Everett flinched.
Claire watched him.
“You’re lying.”
“You think she’s Maya.”
“Then what?”
“Maya would be twenty-one.”
Claire exhaled.
Of course.
Her mind had been spinning so violently she had missed the obvious.
Junie was five.
Then Everett said, “But I think whoever took Maya may know your daughter.”
Claire removed the chain.
“Come inside.”
Everett entered cautiously.
Junie was standing halfway down the stairs in yellow pajamas.
When she saw him, her face brightened.
“Bear!”
Claire felt something inside her break.
Everett immediately stepped backward.
“Hey, kiddo.”
Junie descended.
“You found us.”
Claire knelt.
“Junie, come here.”
Junie obeyed.
Everett remained near the door.
Claire looked at him.
“My father knew Daniel Mercer.”
Everett went motionless.
“How?”
“He says he investigated him.”
“For what?”
Claire told him.
Not everything.
Not the part about Junie.
She couldn’t say that aloud yet.
Everett listened, face hardening.
When she finished, he asked, “Where is your father?”
“Arizona.”
“When did you last see him?”
“Christmas.”
Everett looked toward the window.
“Has he ever met Junie?”
“How often?”
Claire hesitated.
“Several times a year.”
Everett crouched.
Claire stiffened.
“Don’t.”
“I’m only asking one thing.”
Claire looked at her daughter.
“Okay.”
Everett pointed to the picture on his phone.
“Have you ever seen this man?”
Junie squinted.
Then shook her head.
Everett relaxed slightly.
Junie tapped the phone.
“But Maya has.”
His eyes snapped up.
“What does she say?”
Junie’s expression changed.
“She says he lied.”
“About what?”
Junie looked suddenly afraid.
Claire pulled her close.
“You don’t have to answer.”
Junie whispered, “About the water.”
Everett’s voice became barely audible.
“What about the water?”
“She didn’t go in.”
Claire and Everett stared at each other.
“He put her bag there.”
Everett’s jaw trembled.
“Where did he take her?”
Junie closed her eyes.
“To the white room.”
“What white room?”
“She hates it.”
Everett leaned forward.
“What happened there?”
Junie began crying.
Claire stood instantly.
“That’s enough.”
Everett backed away.
“You’re right.”
Claire carried Junie upstairs.
Ten minutes later, she returned.
Everett stood in the kitchen looking at the old photograph of Franklin and Daniel.
He pointed.
“That’s your father?”
Everett stared harder.
“I know him.”
Claire’s heart sank.
“From where?”
Everett zoomed in on the photograph.
“He came to my house.”
“When?”
“After Maya disappeared.”
Claire gripped the table.
“He said he worked for the insurance company handling my missing-child policy.”
Claire stared at him.
“What missing-child policy?”
“My employer had one. Small benefit.”
Everett laughed bitterly.
“I never cared about the money.”
“Dad said he was investigating Daniel.”
“Maybe he was.”
Everett’s voice changed.
“But he never told me.”
Claire felt a coldness spread through her stomach.
“What did he tell you?”
“That Daniel passed a polygraph.”
“And?”
“That the most likely explanation was Maya fell into the river.”
Everett turned the photograph around.
“Your father convinced me to stop publicly accusing Daniel.”
Claire whispered, “No.”
“He said if I kept going, I could be sued.”
“He told me grief was making me irrational.”
Claire grabbed her phone.
Franklin did not answer.
She called again.
Voicemail.
Everett said, “Claire.”
She called a third time.
Still nothing.
Then Junie screamed upstairs.
They ran.