Thirty

I shifted in the chair. The interview room hadn’t changed since the last time I was there. The detectives had separated my mom and me. They listened to my story and then went to talk to her.

On the drive over, the news on the radio had been full of the revelation that Judge Bonnet hadn’t ponied up the ransom money. Paige had gotten her way. Sometime during the night, the police had released more snippets from the “diary.” I had to hand it to her—she laid it on thick, talking about how she just wanted to come home safe and how betrayed she felt. Their family lawyer issued a statement that the Bonnets hadn’t believed that the ransom request was from the actual abductors, just someone trying to con them. They came across as heartless, which was pretty much Paige’s goal, so I suspected she was happy. Or would be when she finally heard. I felt bad for her mom and dad. They likely had no idea what they’d spawned.

I checked the time on my phone. Another minute had ticked past. If Paige hadn’t already put on the zip ties, then she would soon. She’d be sitting on the dirt floor, waiting to be found. I couldn’t escape the sensation that we were running out of time. If she had to wait too long, who knew what she might do. It wasn’t like she was the most stable person in this equation.

Detectives Jay and Chan finally bustled back into the room. “Let’s go over it again.”

I scootched forward in my seat. “I don’t have anything else to tell you.” I bit back that I’d all but drawn them a map. All they had to do was go out and pick her up. Cue the media for her dramatic coming home photos. Jay glanced over to the two-way mirror.

I was suddenly positive that Paige was sitting in the other room. She’d found some way to blame the whole thing on me. Or maybe Ryan and me together. My mouth went dry. Who were the cops going to believe—me or a judge’s daughter? My glance slid to the side to catch my reflection. I pictured Paige, her family around her in a protective circle, patting her shoulder, all watching me. Letting me squirm. Adrenaline flooded my system.

I started picking at my thumbnail and then made myself sit on my hand to stop. They would be watching me. I’d seen enough TV cop shows to know this room was wired for sound and video. Blotchy hives bloomed on my neck and chest.

Chan leaned forward on the balls of his feet. “What makes you so sure Paige is fine?” Detective Chan asked, picking up from where he’d left off earlier.

I made myself take a deep breath before I went off script. “I don’t know,” I said. “It’s just a sense that I have. She’s alone, but she’s not harmed.”

“What I don’t understand is how you and your mom saw so many of the same things.”

“What do you mean?”

“You both saw water. You mentioned a farm; your mom thought she saw some kind of field. But how do you explain that your mom’s vision is different in one big way? You say she’s fine; your mom isn’t so sure.” Detective Chan raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know the spirits were so unreliable.”

Detective Jay cleared his throat, sending Chan the message to turn the sarcasm down.

“I can’t explain what I do, or my mom. All I can tell you is what I feel. And all that really matters is finding Paige.” I realized I was picking at the ragged edge of my thumbnail again and made myself stop.

“We’ve got a car headed out to check a few leads based on what the two of you said. If she’s there, we’ll find her,” Jay said.

“Or we’ll waste a bunch of time and resources chasing after messages from the great beyond,” Chan said quietly.

Jay glared at him, and Chan shrugged. Detective Jay pushed up from the table. “Look, why don’t you wait here? We’ll know soon enough if she’s out there. And if not, we’ll want to talk to you more, see if we can think of any other ideas based on what you saw.”

Chan mumbled something under his breath. I couldn’t make it out, but I wasn’t interested in asking him to repeat it. My insides were already pinched and tight without adding to my stress levels by knowing what he really thought of me. Jay brought me a glass of water and left the door open when he walked out. I peered down the hall into the lobby.

It was empty this early in the morning. I couldn’t see her from this angle, but the receptionist had a super-long manicure, and her nails clacked on the keyboard. It reminded me of the sound of beetles scuttling around.

I stood and then sat again. Needing something to do, I tossed the cold water back quickly, like it was a shot of tequila. I looked at my phone again to check the time—well, that had killed all of thirty seconds.

What were the odds that my mom would have a vision about Paige on this day of all days? She didn’t know anything. Water? We lived in Michigan. You couldn’t go a mile without stumbling across a river, pond, lake, or puddle. Water could also mean a bathtub or a pool. It was a rural area, so farms and fields were also useless data. Her vision would only sound correct when they looked back on it once the truth was out.

The phone at the reception desk started erupting with calls. A few officers bustled in and out of the back, and I heard raised voices from somewhere down the hall. Something had happened. I heard Officer Chan’s voice.

“Someone get the Thorn woman from interview room three and put her in with her daughter.”

I stood up straight. They’d found Paige.