Sirens appeared outside.
Two police officers rushed through the front door followed by paramedics.
“Children first,” I said.
The paramedics immediately began treating Lily.
One officer crouched beside Mason.
“What happened?”
Mason looked at me.
I nodded.
“Tell him.”
Mason pointed toward the kitchen.
“My dad made Lily drink medicine.”
The officer’s expression changed.
“Did you see him do it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He said she was going to tell Grandma everything.”
“What everything?”
Mason started crying.
“I don’t know.”
I crouched beside him.
“Take your time.”
He wiped his face.
“Dad was fighting with Mom.”
“About what?”
“Money.”
The officer exchanged a glance with his partner.
Mason continued.
“Mom packed a suitcase.”
“What was in it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is your mother now?”
Mason shook his head.
“Dad said she went to Florida.”
I looked toward the driveway.
“No.”
Mason looked at me.
“She’s not in Florida.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I heard her.”
My stomach tightened.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“Where?”
Mason pointed toward the basement.
“She was crying.”
The officer stood.
“There’s a basement?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
He looked toward his partner.
“Check it.”
They disappeared down the hallway.
Minutes later, one of them shouted.
“Detective!”
Everyone froze.
The officer returned carrying a woman’s purse.
He held it up.
“Found this downstairs.”
Mason immediately recognized it.
“Mom’s.”
The room went silent.
The detective opened it.
Inside were Marissa’s driver’s license, wallet, phone, and car keys.
But there was something else.
A folded sheet of paper.
The detective opened it.
His face hardened.
“What is it?”
He handed it to his partner.
Then he looked at me.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“This isn’t a vacation.”
Part 4 — The Basement
The detective led me downstairs.
I didn’t want to leave the children, but the paramedics had taken Lily outside.
The basement smelled damp.
One light flickered overhead.
There was an old storage room at the far end.
The detective opened the door.
Inside was a mattress.
A blanket.
A water bottle.
And restraints attached to a pipe.
My stomach turned.
“What happened here?”
The detective didn’t answer.
He was staring at the wall.
There were scratches.
Hundreds of them.
Then I saw something written in pencil.
MASON KNOWS.
Below it:
DON’T TRUST BRIAN.
I stepped backward.
“That’s my daughter-in-law’s handwriting.”
The detective looked at me.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
He photographed everything.
Then his radio crackled.
“Unit three to detective.”
He answered.
“Go ahead.”
“We found blood in the garage.”
My heart stopped.
“Whose?”
“We’re testing it now.”
The detective looked at me.
“Do you know where your son is?”
“No.”
“Does he have another vehicle?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Black pickup.”
He immediately radioed the description.
Then another officer came running down the stairs.
“We found the vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Two streets over.”
“Empty?”
“Yes.”
The officer hesitated.
“But there’s a phone inside.”
The detective’s face tightened.
“Brian’s?”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
My son had left his phone.
His keys were on the counter.
His children were drugged and locked inside the house.
His wife’s purse was in the basement.
And he was gone.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a man’s voice whispered:
“You should have stayed out of this.”
My blood froze.
“Who is this?”
A pause.
Then:
“Your son isn’t the person you think he is.”
The line went dead.
Part 5 — The Video
The detective immediately took my phone.
“Did you recognize the voice?”
“No.”
He nodded.
“Don’t delete anything.”
“I won’t.”
Then Mason came running downstairs.
“Grandpa!”
I turned.
“What?”
He was holding a tablet.
“I know where Dad went.”
The detective crouched.
“How?”
Mason opened the tablet.
“There was a camera in Dad’s office.”
He tapped the screen.
A recording appeared.
Timestamp:
1:32 a.m.
Brian entered the room.
He looked nervous.
Then Marissa followed.
They argued.
The sound was faint.
But we could hear pieces.
“You promised me.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Then Brian grabbed her arm.
Marissa pulled away.
“You’re not taking the children.”
Brian said something we couldn’t hear.
Then Marissa pointed toward the camera.
Her lips formed two words.
“Help me.”
The video continued.
Brian looked directly toward the camera.
As if he knew it was recording.
Then he walked out.
The screen went black.
Mason began crying.
“I tried to tell Lily.”
The detective asked,
“Tell her what?”
Mason wiped his face.
“Dad said Mom was going away.”
“And?”
“He said she wasn’t coming back.”
The detective stood.
“Get the forensic team.”
I looked at him.
“What happens now?”
He stared at the screen.
“Now we find your daughter-in-law.”
Part 6 — The Phone Call
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