On the drive home, guilt gnawed at him. If she had been scared, if she had been in trouble, then his stupid passport prank might have pushed her further into danger. He replayed her silence over and over until it became unbearable.
Later, dread had swollen into something too heavy to carry. Hands trembling, Adam called the police, explaining that Clara had vanished, was unreachable, and possibly at risk. He didn’t care how irrational he sounded. He needed help before the fear consumed him completely.