CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 28
THE EMPTY CLASSROOM
Elena arrived at the school before Nathaniel.
The principal was crying.
The teacher was shaking.
The security cameras had been disabled for exactly eleven minutes.
Eleven minutes.
That was all it had taken.
Lily had been inside the classroom.
Then she was gone.
Her backpack remained beneath the desk.
Her favorite pink hair clip lay on the floor.
Elena picked it up.
Her hands trembled.
"Who took her?"
The principal shook his head.
"We don't know."
"Someone had to see something."
"The woman presented identification."
"What woman?"
The teacher began crying harder.
"She said she was Lily's aunt."
Elena froze.
"Lily has no aunt."
The teacher covered her face.
"She knew Lily's full name. She knew your name. She knew Mr. Whitfield's name."
Nathaniel arrived seconds later.
He looked at Elena.
"Where is she?"
Elena could barely speak.
"Lily is gone."
Something inside Nathaniel changed.
He became frighteningly calm.
"Lock down the school."
The police arrived.
The investigation began.
Then a phone rang.
It was Elena's.
Unknown number.
She answered.
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a woman's voice said:
"Do you want your daughter back?"
Elena stopped breathing.
"Who are you?"
The woman laughed softly.
"You've been raising a child who was never supposed to be yours."
Nathaniel stepped closer.
The caller continued.
"Bring the Whitfield inheritance documents to the old Saint Matthew's maternity wing."
"Why?"
"Because the truth about Lily began there."
The call ended.
Nathaniel looked at Elena.
"We're going."
The detective grabbed his arm.
"No. You are not."
Nathaniel turned.
"That's my daughter."
May you like
The detective answered:
"Then let us bring her home alive."
