Chapter 4
Tomorrow.
That word echoed in my head.
Twenty-four more hours. That's all I would have had left with my daughter if I hadn't walked through that door at exactly the right moment.
I looked at Emily. She was coloring at the kitchen table, humming a little song to herself.
She had no idea how close she'd come to being taken away.
I needed to be strong for her. But inside, I was falling apart.
My phone rang again. This time, it was Detective Carter.
"Mr. Anderson," he said. "We have Rachel Green—your wife—in custody. She's been charged with child abuse and endangerment. But there's something else."
I held my breath.
"We found evidence that she's been working with someone. An accomplice. Text messages on her phone. Someone who was going to help her leave the country with Emily."
"Who?" I demanded.
"We're still trying to figure that out," Detective Carter said. "The messages are coded. But what we do know is that this person is local. And they may have been watching your house."
My blood turned to ice.
Someone was watching us.
"Mr. Anderson, I want to put a patrol car outside your house for the next few days," Detective Carter said. "Just as a precaution. And I'd advise you not to go anywhere alone with your daughter until we find out who this is."
"Thank you," I said. My voice was shaking. "I appreciate that."
I hung up and looked at Emily again.
She looked up and smiled. "Daddy, look! I drew us."
She held up a crayon drawing. Two stick figures holding hands. One labeled "DADDY" and one labeled "ME."
There was no third figure.
No "mommy."
My heart ached and swelled at the same time.
"It's beautiful, baby," I said. I walked over and kissed the top of her head.
That evening, I ordered pizza. Emily's favorite—pepperoni with extra cheese.
We sat on the living room floor and ate off paper plates. We watched a cartoon movie. Emily laughed at the funny parts, and for a while, I could almost pretend everything was okay.
Almost.
After I put Emily to bed, I sat in the dark living room.
I thought about Lisa. My first wife. The love of my life.
She'd died in a car accident on her way home from picking up groceries. Emily was only six months old.
I'd been devastated. I didn't know how I was going to raise a baby alone.
And then "Sarah" had appeared.
At the support group. So kind. So understanding. She'd lost her husband too, she'd said. In a construction accident.
She'd known exactly what to say. Exactly how to comfort me.
Because she'd practiced.
She'd studied me. Learned my weaknesses. And then she'd moved in for the kill.
I felt so stupid. So angry at myself.
How could I have let this happen? How could I have let a stranger into our lives? Into our home? Into my daughter's life?
And the worst part... she'd been hurting Emily. For who knows how long.
Dragging her. Yelling at her. Making her live in fear.
And I'd been at work. Oblivious.
I failed my daughter.
The thought ate at me.
But then I thought about what Emily had said. That she felt safe now.
And I made a promise to myself.
I would never fail her again.
I would protect her. No matter what.
No matter who was coming for us.
The next morning, I woke up early.
I made breakfast. I packed Emily a bag with some clothes and her favorite stuffed animals.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Emily asked.
"We're going to stay with Aunt Megan for a little while," I said.
My sister Megan lived in a gated community about forty minutes away. It was safe. Secure.
If someone was watching our house, I didn't want Emily here.
Emily's face lit up. "Aunt Megan? Can we play with her dog?"
"Of course we can," I said, forcing a smile.
We loaded the car. I looked back at the house one last time.
It had been our home. Our sanctuary.
Now it felt like a prison. A place where terrible things had happened.
I got in the car and started the engine.
As we pulled out of the driveway, I saw a black car parked across the street.
It had been there when I woke up.
The windows were tinted. I couldn't see who was inside.
May you like
But as I drove past, the car started its engine.
And it followed us.
