CHAPTER 5: THE MISSING CHILD
“Ava!”
Ethan pushed through the crowd.
Guests moved away from him, frightened by the fury in his voice.
He searched beneath tables, behind curtains, and near the stage.
There was no sign of his daughter.
Eleanor remained beside the display, watching him.
“You locked the doors,” Ethan said. “She is still inside.”
Bianca gave him a cold smile.
“Maybe she ran away because she was embarrassed.”
Ethan crossed the distance between them.
Bianca’s smile disappeared.
“Where is my daughter?”
“I don’t know.”
“You laughed while she cried. You threatened her father. Now she disappears during a blackout.”
“Are you accusing me?”
“I’m warning you.”
Dane stepped between them.
Ethan looked past him toward the security cameras.
“Show me the recordings.”
“There was a temporary failure.”
“All sixteen cameras failed at the same time?”
Dane did not answer.
A faint sound came from Ethan’s pocket.
His phone was ringing.
The caller ID showed Ava’s number.
He answered immediately.
“Ava?”
For three seconds, he heard only breathing.
Then his daughter whispered.
“Daddy, I’m in a small room.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Can you see anything?”
“A red light. And dresses.”
Ethan looked around the ballroom.
“Listen carefully. Do you know who brought you there?”
Ava hesitated.
“The lady in red told me you needed me.”
Every face turned toward Bianca.
Bianca went pale.
“That is a lie.”
Ava continued speaking.
“She took the paper from me.”
“What paper?”
“The one Mr. Bell gave me.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Can you hear anything else?”
Ava became quiet.
Then she whispered, “There’s someone crying behind the wall.”
Ethan’s eyes opened.
“Another child?”
“I don’t know.”
A man’s voice suddenly came through the phone.
“Your daughter is safe for now.”
Ethan recognized the voice.
He had heard it during his childhood.
At baseball games.
At family dinners.
At his father’s funeral without a body.
Conrad Vale.
The billionaire patriarch who had not been seen in public for almost a year.
May you like
“Come alone,” Conrad said. “Or Ava learns why Samuel Mercer really disappeared.”
The call ended.
