“There’s this guy. He’s a little older than me. I met him through a mutual friend.” Bringing her hand to her mouth, she chewed on the fingernail of her index finger. It tasted like nail polish. “He was really cool. He told me he really liked me. That I was pretty. He made me feel special.”

“That sounds nice,” Dr. Carter said.

Bruises against pale skin. Dark purple, yellow around the edges.

She tugged on the edge of her sleeve.

“It was,” she said, “at first.”

“What changed?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It’s like he was so sweet at first, always saying nice things and wanting to be with me. But then he just kinda started pushing me away.”

“How so?”

“Well, like I got this haircut a few weeks ago and he told me he liked it better before,” she said. “And sometimes he talks about how hot other girls are right in front of me like I’m not even there. But the worst is when he physically pushes me away.”

“What do you mean?”

“One night we were hanging out with friends, smoking and drinking, and I leaned in to kiss him, but he shoved me back, turning his head away.” Whitney picked at the skin around her fingernails. “Everyone saw. It was so embarrassing. I asked him about it, but he said I was acting stupid that night and he wasn’t in the mood.”

“Is that the only time he’s treated you like that?”

“No.”

“Then why do you keep seeing him?”

“I’m in love with him.”

She could see the switch in his eyes then. From concern and pity to determination. He wanted to rescue her.

It was the same look her dad gave her when she’d pressed her palm into the frying pan.

And it’s what she had been counting on.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Dan,” she said now.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just want you to finally do the right thing for once in your goddam life and find Amelia.”

“Okay.” She swallowed hard. “I will.”

In order to keep her promise to Dan, she could no longer sit around. He thought he knew the truth, but he didn’t. Not all of it, anyway. And by telling the police what he did, he only made things harder. More convoluted. She had no choice but to take matters into her own hands. They weren’t here in this apartment.

She had to go back to the last place she’d seen her daughter.

Back to the place she’d left her.

25

I NEVER LIKED MITCH. Never trusted him.

But it wasn’t until Millie started dating him that I realized just how dangerous he was. Despite his promise, he did hit her again.

“You’re gonna leave him now, right?” I asked, reminding her of the conversation we’d had after the first punch to the face.