Chapter 3
Daniel arrived at the police station three hours later.
I had never seen Lily’s father look afraid.
Not when Rachel got sick.
Not when the doctors told us the cancer had spread.
Not even at the funeral.
But when Daniel walked into the family interview room and saw Lily curled against me wearing a borrowed pair of hospital socks, something inside him broke.
“Baby.”
Lily lifted her head.
He crossed the room.
She ran to him.
Daniel dropped to his knees and held her.
For almost a minute, neither spoke.
Then Lily whispered, “Daddy, I forgot which name I was supposed to use.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“You never have to use another name.”
She pulled back.
“Mrs. Cole said if we used our real names, the man could find our families.”
Daniel looked at me.
His expression turned deadly.
“Where is Brenda?”
“In another interview room.”
“I want to see her.”
“No.”
“Maya.”
“No.”
I stood.
“Lily needs you here.”
That stopped him.
Detective Brooks entered.
She placed a folder on the table.
“We have enough to hold Mrs. Cole for questioning.”
Daniel’s voice was rough.
“For questioning?”
Brooks sat.
“We need to establish exactly what she knew.”
“She changed their names.”
“I know.”
“She hid their shoes.”
“I know.”
“She brought a man into the house.”
Brooks remained calm.
“And we are building the strongest possible case.”
Daniel looked ready to punch through the wall.
I understood.
I felt the same way.
Brooks opened the folder.
“We searched Brenda’s phone.”
My stomach tightened.
“She deleted several conversations.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“Of course.”
“But deleted does not always mean gone.”
Brooks slid a printed page toward us.
Messages.
Short ones.
Most were between Brenda and an unknown number.
One message had been sent three days earlier.
Seven confirmed. Ages seven to nine.
Another:
Parents expect pickup between 8 and 10.
Then:
No cameras downstairs except doorbell. I can disable that.
Daniel’s hand began shaking.
I could not speak.
Brooks pointed to another message.
Need profiles before Friday.
Brenda replied:
I’ll get what I can.
Then the message that made me feel physically sick.
Photos would help.
Brenda replied:
Already handled.
I pushed the papers away.
“She photographed them?”
“We found pictures on her tablet.”
Daniel stood abruptly.
Lily jumped.
He immediately sat again.
“Sorry, sweetheart.”
Lily stared at him.
“Are you mad at me?”
His face collapsed.
“No.”
“Because I told?”
“No.”
He moved closer.
“You did exactly what you were supposed to do.”
“But Mrs. Cole said telling would make everything worse.”
Daniel touched her cheek.
“She lied.”
Lily’s eyes filled with tears.
“She said Sophie’s mommy would get hurt.”
Detective Brooks leaned forward.
“Lily, can I ask one question?”
Lily looked at me.
I nodded.
Brooks continued gently.
“Did Brenda say why she wanted you to switch names?”
Lily hesitated.
“She said it was a test.”
“What kind?”
“To see if we could follow instructions.”
I swallowed.
“What happened if someone forgot?”
Lily looked down.
“She took things.”
“What things?”
“Shoes. Blankets. Snacks.”
I stared at her feet.
“That’s why you had those shoes?”
She nodded.
“I said Lily when I was supposed to say Chloe.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched.
“So she punished you.”
Lily whispered, “She said Chloe didn’t deserve nice shoes.”
Daniel stood again.
This time he walked to the far wall.
His shoulders shook.
I knew he was crying.
He did not want Lily to see.
Brooks gave us a moment.
Then she said something unexpected.
“Lily may have disrupted whatever plan they had.”
I looked up.
“How?”
“She refused to cooperate.”
Lily glanced toward us.
Brooks continued carefully.
“Based on what the other children said, your niece repeatedly used her real name after midnight.”
I looked at Lily.
“You did?”
She nodded.
“I got scared.”
“Good.”
“I woke Sophie.”
“What did you tell her?”
“To stop being Chloe.”
Daniel turned around.
Tears were still on his face.
Lily continued.
“I told everyone their real names.”
Brooks nodded.
“That caused an argument between Brenda and the man.”
My heart pounded.
“The girls heard him say the arrangement was ruined.”
Daniel came back to the table.
“What arrangement?”
“We’re still determining that.”
Brooks closed the folder.
“But we believe the fake names were meant to create confusion if a child later described the night.”
I felt cold.
“You think he planned to take one of them.”
Brooks did not immediately answer.
Then she said, “We are treating that possibility very seriously.”
Daniel covered Lily’s ears gently.
“Is Sophie in danger?”
“All families are under protection.”
“And Lily?”
“Yes.”
My throat tightened.
“Because she saw him?”
Brooks looked directly at me.
“Because she can identify him.”
That changed everything.
Until then, I had thought the nightmare ended when we drove away from Brenda’s house.
It had not.
It had followed us.
Brooks advised Daniel and Lily not to return home yet.
I offered my apartment.
She shook her head.
“Too predictable.”
The department arranged a temporary location.
Before we left, an officer brought Lily her purple sneakers.
“They’re evidence,” he explained, “but we photographed them. She can have them back.”
Lily stared at them.
Then shook her head.
“I don’t want them.”
My heart broke.
I understood.
Those shoes belonged to yesterday.
Before Brenda.
Before Chloe.
Before Mr. Gray.
Daniel asked, “Do you want new ones?”
Lily nodded.
“Blue.”
“Blue it is.”
For the first time all day, I saw the smallest hint of my niece.
Then Detective Brooks received a message.
She read it twice.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
I asked.
Brooks looked at Daniel.
“The suspect’s rental SUV was found abandoned.”
“Where?”
“Behind a motel thirty miles north.”
Daniel asked, “Was he there?”
“No.”
Brooks paused.
“But officers found something in the vehicle.”
I did not want to ask.
I did anyway.
“What?”
She looked at Lily.
Then back at me.
“A printed photograph.”
My chest tightened.
“Of who?”
May you like
Brooks’s voice lowered.
“Lily.”
