Chapter 7
I called the school before I finished reading the message.
“Lock the doors.”
The receptionist heard something in my voice and didn’t ask questions.
“What happened?”
“Someone is watching Sophie.”
Within minutes, police were at the school.
Megan drove there too.
I arrived with Daniel and Thomas.
Officers searched the parking lot.
Nothing.
No Linda.
No suspicious vehicle.
The photograph had been taken earlier.
That meant whoever sent it might already be gone.
I rushed inside.
Sophie sat in the principal’s office.
When she saw me, she ran forward.
“Mommy!”
I hugged her so tightly she complained.
“You’re squishing me.”
“Sorry.”
I didn’t let go immediately.
Daniel crouched beside us.
“You okay?”
Sophie nodded.
“Why are there police?”
“Just being careful,” I said.
She looked at Thomas.
“Who’s that?”
Everything stopped.
Thomas smiled nervously.
I looked at Daniel.
This was his moment.
He swallowed.
“Sophie, this is someone very important.”
She looked curious.
“This is my dad.”
Sophie frowned.
“You said your dad was in Heaven.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“I was wrong.”
Her eyes widened.
She looked at Thomas.
“You’re Grandpa?”
Thomas’s face broke into a smile.
“If you want me to be.”
Sophie stepped closer.
Then looked at me for permission.
I nodded.
Thomas crouched.
She hugged him.
He closed his eyes.
Twenty-three years disappeared for a moment.
Then Detective Alvarez entered.
Reality returned.
“We traced the text.”
I stood.
“To Linda?”
“No.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who?”
“A prepaid phone.”
“Location?”
“Near the interstate.”
Daniel cursed under his breath.
Alvarez continued.
“We also confirmed the passport is counterfeit.”
I exhaled slightly.
“But professionally made.”
My relief disappeared.
“What does that mean?”
“She may have paid someone.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know yet.”
I looked at Sophie.
“This conversation happens somewhere else.”
Alvarez nodded.
Megan stayed with Sophie while the rest of us moved into an empty conference room.
Alvarez spread photographs across the table.
“We have reason to believe Linda planned to take Sophie.”
Daniel stared.
“Where?”
“We don’t know.”
“Why?”
Alvarez looked at me.
“Possibly leverage.”
“Against who?”
“Daniel.”
Daniel frowned.
“For money?”
“Maybe.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
Alvarez asked, “You think differently?”
Thomas nodded.
“Linda wouldn’t call it kidnapping.”
“What would she call it?”
“Protecting Sophie.”
I remembered Linda’s words.
Sophie belongs with family.
Thomas continued.
“She always turns control into protection.”
Daniel stared at his father.
“She told me you were dangerous because she was protecting me.”
“Yes.”
“She told me Rachel was unstable because she was protecting Sophie.”
“Yes.”
“She stole from my company to protect the family.”
Thomas nodded.
“Exactly.”
I felt cold.
To Linda, every terrible act could become love if she renamed it.
Detective Alvarez asked Thomas more about the past.
Then her phone rang.
She stepped outside.
Daniel looked at me.
“I’m taking Sophie somewhere else.”
“I agree.”
“My dad’s hotel?”
“No.”
He flinched.
I continued.
“Linda knows Thomas is here.”
“How?”
“Maybe she doesn’t.”
“We cannot assume that.”
He nodded.
“My sister’s?”
“She already knows Megan’s address.”
“Then where?”
I thought.
“My coworker Jenna owns a cabin near Galena.”
Daniel frowned.
“Does Linda know her?”
“No.”
“Would Jenna let you stay?”
“Yes.”
I hated hiding.
But I hated fear more.
I called Jenna.
I told her only enough to explain.
She gave me the keypad code without hesitation.
“Stay as long as you need.”
We decided Megan would take Sophie while I met police again.
Then Sophie came into the room unexpectedly.
“I don’t want to hide.”
I turned.
“You were supposed to stay with Aunt Megan.”
“I heard you.”
“Sophie—”
“Grandma always makes me hide.”
The words stopped me.
She looked close to tears.
“When she got mad, she made me go to my room.”
I crouched.
“This is different.”
“It feels the same.”
My heart hurt.
“You aren’t hiding because you did something wrong.”
“Then why do I have to leave my school?”
I had no good answer.
Daniel knelt beside me.
“Because adults are fixing something.”
She looked at him.
“Adults keep saying that.”
He flinched.
Sophie continued.
“Grandma said she was fixing Mommy.”
The room became silent.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Sophie shrugged.
“She said Daddy loved Mommy too much to see what was wrong with her.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“When did she say that?”
“A lot.”
“Did she say anything about taking you somewhere?”
Sophie thought.
“Disney World.”
My stomach dropped.
“When?”
“She said maybe we would take a long trip.”
“Who is we?”
“Me and Grandma.”
“Did she say where?”
Sophie shook her head.
“She said somewhere warm where nobody could bother us.”
Daniel stood.
Alvarez returned at exactly that moment.
I repeated what Sophie said.
Her expression sharpened.
“We need to consider airports.”
She started making calls.
Within thirty minutes, alerts went out.
Linda’s name.
Photograph.
Vehicle.
Possible attempt to travel with a child under false identity.
Still, she had no Sophie.
That mattered.
She couldn’t take what she couldn’t reach.
At least that was what I told myself.
Then the school fire alarm went off.
Every muscle in my body tightened.
A staff member opened the conference room door.
“We need to evacuate.”
Alvarez immediately said, “Nobody takes Sophie outside through the general exit.”
The principal looked confused.
“It’s protocol.”
“Not today.”
An officer checked the alarm panel.
Smoke had been reported near the cafeteria.
We smelled nothing.
Students began filing outside.
Noise filled the halls.
My heart hammered.
Perfect confusion.
Perfect opportunity.
“Where’s Sophie?” I asked.
Megan turned.
“She was right—”
Her face changed.
The chair beside her was empty.
I stopped breathing.
“Sophie?”
We rushed into the hallway.
Children everywhere.
Teachers calling names.
Alarms screaming.
“Sophie!”
No answer.
Daniel ran toward the front.
I ran toward the office.
Megan shouted behind me.
“She was right there!”
Then I saw Sophie.
Twenty feet away.
Standing beside a woman in a cafeteria uniform.
The woman had her hand on Sophie’s shoulder.
I ran.
“Get away from her!”
The woman looked up.
Not Linda.
But she immediately released Sophie.
“I was taking her outside.”
“No.”
Sophie ran to me.
The woman backed away.
Detective Alvarez approached.
“Name?”
The woman hesitated.
That was enough.
Officers surrounded her.
“I work here!”
The principal stared.
“No, you don’t.”
My blood ran cold.
The woman bolted.
She made it three steps.
An officer caught her.
Sophie buried her face against me.
Daniel reached us.
“What happened?”
The woman screamed as officers restrained her.
“I didn’t do anything!”
Alvarez picked up a phone that had fallen from the woman’s pocket.
The screen lit.
One incoming message.
GO NOW.
Alvarez answered.
No one spoke.
Then a voice came through.
Linda.
“Is she with you?”
Alvarez’s face stayed calm.
“Yes.”
Linda exhaled.
“Good.”
My stomach turned.
Alvarez signaled everyone to remain silent.
“Where should I take her?”
Pause.
Then Linda said, “You know where.”
“I want confirmation.”
Another pause.
“Terminal Five.”
My eyes widened.
Airport.
Alvarez continued.
“What time?”
“Flight leaves at four-forty.”
“To where?”
Linda became suspicious.
“Why are you asking?”
The call ended.
Alvarez immediately started issuing orders.
Airports.
Traffic units.
Federal authorities.
Daniel looked at me.
“She tried to take her from school.”
“Yes.”
His face twisted with fury.
Thomas grabbed his arm.
“Stay here.”
“I’m going to the airport.”
“No.”
“She’s my mother.”
“And that is exactly why you should stay.”
Daniel jerked his arm away.
“She stole my father. She stole my company. She tried to steal my daughter.”
Thomas stepped closer.
“And if you chase her angry, she controls you one more time.”
Daniel stared at him.
I saw the fight inside him.
Then he stopped.
Alvarez’s phone rang.
She answered.
“Yes.”
Pause.
“Confirmed?”
Another pause.
She looked at us.
“They found Linda’s car.”
“Where?”
“O’Hare.”
Daniel’s breathing changed.
“Is she there?”
“Security is searching.”
We moved to a secure office at the school.
Sophie sat between me and Megan, eating crackers because children still got hungry even when adults were terrified.
Thirty minutes passed.
Then forty.
Then Alvarez received another call.
Her expression changed.
“They have her.”
Daniel stood.
I felt every muscle release at once.
“Where?”
“International terminal.”
“With anyone?”
“She was alone.”
“Did she have tickets?”
“Yes.”
“To where?”
Alvarez looked down.
“Costa Rica.”
I hugged Sophie.
Daniel sat heavily.
It should have felt over.
It didn’t.
Alvarez continued.
“She also had another passport.”
“For Sophie?”
“Yes.”
“And cash.”
“How much?”
“Almost forty thousand dollars.”
Thomas stared.
“She was leaving.”
“Yes.”
Daniel covered his face.
Then Alvarez added one final detail.
“There was another ticket.”
I frowned.
“For who?”
She looked at Daniel.
“Eric Mason.”
The room went silent.
“Was he there?” Daniel asked.
“No.”
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know.”
Daniel looked at me.
Then his phone rang.
Eric.
Daniel answered before anyone could stop him.
“Where are you?”
Eric sounded panicked.
“Daniel, listen to me.”
“You were going to Costa Rica with my mother.”
“No.”
“There’s a ticket with your name.”
“I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
Eric breathed heavily.
“Linda set me up.”
Daniel laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“She was moving money without telling me.”
“You signed invoices.”
“Because she told me you authorized them.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know that now.”
“Where are you?”
Silence.
“Eric.”
Then Eric said something strange.
“I’m at your office.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“Why?”
“Because there’s something here you need to see before police take everything.”
“What?”
“I found a safe behind the storage cabinets.”
Daniel frowned.
“There is no safe.”
“There is.”
“What’s inside?”
Eric paused.
Then whispered, “Birth certificates.”
My skin prickled.
“Whose?” Daniel asked.
Eric answered.
“Yours.”
May you like
Daniel stared ahead.
“And mine.”
