Chapter 9 - MISSING
The police treated it differently this time.
Not a marital dispute.
Not a custody disagreement.
A missing child.
Mark claimed he had left Lily with a trusted sitter before court.
He refused to identify the sitter.
Then his attorney advised him to stop talking.
Sarah wanted to tear the world apart.
Instead, Rebecca kept her focused.
“Where would he take her?”
“I don’t know.”
“Vacation homes?”
“No.”
“Friends?”
“Maybe.”
“Family?”
“His mother lives in Ohio. His brother’s in Denver.”
Daniel interrupted.
“What about Phoenix?”
Sarah looked at him.
Evelyn’s house.
The one bought with stolen money.
Rebecca called the police investigator.
Within minutes, Phoenix authorities were notified.
Sarah sat in the courthouse hallway staring at her phone.
Every minute felt cruel.
Then Evelyn called.
Sarah answered.
“Where is my daughter?”
Evelyn was crying.
“I didn’t know he was going to do this.”
“WHERE IS SHE?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not!”
“You helped him steal from me.”
“Yes.”
The admission hit hard.
“You helped him fake documents.”
“Yes.”
“You slept with my husband.”
Silence.
“Yes.”
“And now you expect me to trust you?”
“No.”
Sarah stood.
“Then give me one reason not to hang up.”
Evelyn took a shaky breath.
“Because Mark is scared.”
“Good.”
“No, Sarah. You don’t understand him when he’s scared.”
Sarah’s voice dropped.
“What does that mean?”
“He does stupid things.”
“He took a child.”
“He thinks he’s protecting himself.”
“By kidnapping his daughter?”
“He doesn’t see it that way.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Where would he go?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“There’s a cabin.”
Sarah’s eyes snapped open.
“What cabin?”
“His friend owns it.”
“Where?”
“North of Flagstaff.”
Rebecca was already signaling to the investigator.
“Address.”
“I don’t know the exact address.”
“Then find it.”
“I only went once.”
Sarah’s jaw tightened.
“You went there with my husband?”
“I know.”
“Don’t say you’re sorry.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
That almost made Sarah laugh from pure anger.
Evelyn continued.
“There’s a gas station off Highway 89. Then about twenty miles into the forest.”
“Name?”
“Pine Hollow Market.”
Rebecca typed quickly.
The investigator nodded.
They had a location.
Search teams moved.
Sarah wanted to go.
Police refused.
So she waited.
And waited.
And waited.
At 5:42 p.m., Rebecca’s phone rang.
She listened.
Then looked at Sarah.
“They found the cabin.”
Sarah stood.
“Lily?”
Rebecca didn’t answer immediately.
“Rebecca?”
“No one was there.”
Sarah felt the floor move.
“What?”
“The cabin was empty.”
“Then where is she?”
“They found signs someone had been there today.”
Sarah grabbed the table.
“What signs?”
“Food. A child’s jacket.”
Lily’s pink jacket.
Sarah knew before Rebecca said it.
Then the investigator walked toward them.
His face told Sarah everything.
He held up a clear evidence bag.
Inside was Lily’s stuffed rabbit.
One ear torn.
Sarah’s breath stopped.
The investigator spoke carefully.
“We also found blood on the cabin floor.”
Sarah stared at him.
“No.”
“It may be nothing.”
“No.”
“Sarah—”
“No!”
Her knees gave out.
Rebecca caught her.
The investigator continued.
“We don’t know whose blood it is.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His eyes changed.
“Where?”
He turned away.
“How long ago?”
Sarah could barely hear him.
Then he looked directly at her.
“We have a vehicle.”
Sarah stood again.
“What?”
“Mark’s SUV was spotted heading south.”
“With Lily?”
“We don’t know.”
“Where?”
May you like
The investigator swallowed.
“Toward the Mexican border.”
