THE BLOOD ON HIS DAUGHTER'S PAJAMAS WASN'T THE WORST THING HE SAW—IT WAS WHAT CHRIS BROUGHT INTO THE ER

James reached the hospital six minutes later.

Sarah's bed was empty. The oxygen line lay on the floor. A smear of blood crossed the sheet where her fresh stitches had opened.

The young ER nurse stood against the wall, devastated.

"He had an ID badge," she said. "He said imaging needed another scan. The lights went out for maybe ten seconds. When they came back, they were gone."

Security footage showed a masked man pushing Sarah in a wheelchair through a service corridor. At the loading dock, the camera feed went black.

Chris examined the timestamps. "Someone accessed the hospital network remotely."

Ellis looked at James. "Reed owns the company that installed these cameras."

James called Daniel.

His brother answered on the first ring.

"Where is she?" James demanded.

Silence.

"Daniel, tell me where my daughter is."

"I didn't take her."

"You took her to the pump house."

Daniel's breath changed.

"Who told you?"

"Ellis."

"Then Ellis is dead. He just doesn't know it yet."

James put the call on speaker.

"Emily knew," he said. "She knew what Reed was doing. You covered it up."

Daniel's voice broke for the first time. "I tried to protect you."

"You protected yourself."

"Reed had photographs, account records, everything. He owned half the county before I became sheriff. When Emily started asking questions, he told me she would destroy all of us."

"Did you kill her?"

A long pause.

"No."

"Did you know he would?"

Daniel did not answer.

James closed his eyes.

That silence was enough.

"Where would Reed take Sarah?"

"There is an old children's home north of the lake. Haven House used it before the state shut it down."

"Come with us."

"I can't."

"Because you're afraid?"

"Because he has my son."

James went still.

Daniel's seventeen-year-old son, Luke, had been missing since the county banquet. Daniel claimed he left early with friends.

Reed had taken both grandchildren.

"Bring the notebook," Daniel said. "He believes Sarah found it. He'll trade them for it."

The call ended.

James, Chris, and Ellis drove to James's house. Sarah's bedroom looked untouched, but the dollhouse stood slightly crooked on its table.

James lifted the roof.

Inside the miniature nursery was a loose floorboard.

Beneath it lay Emily's notebook, a flash drive, and a letter addressed to James.

His hands shook as he opened it.

Emily wrote that she had discovered Daniel's involvement but did not know whether he was willing or trapped. She feared James would confront his brother before they had proof.

The final line read:

If anything happens to me, trust Chris. He was the only deputy who believed the children.

James looked across the room.

Chris had turned away, giving him privacy.

"You knew she was investigating," James said.

Chris nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"She made me promise until she had enough evidence. After she died, the notebook disappeared. I had accusations and no proof. Daniel made sure you saw me as a man exploiting your grief."

James pressed the letter against his chest.

For four years he had blamed the wrong friend and trusted the wrong brother.

A message appeared on his phone.

It contained a photograph of Sarah and Luke tied to chairs inside a decaying room.