Since the blinds weren’t closed all the way, light from the back porch streamed in. Whitney was grateful for that as she made her way toward the hallway. It got darker when she rounded the corner, but her eyes had adjusted enough that she could still see a little bit. She studied the row of framed pictures on the wall as she passed them. Wedding, baby, family photos. No one that looked like Lauren.

It seemed unfathomable that they had anything to do with Amelia being missing. But the girls had definitely entered the house. Amelia had been here. Deep in her gut, Whitney knew this house held the answers. And she wasn’t leaving until she had them.

There was a bedroom to her left. The door was open, so she slipped inside.

A guest room. Empty. Clean. Bed made.

Across from it was a bathroom. Also, empty and clean. Smelled slightly of bleach and Windex. Little rose-shaped soaps sat out on the counter, still in their wrappers, reminding her of her childhood. Her mom had kept similar ones in her bathroom. Shaking off the nostalgia clinging to her, she returned to the hallway.

The next bedroom must’ve belonged to the elderly couple. Snores slipped through the door that was slightly ajar. Pressing her palm against it, Whitney pushed it open enough to fit her body through. In the dim moonlight, she scanned the walls. Her heart stopped at a figure standing across from her. She sucked in a breath before realizing it was her own reflection in a full-length mirror. The couple slept soundly in their bed, covers wrapped around their bodies. The woman was curled up in a fetal position facing the wall, while the man slept on his back, his head turned upward.

Whitney made her way to the woman’s side. On the nightstand was a wad of crumpled up tissues, a pair of reading glasses, a tattered mystery novel open to the last place she’d read.

There was an ornate chair in the corner, a dress strewn over the top. A dresser was pushed up against the wall.

Again, nothing out of the ordinary.

She headed into the adjoining bathroom. Scanned the vanity, peeked into the tub. The man let out a loud snore and Whitney flinched. Carefully, she backed out of the room, keeping her gaze trained on the couple as they slept in their bed.