"I think it's a good idea," Sam said.

"You would," Brady said.

In the kitchen, Rae sighed, and Marisa almost smiled at their predictability. Brady and Sam seemed close enough to be siblings.

Rae cleaned her son's face with a washcloth. "Nate, the problem is, how do we guarantee he'll bring Ana? If he doesn't and something happens to him—"

"We'd never find her." The thought had Marisa's hands trembling. She set her mug down.

"I hadn't quite worked that out yet," Nate said. "I can't imagine how he'd leave her unattended."

"It's not like he's going for parent of the year," Rae said. "He could tie her up."

"Or lock her in a closet," Brady suggested.

Marisa stifled a sob, and Nate took her hand. He met her eyes. "I'm sure he's taking good care of her. Remember what Brady said? Most people, the vast majority of people, treat children with tenderness and care."

Yes, but Rick was a murderer. She swallowed and looked down. Nate was sweet to try to alleviate her fears, but she knew the truth. There was no way to know if Ana was being cared for, or if she was even still alive.

How could Marisa go on, never knowing the truth? Suddenly, the fields of bones in Mexico and the volunteers who combed through them made sense to her. God, please...

Rae settled in next to Brady, the baby over her shoulder. "Sorry, Marisa. We're just—"

"It's okay." She met Rae's eyes. "I understand."

Rae patted Johnny's back. "Chances are good we could set a trap for him. We could get him to tell us where Ana is."

"The cops could get the DA to reduce his sentence," Sam said.

"So he doesn't pay for Leslie's death?" Marisa slid her feet to the floor and sat up straighter. "He gets away with what he did?"

"Not completely," Sam said. "It's not like they'd set him free. And you'd get your daughter back."

Marisa would do anything, agree to anything, to get Ana back.

"We may not have another choice," Nate said. "This can't go on much longer."

Marisa turned to Nate. "Why don't we set a trap for him when we're supposed to make the exchange? He'd definitely have Ana with him."

"But we lose the element of surprise," Nate said. "He'll be expecting that. But if he came up here to see Jessica, he wouldn't be expecting us."

"It's a risk," Brady said.

Nate ran his hand over his curly hair. "Whatever we do, it's a risk. I've been round and round this same line of reasoning all night. There are no guarantees."

No guarantees. Marisa tried to imagine a scenario where Ana was returned to her, safe. Unscarred. She pictured setting a trap, somewhere near here. Pictured a trade. A thousand images, possible scenarios, flitted through her mind. But in not one of them did Ana emerge alive and healthy.

"You need to get the police involved," Brady said.