Chapter 17 - North Star

For twenty-six seconds Evelyn heard nothing but the blood pounding in her ears. Then Rachel's voice came over the police radio: “Child located. Moving her out.”

Evelyn bent forward, hands on her knees. Helen held her shoulders. An officer repeated the words because Evelyn seemed unable to absorb them.

Nora emerged from the ferry wrapped in a thermal blanket, supported by a medic. She blinked at the bright harbor lights, looking overwhelmed rather than triumphant. Her hair was shorter. Her cheeks were thin. But when she saw Evelyn behind the barricade, her whole face changed.

“Grandma?”

Evelyn waited until the medic nodded, then ran the last few steps. She dropped to her knees and opened her arms. Nora came to her slowly, as if afraid the world might vanish again, then clung so tightly Evelyn could barely breathe.

“I kept looking for the stars,” Nora murmured.

“And you found your way.”

“I thought you stopped looking.”

“Never.” Evelyn kissed her hair. “Not for one minute.”

Nora began to cry. Evelyn let her. She didn't ask for details or demand courage. She simply held her while the medic checked her breathing.

Charles was arrested in the engine room. Victor, who had helped officers reach Nora, surrendered. A recovered handgun was secured without shots being fired. Sloane gave a full statement about the transfers and threats.

Daniel arrived under police escort after investigators permitted a supervised identification. Nora saw him and turned away so quickly that Evelyn felt the little movement through her own arms.

“Do I have to talk to Daddy?” Nora asked.

“No,” Rachel said gently. “Not tonight.”

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Daniel stood on the far side of the dock, shattered. Evelyn had imagined this reunion hundreds of times. She had never imagined she would need to protect Nora from the very person who should have protected her first.

On the ambulance ride, Nora tucked her head into Evelyn's coat and whispered one more thing: “Grandma, there's something in my shoe. The man with the keys said never let Charles find it.”