Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED
For three minutes, I stood in Mom's empty room.
Then training took over.
I checked the window.
No blood.
No broken glass.
The room had not been searched.
The bed was undisturbed.
Mom had not escaped through the window.
Someone had taken her.
I ran downstairs.
Abigail was in the kitchen.
She was making coffee.
She looked at me.
“What's wrong?”
“Where's Mom?”
Her face changed.
“What do you mean?”
“She isn't in her room.”
Abigail placed the coffee pot down.
“She probably wandered.”
“Out of a locked room?”
Her eyes widened.
“You locked her in?”
I stared at her.
She immediately realized her mistake.
Then she began crying.
“I didn't mean—”
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
I grabbed my phone.
The security system had been disabled at 5:14 a.m.
The access code belonged to Abigail.
She claimed she had been asleep.
I didn't believe her.
I called the police.
Within twenty minutes, officers arrived.
Abigail told them Mom had dementia.
She told them Mom wandered.
She told them Mom was confused.
She told them I had been emotionally unstable since returning from deployment.
I said nothing.
Then I showed the officers the recordings.
The deleted security logs.
The financial transfers.
The messages.
The photographs.
The officer looked at Abigail.
“Ma'am, where is your mother-in-law?”
Abigail began crying.
“I don't know.”
The search lasted six hours.
Nothing.
Then I received a text.
Unknown number.
STOP LOOKING.
A second message followed.
A photograph.
Mom was sitting in a chair.
Her hands were tied.
Her eyes were open.
I felt my blood turn cold.
The third message arrived.
THE ACCOUNT.
I called the number.
No answer.
I sent one message.
You want the account? Then talk to me.
A reply came.
Tonight. 10 p.m. Old rail yard. Come alone.
I showed Detective Hayes the messages.
He immediately said no.
I expected that.
So I lied.
At 9:45 p.m., I drove toward the rail yard.
A police team followed at a distance.
I entered the abandoned warehouse.
The lights were off.
Then a voice spoke.
“Samuel.”
Daniel Voss stepped from the shadows.
I recognized him immediately.
“You have my mother.”
Daniel smiled.
“She is alive.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“You're not in a position to make threats.”
I looked around.
“How much?”
“The account.”
“You already know about it.”
“I know it exists.”
“You don't have access.”
Daniel's smile disappeared.
“Your mother does.”
“She won't give it to you.”
“She doesn't need to.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Your wife has already arranged everything.”
The words hit me.
I said nothing.
He continued.
“Abigail will be named your mother's guardian.”
“She won't.”
“She will.”
“Not without a court order.”
“Court orders can be influenced.”
I thought of Dr. Pierce.
The money.
The evaluation.
The forged documents.
Daniel smiled.
“You're a smart man, Samuel.”
“I know.”
“But you made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You married into the wrong family.”
A noise came from somewhere behind him.
I turned.
Mom.
She was sitting in a chair.
Her hands were tied.
But she was alive.
I moved toward her.
Daniel raised a gun.
“Stop.”
I stopped.
Mom looked at me.
Her eyes were calm.
Too calm.
Then she slowly shook her head.
Don't move.
I understood.
She was waiting.
For what?
Then the warehouse lights exploded.
The police stormed in.
Daniel turned.
I lunged toward Mom.
Within seconds, officers had Daniel on the ground.
I cut the restraints from Mom's wrists.
She stood.
Her knees shook.
I caught her.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
Then whispered:
“Samuel.”
“What?”
“Abigail wasn't the one who took me.”
I froze.
“Who was?”
Mom looked toward Daniel.
May you like
Then back at me.
“Someone inside the police department.”
