Chapter 10 - The Woman at School

I got to the school in twelve minutes.

Officer Keller was already there.

The principal showed us security footage.

A woman in a baseball cap and oversized coat had entered the front office and said she was "Aunt Melissa."

The secretary asked for ID.

The woman claimed she'd left it in the car.

When the secretary checked Lily's emergency contacts and found no Melissa listed, the woman walked out.

Fast.

The camera never got a clear view of her face.

But Lily recognized the coat.

"Grandma's," she said.

Evelyn had violated the no-contact order less than twenty-four hours after it was issued.

Police found her at home.

She denied everything.

Then they found the baseball cap in her car.

Evelyn was arrested.

Taylor called me that night.

The court allowed supervised phone contact.

"Is Lily okay?"

"She's scared."

"I heard about Mom."

"Did you tell her where Lily goes to school?"

"She knows. She's picked her up a hundred times."

"Did you tell her our new temporary schedule?"

Taylor went quiet.

"Taylor."

"She called me yesterday."

"You weren't supposed to speak to her about Lily."

"I know."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing important."

"What did you tell her?"

Taylor started crying.

"I said Lily would be at school today."

I stood up so quickly my chair hit the wall.

"Why?"

"Mom said she just wanted to apologize."

"She put our daughter in a freezer."

"I know."

"No, Taylor. You keep saying that, but you keep acting like you don't."

She whispered, "I don't know how to stop being afraid of her."

That was the first honest thing she'd said in days.

I lowered my voice.

"Then start by telling the truth."

"About what?"

"Everything."

Long silence.

Then Taylor said, "There is a storage unit."

I closed my eyes.

"Of course there is."

"Mom rents it under my name."

"What's in it?"

"I don't know all of it."

"What do you know?"

Taylor took a shaky breath.

"Boxes from our house. Your mail. Copies of court papers. Photos."

"Anything else?"

"A red binder."

"What's in the binder?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Notes about Lily."

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"What kind of notes?"

"Things Mom was trying to make Lily say about you."