Chapter 4: The Missing Child Photograph
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what Maya had just told me.
A missing child.
My daughter.
I looked at the silver key in my palm, then back at her frightened face.
"Sweetheart, are you sure?""
Maya nodded.
"I saw it when Vanessa asked me to put some papers in her bedroom.""
"What papers?""
"An envelope. She said it was important and told me not to look inside.""
Daniel stood beside his desk.
"Did you see anything else?""
Maya hesitated.
"There were pictures.""
"What kind of pictures?""
"Pictures of me at school. One from the playground. One from Grandma's birthday. And one from when Dad took me to the beach.""
My stomach twisted.
Those photographs had been taken years apart.
Someone had been collecting them.
"Why would she have those?"" I asked.
Maya looked down.
"She said she needed them for the police.""
Daniel exchanged a glance with me.
"Did she tell you why?""
Maya shook her head.
"She said if I ever ran away, nobody would believe me when I told them I was scared.""
I felt anger rising so quickly that I had to turn away.
My eleven-year-old daughter had been threatened with a story about her own disappearance.
Daniel pulled out a chair.
"Maya, I want you to understand something. You're not in trouble. Nobody is going to punish you for telling us what you saw.""
She nodded.
"Can I tell Dad something privately?""
"Of course," Daniel replied.
He stepped into the adjoining office.
I sat beside my daughter.
"What is it?""
Maya twisted her sleeves.
"Vanessa told me that if I ever talked about the notebook, she would say I stole her jewelry.""
"Did you?""
"No.""
"I know.""
"She said Tyler would tell everyone he saw me take it.""
I remembered Vanessa's phone call.
Tyler was going to be her witness.
I swallowed.
"Did you see the jewelry?""
Maya nodded.
"She put it in my school backpack.""
My blood ran cold.
"When?""
"Last Friday.""
"Did you tell her you didn't want it?""
"Yes. She got angry and said I should be grateful she was giving me something.""
I leaned closer.
"Did you keep the jewelry?""
"No. I took it out and put it on her dresser when she went downstairs.""
"Did she know?""
"I think so.""
Maya suddenly started crying.
"I don't want to go to jail, Dad.""
I pulled her into my arms.
"You're not going to jail.""
"But she said stealing is serious.""
"Sweetheart, putting something in your bag doesn't make it yours. And telling the truth doesn't make you guilty.""
She buried her face against my shoulder.
I held her until her breathing slowed.
Then I called Daniel back.
"We need to go to the house.""
He frowned.
"Not without a plan.""
"I need to see that drawer.""
"And we need to make sure Vanessa doesn't have an opportunity to destroy anything. I'll arrange for a neutral professional to document the relevant items if we can lawfully access them.""
I looked at the silver key.
"She's my wife. It's my house.""
"That doesn't mean you should enter her private spaces or remove documents without considering the legal consequences. Let me handle the proper steps.""
He picked up his phone.
Within twenty minutes, he had contacted a local attorney who specialized in family protection matters and arranged for a welfare assessment to be considered.
Meanwhile, I received another message from Vanessa.
*Come home alone. We need to settle this before you ruin our family.*
A second message followed.
*And tell Maya to bring back what she took.*
I showed Daniel.
He read it twice.
"Don't respond.""
But Maya had seen the message.
She stared at the screen.
"She's talking about the necklace.""
"What necklace?""
"The one she put in my backpack.""
I turned toward her.
"Did you see where she got it?""
Maya nodded.
"From a little box in her bedroom. But there was another box underneath it.""
"What was inside?""
She looked at me.
"Passports.""
I frowned.
"Whose passports?""
"Mine. Tyler's. Sophie's. And yours.""
Daniel stopped typing.
"Did you see any tickets?""
Maya shook her head.
"But there was a paper with dates. Vanessa said we were going somewhere soon.""
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
Daniel looked at me.
"That changes things.""
He made another call.
By noon, we had confirmation that Vanessa had recently contacted a travel agency about international flights.
The booking hadn't been completed.
But the inquiry listed four passengers.
Vanessa.
Tyler.
Sophie.
And Maya.
My name wasn't there.
I stared at the information.
"She was planning to take my daughter out of the country?""
"We don't know that yet," Daniel said.
"But given the other evidence, we should treat this seriously and seek appropriate protective measures.""
I looked at Maya.
"Did Vanessa tell you about a trip?""
She nodded slowly.
"She said we might go away for a while.""
"Did she say where?""
"No. She said Dad would be busy working and wouldn't notice.""
My hands curled into fists.
I forced myself to breathe.
Then Daniel's assistant knocked.
"There's someone here to see Mr. Hale.""
"Who?""
She looked uncomfortable.
"Vanessa's son. Tyler.""
I turned toward the hallway.
Tyler stood near the reception desk, holding a black backpack.
His eyes were red.
When he saw Maya, he immediately looked away.
"Where's Mom?"" he asked.
I approached him.
"She's not here.""
He swallowed.
"Can I talk to you?""
"Of course.""
He looked at Maya.
"Not in front of her.""
Maya stiffened.
I noticed.
"Whatever you need to say, you can say it respectfully with Maya here.""
Tyler rubbed his face.
"Mom told me to say Maya stole her necklace.""
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
"Did Maya steal it?""
"No.""
"Then why would you say that?""
Tyler's eyes filled.
"Because Mom said she'd send me to live with my dad if I didn't.""
Vanessa's biological father lived several states away and rarely contacted him.
Tyler looked toward Maya.
"She told me if I helped her, she'd buy me a new phone.""
Maya's lips trembled.
Tyler lowered his head.
"But I don't want to lie anymore.""
He opened his backpack and removed a small envelope.
"I recorded something.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"What did you record?""
Tyler looked at me.
"Mom talking to someone on the phone.""
He handed me the envelope.
Inside was a USB drive.
May you like
And a handwritten note.
*SHE SAID MAYA WOULD BE GONE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.*
