Chapter 7: The Day My Granddaughter Disappeared
Darius drove like a man who had nothing left to lose.
I sat beside him, gripping the passenger-side handle as he swerved through traffic. Richard followed in his own car, already speaking to the police.
"Call the school again!"" I shouted.
Darius pressed the phone against his ear.
"Principal Harris, listen carefully. Catherine Miller has absolutely no legal authority over my daughter. Do not let her leave the school property with Maya.""
The principal's voice was shaking.
"Mr. Cole, I wish you had called sooner. Catherine presented paperwork showing she was authorized to collect her.""
"What paperwork?""
"A temporary guardianship authorization.""
"That document is fraudulent!""
"We've realized that now. But she left approximately twenty minutes ago.""
Darius slammed his hand against the steering wheel.
"Where did she take my daughter?""
"We don't know. She said she was taking Maya somewhere safe.""
"Did Maya want to go?""
The principal hesitated.
"She was crying.""
Darius's voice broke.
"Did she ask for me?""
"Yes, sir.""
He ended the call.
For several seconds, the only sound in the car was the engine.
Then he whispered, "She asked for me, Mom.""
I reached across the console and held his hand.
"We're going to find her.""
"She was already terrified of being left alone. And now someone has taken her.""
His eyes filled.
I remembered Claire's final weeks. I remembered how Darius had promised her that nothing would ever happen to their daughter.
Now he was driving through the city, afraid he might never see Maya again.
When we reached the school, two police officers were waiting outside.
Principal Harris hurried toward us.
"Mr. Cole?""
Darius barely acknowledged her.
"Where's my daughter?""
"We've contacted the authorities. Catherine signed the collection register at 12:14 p.m.""
"Who authorized it?""
"She showed us a document with your signature.""
Darius held up his phone.
"That's a forgery. I never signed anything.""
The principal looked devastated.
"I understand.""
"Did nobody think to call me?""
"She told us you were in surgery and that the matter was urgent.""
Darius stared at her.
"Then you call the hospital. You call me twice. You call the police. You don't hand over a seven-year-old because someone waves a piece of paper.""
The principal lowered her eyes.
One of the officers approached.
"Sir, we need to establish whether there's an immediate custody threat.""
"She's my daughter. Her stepmother shaved her head yesterday, and now her step-grandmother has taken her using fraudulent paperwork.""
The officer exchanged a look with his partner.
"Can you show us evidence?""
Darius opened his phone.
He showed them the messages, the photographs of the forged documents, and the communications between Vanessa and Catherine.
The officer's expression changed.
"All right. We'll treat this as an urgent missing-child investigation.""
Then he asked a question that made my blood run cold.
"Does the child have any medical conditions or particular vulnerabilities we should know about?""
Darius shook his head.
"She's healthy. But she's frightened of Catherine.""
"Why?""
"Because Catherine has repeatedly told her that her mother is dead and nobody will protect her if she doesn't behave.""
The officer wrote something down.
"Does Catherine have access to your home?""
"No. But she knows our routines.""
That was when Margaret called.
I answered immediately.
"Evelyn, have you found Maya?""
"No. We're at the school. The police are here.""
Margaret spoke quickly.
"I just received a message from an unknown number. It's a photograph of Maya.""
My knees weakened.
"Where is she?""
"I don't know. But she's sitting in a car.""
"Send it to me.""
A moment later, the photograph appeared.
Maya was in the back seat of a black SUV.
She was still wearing her pink cardigan. Her new purple headband was missing.
Her eyes were swollen.
She was holding something against her chest.
I enlarged the photograph.
It was her broken silver tiara.
There was a message beneath it.
*Tell Darius to stop looking. Maya is safe with family.*
Darius read it over my shoulder.
"Who sent this?""
Margaret answered.
"The number belongs to a prepaid phone. But there's something strange in the background.""
She zoomed in.
A blue sign was visible through the car window.
It read:
*LAKEVIEW RESIDENCES — PRIVATE ENTRANCE.*
Darius recognized it.
"That's Catherine's old property.""
The officer immediately requested the address.
But Richard called before we could leave.
"I've spoken with the police," he said.
"Do not approach the property yourselves. They need to verify the location and make sure Maya isn't moved again.""
Darius paced the parking lot.
"I can't just sit here!""
"You're not sitting anywhere," Richard replied.
"You're helping us establish who has legal authority over the child. You have full parental responsibility. Catherine has none.""
Darius stopped.
"Then why did the school believe her?""
"Because someone gave her convincing documents. We need to find out where they came from.""
The officer received a radio message.
He listened.
Then he turned toward Darius.
"We have a possible location.""
Darius stepped forward.
"Where?""
"An unoccupied property registered to a company connected to Catherine.""
He paused.
"We're sending officers there now.""
Darius looked at me.
I had never seen such fear in his eyes.
"Mom, what if she thinks I've abandoned her?""
I held his face between my hands.
"She knows you love her.""
"What if she doesn't?""
"Then you tell her a thousand times when we bring her home.""
His phone rang again.
Unknown number.
He answered immediately.
"Where is my daughter?""
A woman's voice came through.
Vanessa.
"You're making a terrible mistake, Darius.""
"Where is Maya?""
"She's safe.""
"Put her on the phone.""
"Not until you listen.""
Darius closed his eyes.
"Vanessa, I swear to God—"
"Your daughter has been manipulating you for months. Catherine is trying to help her.""
"By taking her?""
"By giving her structure.""
"She is seven!""
Vanessa's voice became colder.
"You need to stop treating her like Claire's property.""
Darius went silent.
Then he spoke slowly.
"Claire was her mother. And I am her father. You are neither.""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before marrying me.""
"Put Maya on the phone.""
A faint sound came through the speaker.
A little girl's voice.
"Daddy?""
Darius nearly dropped the phone.
"Maya! Baby, where are you?""
"Daddy, I want to come home.""
Vanessa interrupted.
"That's enough.""
The call ended.
Darius stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
It contained a photograph of a document.
A document with Darius's signature.
And beneath it was a sentence that made his entire body stiffen.
*If you want your daughter back, sign the transfer agreement before five o'clock.*
The agreement transferred control of Maya's inheritance to a private trust administrator.
One associated with Colebridge Holdings.
Darius looked at Richard.
"Now we know what they want.""
May you like
Richard nodded grimly.
"And now we know why they took her.""
