Martin sat down, rubbing his temples. “Even if… and that is a massive ‘if’… what are you suggesting? That Emma has been living as someone else for two years? That someone found her and didn’t report it? That’s a felony.”
“Or maybe someone found her and couldn’t identify her?” Edward countered. “The girl, Lily, she was with an older woman. What if Emma had amnesia after the crash? What if this woman found her and took her in, never knowing who she really was?”
Martin’s silence spoke volumes. He was humoring a friend he believed was suffering from a trauma-induced obsession.
Edward opened a wall safe behind a landscape painting and pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was a broken silver star pendant—Emma’s favorite necklace, recovered from the wreckage of the car.
“I’m going back to that yard,” Edward said with quiet resolve. “Every day if I have to, until I find her again.”
“And then what?” Martin asked. “You can’t just accuse someone of kidnapping your missing daughter without proof. You need to let the police handle this.”
Edward’s laugh was hollow. “The same police who stopped looking after three weeks? Who told me to move on? No. I need to see her face-to-face. I need to know.”
Dawn found Edward parked near the entrance of Miller’s Auto Salvage. Beside him sat a small cooler with bottled water and sandwiches. The morning mist was just beginning to lift when the yard owner arrived to open the gates.
“Morning,” Edward called out, approaching with practiced ease. “Mind if I look around? I’m looking for some specific parts for a restoration project.”
The grizzled owner sized up Edward’s expensive coat and his steady gaze. “Fifty bucks for a scouting pass. Find what you need, we’ll talk price later.”
Edward handed over a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change. I might be back a few times this week.”
The man pocketed the cash without comment, gesturing toward the labyrinth of discarded vehicles. Edward waited until the man retreated to his office before beginning his real search.
For three hours, he wandered the maze of paths between crushed sedans and stacked engine blocks, seeing no sign of Lily. Eventually, he left the food and water near the spot where the black sedan had been. He attached a simple note: “Thank you for saving my life. I’d like to help you, too, if you’ll let me. I’ll be back tomorrow. —Edward.”
He returned the next day. The food was gone, but there was no sign of the girl. He left more supplies and another note. On the third day, he found a small paper crane folded from his previous note sitting on top of the cooler. Progress.
By the fifth day, his patience was rewarded. As he approached the meeting spot, a small figure darted between two stacked cars, watching him from a distance.
“Lily,” he called out softly. “I just want to talk.”
The girl remained half-hidden, cautious as a stray cat, but she didn’t run.
“You’ve been leaving the food,” she said, her voice clear despite her obvious wariness.
Edward nodded, keeping his distance. “I wanted to thank you properly.”
“Are you feeling better?” she asked, edging forward slightly.
In the clear morning light, the resemblance to Emma was even more staggering. The same thoughtful eyes, the same determined chin, the same crescent scar.
“Much better, thanks to you,” he replied, keeping his voice steady. “You disappeared before I could say thank you. I want to make it up to you.”
Lily shrugged, a flash of shyness crossing her face. “I didn’t do it for money.”
“I know,” Edward smiled. “That makes it even more special. Most adults would have walked away. You didn’t.”
His trained eye noted the details he’d missed in the fog and darkness of their first meeting. Her clothes were clean but worn thin. Her shoes were at least a size too small, the laces double-knotted to keep them on. Despite the obvious poverty, there was a dignity in the way she carried herself.
“My grandma says we shouldn’t expect rewards for doing the right thing,” Lily said, lifting her chin slightly.
“Your grandma sounds like a wise woman,” Edward replied. “I’d like to meet her sometime.”
The wariness returned to Lily’s expression. “Why?”
“To thank her for raising such a brave girl,” he said truthfully, then added, “And maybe to see if there’s a way I can help you both, the way you helped me.”
Lily took another step forward, studying his face. “Are you really Edward Harrison?”
