Chapter 2 - My Message Never Reached Luca

I waited until after midnight.

That was my first mistake.

My second was believing Luca controlled everything that happened inside his own house.

At 12:18 a.m., I sent him one message.

I need to speak to you alone. It concerns someone inside this house.

No names.

No photograph.

Nothing I would regret if someone else saw it.

Luca did not answer.

That was unusual.

He was attending a dinner in Brooklyn.

He checked his phone constantly.

At 12:41, my message showed delivered.

At 12:43—

it disappeared from the thread.

I stared at the screen.

I had not deleted it.

I immediately picked up Mia.

Her baby shampoo still smelled faintly in her hair.

“Quiet game.”

Her face changed.

We had played it before during thunderstorms.

But she knew my real quiet game voice.

I opened the linen cupboard beside my bedroom.

Towels.

Blankets.

Enough room behind them for a three-year-old.

I put the yellow duck in her arms.

“Stay here.”

“Are you coming?”

The question nearly undid me.

“I'll be right outside.”

A sound came from downstairs.

Not loud.

A door closing.

Then footsteps.

Two people.

I pushed towels around Mia.

“Don't come out until I say.”

“Okay.”

I closed the cupboard.

At 1:47 a.m., the lights went out.

My bedroom door opened less than ten seconds later.

Two men entered.

Neither wore masks.

That frightened me.

People hide their faces when they expect you to describe them later.

One grabbed my arms.

The other pressed a hand over my mouth.

I did not fight.

Not because I was brave.

Because Mia was six feet away.

They dragged me toward the hallway.

Then the second man whispered:

“Check the kid’s room after.”

My body went cold.

The first man said:

“After we move her.”

Move.

Not kill.

Maybe.

Then the linen cupboard creaked behind us.

I closed my eyes.

“MOMMY!”

The man holding me turned.

Mia stood in the doorway.

Sunglasses gone.

Hair messy.

Yellow duck clutched against her chest.

One of the men stepped toward her.

I screamed.

Then a third voice came from the dark hallway.

Very quiet.

“Take another step.”

Everybody stopped.

The man beside Mia slowly turned.

So did I.

Someone stood at the far end of the corridor.

I could not see his face.

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Only a white shirt.

And something dark staining it.