Chapter 8 - FOUR MISSING HOURS
Ms. Carter, Lily's preschool teacher, looked sick with guilt.
“I should have called you.”
Ethan sat across from her in the tiny school office.
“Yes.”
She looked down.
“I know.”
He wanted to yell.
He wanted someone besides himself to blame.
But he could see she had been replaying the same mistake for weeks.
“What happened that day?”
“Vivian arrived at eleven-thirty.”
“Why?”
“She said you had a family appointment.”
“I didn't.”
“We'd received the email.”
“I didn't send it.”
Ms. Carter nodded.
“I know that now.”
“What was Lily like?”
“She didn't want to go.”
Ethan's chest tightened.
“What did she do?”
“She hid behind my desk.”
He looked away.
Ms. Carter's voice cracked.
“She said, ‘Tell Daddy I want to stay here.’”
Ethan pressed his fingers against his eyes.
“And you let Vivian take her.”
“Yes.”
He stood suddenly.
Ms. Carter flinched.
Ethan paced once across the room, then stopped.
“I am trying very hard not to lose my mind right now.”
“I understand.”
“No. You don't.”
He took a breath.
“Did Vivian bring anything?”
Ms. Carter thought.
“A black duffel bag.”
“What kind?”
“Gym bag. Large.”
“Was it empty?”
“I don't know.”
“Did Lily have it when she came back the next day?”
“No.”
“Was Lily different?”
Ms. Carter nodded.
“She barely spoke.”
Ethan stared.
“You noticed that.”
“Yes.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she was tired.”
Of course.
The same answer Vivian always gave.
Tired.
Sensitive.
Moody.
Going through a phase.
Four-year-old words put into a four-year-old mouth by an adult who knew adults liked easy explanations.
Officer Ramirez entered.
“We may know where they went.”
He placed a traffic-camera still on the table.
Vivian's SUV.
Timestamp: 12:07 p.m.
Driving east.
Another image.
1:03 p.m.
Near a storage facility.
Ethan frowned.
“She has a storage unit?”
“Not in her name.”
“Whose name?”
“Brooke Mercer's.”
Ethan stared.
Ramirez said, “Brooke says Vivian asked to use it temporarily. Told her she was storing furniture.”
“What did you find?”
“We have a warrant request in progress.”
Ethan hated that everything required waiting.
Rules.
Forms.
Signatures.
Vivian had needed only a locked basement and a lie.
By evening, police entered the unit.
Ethan wasn't allowed inside.
Ramirez called him afterward.
“There was no furniture.”
“What was there?”
“Mostly boxes.”
“What kind of boxes?”
“Items belonging to Lily.”
Ethan sat down.
“What?”
“Clothing. Toys. Photographs. School papers.”
“Why?”
“We think Vivian was slowly removing personal items from your house.”
“To do what?”
“Possibly make it appear Lily had been relocated voluntarily.”
Ethan went cold.
Ramirez continued.
“We also found a suitcase.”
“For Lily?”
“Yes.”
“And a prepaid phone.”
Ethan's grip tightened.
“What is on it?”
“Still checking.”
Then Ramirez added, “There was one more thing.”
“What?”
“A printed airline itinerary.”
Ethan's breath caught.
Passenger: Vivian Grant.
Second passenger: Lily Walker.
Destination: Phoenix, Arizona.
Date of travel:
Monday.
The same day Ethan was supposed to leave for his business trip.
But the flight to Phoenix wasn't the part that terrified him.
In the notes section, another flight appeared.
One-way.
Phoenix to Mexico City.
Tuesday morning.
May you like
And Lily's name was on that ticket too.
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