“She told the guards she was going to brush the horses yesterday around four in the afternoon. No one’s seen her since. And I know for a fact she wasn’t brushing the horses. When she didn’t come down for dinner, Lois went upstairs to check on her and found both bedrooms empty.”

“What? She can’t have gone anywhere between the gates and the guards…”

“We’ve had men search the grounds, every cottage, for hours, Judge.” He drops his head guiltily. “The timing… I took the truck like I always do to get the supplies for the horses. It’s the only way I can think of that she’d have gotten off the property without being seen. I never checked the truck bed. I never do.”

“She’s gone?”

He nods. “I’m so sorry, Judge.”

“You’re sure you’ve searched everywhere?”

“I’m telling you she’s not here.”

Raul rushes out the front door, pulling his jacket on. He must have just gotten in. Where would she go? Solana? Georgie?

I dig my phone out of the briefcase and hand the case to Paolo. While it slowly comes back to life, I tell Paolo to let me know if anything changes at the house.

“Raul, get the car.” I dial Ezra. It’s early, but he answers, and I know I’ve woken him from the groggy sound of his voice. “Ezra.”

There’s a pause. He must hear the urgency in my tone. “What’s happened, Judge?”

“I need the contacts of the men stationed at Georgie’s and Solana’s houses.”

“I’ll send them to you now.”

“Thank you.” I disconnect as Raul pulls up and move as quickly as I am able into the car. “Head into town,” I tell him and dial the guards one at a time, but they both tell me Georgie and Solana’s houses are quiet and have been all night.

“Her condo,” I tell Raul and instruct the men to let me know as soon as they see Solana or Georgie. All the while, I’m trying to keep my mind from wandering to Vincent Douglas. To how he wanted to witness Mercedes’s punishment but was told he could not. I doubt he’d believe she would be punished, considering. And then he’d set off on his own to avenge his sister’s death once again.

Why would she run? Fear of what The Tribunal would do to her? I’d protect her. Doesn’t she know that? I wouldn’t let them touch her.

But it doesn’t matter. I need to find her before Douglas does. She ran, and she’s on her own. She’ll need money which she had a lot of stashed at the condo. It’s not there anymore, but she doesn’t know that, so that’s where she’d go. I’m sure of it.