“How did they take her?” Scott asked. It was the question we were all dying to know.

“They didn’t take her. Cults don’t usually kidnap people. People leave their families and lives to follow cults voluntarily.” Compassion filled his face. “I’m sorry.”

Scott jumped up from the table. “No way.” He shook his head rapidly. “Did she tell you that?”

“No, but Scott, it’s highly unlikely that anyone from the cult kidnapped her.” He kept his tone even.

Scott shook his head again. “Then, no, I’m not buying into your theory. I don’t care if that’s the way things normally work or how things usually go. There is not a chance that Kate left this family willingly. None.” He looked over at Abbi, making sure she was listening, and pointed to the stairs, where Kate had retreated to the guest bedroom after their interview. “Now you get back up there and figure out how they got her.”

Brian remained seated. His face was impassive, calm despite the anger radiating off Scott in his direction. “I’m sorry, Scott. I really am. I know this is hard to hear. It always is, but at some point you’re going to have to accept that you might not have known Kate as well as you thought you did.”

It’d been over two hours since Brian left, and Scott was still fuming over his suggestion that Kate had gone with Love International willingly. I had made up an excuse about being out of milk to get out of the house and away from all the tension. I chewed on my cheek while I walked down the dairy aisle at the grocery store, a nervous habit I hadn’t done in years, but it was hard not to be anxious when everyone was staring at you. People tried to act like they weren’t, but I felt their eyes drilling holes into my back as I shopped. Now I understood why Scott had driven forty-five minutes away to do his errands after Kate went missing.

It would be devastating for him if Kate had left on her own, but once he was over the initial hurt, this could be a good thing for us. If they hadn’t kidnapped her, maybe we didn’t have to be afraid of them coming back to get her or trying to hurt us. Maybe she’d been able to come and go as she pleased all along. But that wouldn’t explain her mangled body. There wasn’t any confusion over whether or not she’d been tortured. Everyone agreed on that. None of this made sense. I had wanted to take my time, but it was so uncomfortable being watched that I hurriedly threw milk and eggs into my cart and headed to self-checkout.

I stalled on the drive home, hoping the night shift had replaced the day shift. The questions didn’t stop until the day shift was gone, and I didn’t have any energy left for more questions. I was surprised to find Scott and Kate sitting on the couch when I walked through the door. Normally he would’ve jumped up to help me, even though I only had one bag, but he didn’t move from his spot.