Chapter 1 - The Camera Knew My Name
I saw Sophie kneeling beside the girl before I understood what I was looking at.
The alley behind Hawthorne Academy was narrow, boxed in by old brick and the rear wall of the gymnasium. Parents weren't supposed to pick children up there. Students weren't supposed to be there after dismissal either.
Sophie still wore her navy school uniform.
The other girl didn't.
She sat with her back against the wall, knees pulled close, dirty sneakers sticking out from beneath jeans that were too thin for the cooling afternoon.
Sophie was handing her a paper bag.
The same bag I'd packed that morning.
I crossed the alley fast.
“Sophie.”
She turned.
The other girl looked up.
I took the bag out of Sophie's hand and threw it onto the pavement.
A sandwich rolled out.
So did an apple.
“Mom!”
I pulled Sophie behind me.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
The girl didn't flinch.
That bothered me.
A frightened child should have reacted to an angry stranger.
Instead she stared at me as though she had already been told exactly what I would do.
Sophie yanked her arm free.
“She’s hungry.”
“You don't know her.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Sophie.”
She stepped back beside the girl.
“She said she know Dad.”
I stopped.
The grammar was wrong.
The name inside the sentence wasn't.
I looked at the girl.
“How do you know Daniel?”
She pushed herself upright but didn't stand all the way.
“He talked to me.”
“When?”
She looked at Sophie.
I stepped closer.
“When?”
“Couple times.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“Here.”
Sophie said, “Mom—”
I held up my hand.
The girl watched me do it.
“What’s your name?”
“Mia.”
“How do you know my husband?”
Mia swallowed.
“He told me to wait for Sophie.”
I turned toward my daughter.
Sophie looked guilty now.
Not surprised.
That was worse.
“You knew she would be here.”
She stared at the pavement.
“Sophie.”
“Dad said she might come.”
“When did he say that?”
“Yesterday.”
My throat went dry.
Daniel had left the house at six that morning.
He said he had meetings in Philadelphia and would be back after dinner.
I pulled my phone from my purse.
No new messages.
I called him.
Straight to voicemail.
I took Sophie's hand again.
“We're leaving.”
Mia stayed beside the wall.
Sophie resisted.
“Mom.”
“Now.”
I started toward the school entrance.
Behind us, Mia said:
“He said you'd do that.”
I stopped.
I turned slowly.
Mia looked scared now.
Not of me exactly.
Of having gotten something right.
“What did you say?”
“He said you'd take Sophie away before you asked me anything.”
My hand loosened around Sophie's.
I walked back.
Crouched in front of Mia.
“Who told you that?”
She opened her mouth.
Above us, a motor whirred.
The security camera mounted high on the brick wall rotated.
Not toward the alley entrance.
Toward me.
A small green indicator clicked on.
I stood.
The camera adjusted.
Locked.
A male voice came through the speaker beneath it.
“Claire.”
I froze.
Sophie moved closer to Mia.
The voice continued.
“Leave the girl there.”
Mia looked up sharply.
Her face was blank.
She didn't know him.
I looked directly at the camera.
“Who is this?”
No answer.
“Who are you?”
Static.
Then:
“Daniel told her where to wait.”
My anger came back.
“Then Daniel can come explain it.”
The speaker crackled again.
“He can't.”
I stared up.
“What does that mean?”
Silence.
I reached for Mia.
Not roughly.
“I’m taking both girls inside.”
The camera turned a few degrees as I moved.
The voice returned.
“Claire, don't.”
I stopped beneath it.
“Then come down here.”
Nothing.
“You know my name. You know my husband. You're watching an eight-year-old and a nine-year-old through a security camera. Come down.”
The speaker remained silent.
I took Mia’s hand.
She hesitated.
Then let me.
Sophie picked the sandwich off the pavement and shoved it back into the torn bag.
As we started toward the school entrance, Mia whispered:
“Mrs. Carter?”
I looked down.
“Daniel said you didn't know I existed.”
I stopped walking.
Sophie looked at me.
May you like
Mia continued:
“He said that was the part he was trying to fix.”
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