When I took my eyes off her for just a minute with 目を離す

Idiom Explanation: Averting one's attention with 目を離す

Satsuki leaves Sara, the young girl she’s watching, alone to go heat up lunch. When she returns with the food, Sara is nowhere to be found. Satsuki calls her sister to let her know what’s happened.

皐(さつき):: 「それが…　ちょっと目(め)を離(はな)した隙(すき)に…」; “The thing is, I took my eyes off her for a just a minute...”; 「これから警察(けいさつ)に連絡(れんらく)して探(さが)しに出(で)るから…」; “I'm going to call the police, then I'm heading out to look for her...”

Vocabulary

ちょっと

just a moment

Used to minimize or downplay the duration of time

隙(すき)

gap

Refers to a gap in time or attention, an unguarded moment
Often used in phrases like 隙(すき)に (in the moment when)

警察(けいさつ)

police

連絡(れんらく)する

to contact

連絡(れんらく)する
連絡(れんらく)して (te-form)

探(さが)す

to search

探(さが)す
探(さが)し (stem)
探(さが)しに (purpose)

出(で)る

to go out

Grammar

それが: The thing is; well actually (hedging before explaining a problem)
目(め)を離(はな)す: Idiom meaning to take one's eyes off
〜した隙(すき)に: In the gap/moment when (something happened)
これから: From now
〜に出(で)る: To go out for the purpose of (doing something)
〜から: Sentence-ending から indicating explanation or reason (trailing off)