idiot sister of hers had just left a little girl alone with a total stranger in the secluded back staircase of the mall!
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