Chapter 11 - They found Lila the next morning.Or at least, they thought they did.
A security camera captured a woman leaving a café.
Dark hair.
Same face as Calla.
Same eyes.
Same scar.
Calla stared at the footage.
“That's her.”
Emma whispered:
“Lila.”
Detective Hayes tracked the woman's route.
She disappeared near an old apartment complex.
Inside one abandoned apartment, they found records.
School notebooks.
Photographs.
A child's drawing.
Three stick figures holding hands.
Under them:
CALLA. CALEB. ME.
Emma sat on the floor.
“She knows about them.”
A hidden compartment contained a voice recorder.
Detective Hayes pressed play.
A girl's voice filled the room.
“Mom, if you ever hear this, I'm sorry.”
Emma went rigid.
The voice continued.
“They told me you were dangerous.”
Calla looked at her mother.
“That's her.”
The voice crackled.
“I believed them for years.”
A pause.
“Then I saw Caleb.”
Emma covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
“They said he was dead.”
Another pause.
“He wasn't.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Where is he?”
The recording gave an answer.
“With the person who raised me.”
Then a name.
“Drea.”
Silence.
Calla looked at her mother.
“Drea raised Lila?”
Emma shook her head.
“She was never supposed to.”
The recording continued.
“Drea told me Calla was the dangerous one.”
Calla's eyes widened.
“She lied to all of us.”
The recording stopped.
Detective Hayes searched the apartment.
Behind a loose wall panel was another photograph.
Lila standing beside Caleb.
The boy from the video.
Older now.
Maybe eleven.
Calla stared at the photograph.
“He's alive.”
Emma cried.
Daniel held her.
Then they heard a knock.
Two knocks.
Everyone froze.
Knock.
Knock.
The same pattern as the pool house.
Calla slowly turned toward the apartment door.
“That's how Mom got my attention.”
Nobody moved.
Another two knocks.
Detective Hayes opened the door.
A little boy stood outside.
He had dark hair.
A black jacket.
And the same eyes.
“Caleb?”
Emma collapsed.
The boy stared at her.
Then slowly smiled.
“Mom.”
Calla ran toward him.
But before she reached him, Caleb stepped back.
“No.”
Calla stopped.
“Why?”
He looked terrified.
“She said not to trust you.”
“Who?”
Caleb looked toward the hallway.
“Drea.”
Daniel crouched.
“Where is she?”
Caleb shook his head.
“She told me she would come back.”
Emma held out her hands.
“Caleb, come here.”
He stepped toward her.
Then suddenly looked behind Daniel.
His face changed.
“She's here.”
The hallway lights went out.
A car engine roared outside.
Detective Hayes ran to the window.
A black SUV sped away.
Caleb screamed.
“That's her!”
Daniel sprinted outside.
The vehicle disappeared around the corner.
But something had been left behind.
A small envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Calla sleeping.
Again.
Same room.
Same angle.
Same night.
On the back:
I TOLD YOU SHE WAS WATCHING.
But this time, there was something else.
A second sentence.
AND SHE HAS BEEN INSIDE YOUR HOUSE FOR THREE DAYS.
Daniel stared at the photograph.
May you like
Then he realized.
Someone had been inside their house while the police were there.
