Mr. Andrews, the last person on her list… Alyssa steeled herself because as of yet, the man couldn’t have shown any less interest in the fact that his daughter had disappeared. Like Mr. and Mrs. Otis, it was too much of an inconvenience to his social life to take it seriously. She dialed the number and listened to it ring. On the fourth one, a gruff voice answered.

‘Hello?’

‘Mr. Andrews?’

‘Yes. Who’s calling?’

‘Mr. Andrews, this is Detective Wyatt with the Albuquerque Police Department. As you’re aware, your daughter has been missing for the past six days.’ She intentionally changed her tone to sound more accusatory. ‘I just wanted to inform you she’s been found and has been taken to UNMH’s Trauma Center. Mr. Andrews, your daughter has been through a traumatic experience, and she’s going to need the support of both her parents. When can I expect you’ll arrive?’

Jersey’s dad cleared his throat, and Alyssa knew right away that he wouldn’t be returning for his daughter, and she was suddenly quite glad the man was an ocean away because as it was, she wanted to reach her hand through the phone and throttle him.

‘Well, I’m relieved she’s been found. Please tell her and her mother I’ll see them in two weeks when I return home.’

‘No.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I said, no, Mr. Andrews, I will not be your messenger girl. I don’t think you understand the extent of your daughter’s injuries, the hell she’s endured the past six days. Torture—’

‘Detective, there’s nothing I could do to help her heal any faster if I were there, so I really don’t see how my being there now or in two weeks will make much of a difference.’ His next words were muffled, which Alyssa assumed meant he’d covered the mouthpiece to speak to his new girlfriend. Her anger grew exponentially with every tick of the clock.

When he came back on the line, she cut him off before he could infuriate her any further. ‘Mr. Andrews, your being here, Jersey knowing you care enough to cut short a vacation to be here for her, that she is more important… those are the things that will be instrumental in assisting with your daughter’s healing.’

Several heartbeats of silence passed, and Alyssa began to hope she’d finally gotten through, only to be slammed back into reality once again.

‘I hardly see how my pacing and watching her heal will do anything other than make Jersey more nervous. No, I think it’s better if I follow my instincts here.’

‘You mean your selfishness. That’s fine, you do that, Mr. Andrews, but let me tell you something: you’re an even bigger ass than I expected you to be. I hope destroying that last bit of hope in your daughter that you care is worth whatever you’re doing.’

And then she jabbed her finger into the screen of her phone over and over as she ended the call.

When she was sure she wouldn’t take her anger out on undeserving individuals, Alyssa headed down the hall where she’d watched Cord disappear after finishing his calls. She found him standing in the doorway of the room labeled The Toybox, face ashen as the technicians moved about, measuring and cataloguing evidence. She knew him well enough to know he wasn’t just seeing the stomach-churning contents of the items openly displayed or the ones in the wardrobe that she couldn’t even fathom a use for.