My mind immediately jumped to the only logical answer: she had left school with Ryan; that’s why he wasn’t answering his phone. But what was the specific purpose? Of course: they were looking for Ryan’s biological father.

I decided not to mention it to Officer Montgomery, not yet. Not until I located Ryan first. The truth would disrupt all our lives. It’d put a spotlight on Ryan, which was the last thing he needed right now. And God forbid Grant find out like this. No, I couldn’t bring Ryan’s past into this. There had to be another way to find Willow without sacrificing my son.

“Thank you for your time and help,” I said flatly.

“Try not to worry. We have a lot of missing child cases and almost all of them get resolved within a couple hours. Kids tend to wander off, get into mischief.” She grinned at Grant, adding, “It happens quite a bit, even with perfect kids.” She turned back to me. “If you don’t see or hear from her by dinnertime, call me on my cell. We’ll find her. Okay, Mrs. Thompson?” Her hand rested on mine in a silent promise to bring Willow home. I wanted to believe that promise, but I couldn’t.

Down at Grant’s feet Collette began to squirm and squawk, her face wrinkling with irritation. Grant sensed I was a powder keg about to explode.

“All right. We appreciate it, Officer Montgomery,” he said, rising to his feet. “You’ll hear from us one way or another this evening.”

I picked up the car seat while dangling a toy in front of Collette. She only cried louder as she strained against her confinement. I hurried down the corridor past open cubicles, faces turning at the sound of my baby’s earsplitting shrieks. Grant silently speed-walked behind me. He knew better than to speak. Never mess with a mom on a mission—or one dealing with a fussy baby.

As we slid into the car, my phone rang. An unknown local number. I picked it up before the second ring.

“Hello?” I said, my voice trembling.

“I have your daughter,” a man said. And in that cold, eternal moment, every mother’s worst fear stabbed me in the heart.

Chapter 22

Lily

THURSDAY

I couldn’t tell if it was real or a dream, the pounding in my head. The thrum thrum thrum quickening, throbbing against my skull as it intensified.

“Lily, please open up!” a tinny voice commanded.

It sounded distant, like someone screaming from the depths of outer space. I felt myself being sucked into a black hole . . .

And then my eyelids fluttered open.

“Lily, it’s me, Mackenzie. Please, it’s urgent!”