Shit. Shit. Shit.Peony doesn’t even have Poppy with her. She never goes anywhere without her panda. She can’t even sleep without it.
It’s a ridiculous thought. There are bigger problems than Peony not having Poppy with her. But ridiculous or not, I can’t let it go. Poppy means everything to her.
“Any word yet?” The question is directed at Noah. My voice sounds like sandpaper has scraped over it, the grain roughened and scratched.
“Nothing yet.” Noah doesn’t have on his cop face. He has on hissympathetic-friend face. “I’m sorry for your loss, Garrett.” He’s referring to Emily. That much I can tell. His expression shifts into that of a police officer. Professional. Focused. Attentive. “We’re doing everything we can to find them. We have the camera footage from your front door”—he nods at Lucas, who would have given it to him—“but all we can tell is that a man entered the house shortly after Zara and Peony did.”
“Was he with them?”
“No. And we have no idea if she knew him. He put on some sort of wolf mask before stepping in front of the camera and entering the house?—”
Athena’s face flushes; her fists clench. “Because Zara didn’t reengage the security system.” Venom lances the worddidn’t.
I don’t bother to respond. Irritation scorches in me that she obviously blames Zara for Peony’s disappearance. I point toward the living room. “Maybe we should sit down.”
“Sit down?” she screeches, the pitch almost high enough to rupture our eardrums. “Peony has been kidnapped and you want to sit down?”
“No, Krista?—”
She flinches at the name. “I prefer Athena.”
“No, Athena,” I snap, the shell of my control slipping. “I want to tear the town apart, looking for my daughter and my best friend. But that won’t get us anywhere if I go in the wrong direction.”
“You’re not doing anything, Garrett. You’re letting the police and the FBI handle this.” Noah’s tone is a stern warning. Message clear. He’ll arrest me if I get in the way of the investigation.
The five of us, including Officer Hunt, head to the living room, but none of us sit. I’ve sat long enough on the plane and on the drive back. I just want to pace.
I pick up Peony’s favorite book from the coffee table, to have something of hers to hold. To help me feel closer to her.
I’ve read stories of people with the ability to sense someone who is missing, to know if they’re still alive, to have an idea where they might be just by holding an object that belonged to them. I don’t have that special ability.
Holding the book brings me no comfort, but I keep holding it, unwilling to let go.
“The man…the letters I’ve been getting. They sounded like they were from a woman.” Did I get that wrong, and Annie Wilkes 3.0 is a man?
“We’re not ruling out the possibility the cases might be linked. But we are expanding our investigation beyond the letters.” Noah gets me up to speed on the latest updates—which contain nothing new since I last spoke with him. Zara and Peony aren’t in any of the hospitals within the county and Zara’s car hasn’t been found. They’ve been trying to track her phone, but so far they have nothing.
I’ve texted Zara several times after news broke about the shooting, but she hasn’t read any of them. I don’t know if she has her phone with her or if the kidnapper tossed it.
Or maybe she and Peony escaped after Emily was shot and they’re currently hiding. Unable to call for help.
Still clutching Poppy to her chest, Athena picks up a pillow from the couch. “She was supposed to be safe,” she mutters, not looking at us. She vigorously fluffs the pillow, as if it has somehow wronged her. “Kenda said we’d be safe here.”
I frown at Athena. “What do you mean you’re supposed to be safe here?” My crisp voice startles her, her round eyes turning my way. “Safe from what?” Something about the way she said that…it doesn’t sound like she’s referring to Maple Ridge’s low crime rate.
Athena’s face crumples like a spring-time avalanche. She covers her eyes with her hands, her body shaking with the new round of tears.
I turn back to Noah. “Could this be someone hoping to profit? They falsely assumed, because I’m aNew York Timesbestselling author, my income is the same as Stephen King’s, and they’re planning to ransom my daughter?”
I’m afraid to voice my other fear. About Zara. If they do plan to ransom my daughter, will Zara be part of the deal? Or do they view her as disposable goods, and her life is as good as forfeit?
Muttering to herself, Athena resumes attacking the pillows under the guise of fluffing them.
Noah sends her a quick, puzzled frown. “It’s a possibility. That’s whythe FBI is now helping with the case. They have resources that a police department like Maple Ridge’s doesn’t have.”
Athena picks up the pillow closest to me. “He doesn’t know I’m here. He can’t know I’m here.” Her voice is so soft, I just barely make out what she’s saying.
“Who can’t know you’re here?” What the hell is she talking about?
