Chapter 12 - Packing in the Dark
Twenty minutes later, Lily was sitting upright on the living room sofa, her wide, innocent eyes darting between my frantic movements and the police cruiser idling quietly in the driveway.
“Mommy, are we going on a trip?” she asked, clutching her purple water bottle tightly to her chest. “Why do we have suitcases out?”
“We’re going on a little sleepover at Grandma’s house, sweetie,” I lied, my voice shaking slightly as I tossed clothes into a floral duffel bag. It was the only acceptable fiction I could spin to keep her from descending into sheer panic. “Just a sudden change of plans. Mommy needs to pack your favorite pajamas and your toothbrush.”
As I zipped the duffel shut, my eyes drifted toward the kitchen counter. The small ceramic dish where I had left my wedding ring was empty. I hadn't touched it since dropping it there that morning, but now it was gone.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. I walked back out to the living room and checked the front window. The heavy deadbolt was still locked, and the smart security camera mounted above the porch light was blinking its steady blue eye.
“Detective Hayes,” I called out as the officer walked up the hallway. “Did someone else come into the house?”
May you like
“Negative, ma’am. My partner is stationed right outside the front door,” Hayes said, stepping into the room. “We need to move. The federal transport is waiting down at the corner.”
I grabbed Lily’s hand, hoisted her backpack over my shoulder, and turned off the living room lamp. But as the heavy front door clicked shut behind us, I couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that we were being watched from the dark treeline across the cul-de-sac.
