Sydney sat alone on the couch, staring out the window, a glass of white wine in her hand. It had started to rain only a few minutes ago. On the table in front of her were various case files and a large photo album. Julia had been rummaging through the book, looking for pictures for a family tree project. Her unfinished poster board was spread out on the dining room table.
The phone rang but Sydney didn't move. It would stop ringing, she supposed. She didn't get up. She didn't want to break her train of thought.
Under her bed were three large plastic tubs filled with letters and pictures and Julia's school papers and mementos and souvenirs. They compiled everything she wanted to give to Michael, all of Julia's sixteen years, and he had missed it. He had only seen her five times, well, no, six times if you counted his Polish rescue. It had been his decision, not hers. Se had gone along with his plan.
"I'm not ready to be her father!" he had shouted on her second birthday. "I can't be good to her!"
She hadn't even tried to make him understand what a good person he was, how good he could be if he tried. For some reason he didn't see what she did, and she somehow didn't have the heart to fight with him. She loved him too much, and maybe that was part of the problem.
She took another sip of wine, then set the glass on the table. Now wasn't the time to get overly confident, to let her guard slip. She was frightened that Julia would see her this way and lose her own nerve, which was so critically important.
She took the glass into the kitchen and left it on the counter, which was littered with mail. The phone rang again as she ran hot water over the dishes in the sink. She sighed and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello," said a very familiar voice.
Sydney's breath caught in her chest. "What do you want?"
"I know you think she's safe," Vaughn said. "And I'd like to tell you that's the truth. But I'm not very good at lying."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sydney demanded. "What have you done with her?"
"Nothing yet," Vaughn admitted. "But just know that you can move her wherever you want, but we'll still find her."
Sydney hung up the phone, shaking. She clutched the receiver for a moment as though it could prevent her from falling into the horrible darkness which threatened to eat her alive. Julia wasn't safe.