Chapter 8 - VANESSA’S STORY
I didn’t go to the hospital.
Police told me not to.
Vanessa had cuts on her face, bruises around her throat, and a broken wrist.
Daniel was officially considered dangerous.
That didn’t make Vanessa innocent.
It made everything more complicated.
Detectives interviewed her for three hours.
Then Ramirez came to my house.
“Vanessa says Daniel controlled everything.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course she does.”
“She claims he manipulated her.”
“She abused Lily before Daniel entered the picture.”
“We have evidence suggesting that.”
“So why are we pretending she’s a victim?”
“We’re not.”
Ramirez sat across from me.
“But victims can also hurt people.”
I looked away.
“She says Daniel wanted Lily.”
My head snapped back.
“Why?”
“Vanessa says he talked about building a new family.”
“That’s insane.”
“She claims he was obsessed with the idea.”
“And Melissa?”
“She helped Daniel.”
“With what?”
“Finding children.”
Cold spread through my body.
“What exactly are you saying?”
“We’re still building the case.”
“Don’t give me police language. Tell me.”
Ramirez leaned forward.
“Melissa worked at multiple childcare centers over six years.”
My stomach turned.
“She identified families.”
“For what?”
“Vulnerable situations. Parents separated. Parents who traveled. Kids with inconsistent pickup schedules.”
I stared at him.
“Daniel wasn’t just having an affair.”
“No.”
“What was he doing?”
“We believe Daniel had been approaching overwhelmed parents. Offering help. Housing. Childcare.”
“That doesn’t explain the other children.”
“We’re trying to locate them.”
“Were they kidnapped?”
“We don’t know.”
The phrase made me furious.
“How can you not know?”
“Because some parents may have willingly left children with him temporarily.”
“And then?”
“That’s what we’re investigating.”
My phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
A photograph loaded.
My front porch.
Taken from across the street.
Taken right now.
Below it:
YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
I stood so fast my chair fell.
“Ramirez.”
He grabbed the phone.
His hand went to his radio.
Officers searched the neighborhood.
Nothing.
But the message changed everything.
Daniel wasn’t hiding far away.
He was watching.
Police placed an officer outside my house.
Another patrol circled the neighborhood.
I checked every window twice.
At 6:30 p.m., Lily sat on the floor playing with wooden blocks.
She looked toward the back door.
“Daddy?”
“What?”
“That man is here.”
My heart stopped.
“What man?”
She pointed.
I turned.
Nobody stood outside.
“Where?”
She pointed toward the backyard fence.
“I saw his hat.”
I grabbed Lily and moved her away from the windows.
The officer outside ran around back.
Seconds later, he shouted.
A gate slammed.
Someone was running.
Police chased him through three yards.
They didn’t catch him.
But beside my fence, they found something.
A small stuffed rabbit.
Lily’s rabbit.
The one that had disappeared six months earlier.
Around its neck was a paper tag.
May you like
Three words were written on it.
SEE YOU SOON.
