Frank threw on his jacket and opened the door. The morning light was just beginning to break.
— “What’s the emergency? You’re going to break the door down.”
Standing there was a man in a dark suit, and behind him, a line of black SUVs was parked along the muddy road.
“Who are you people?”
Men in tactical gear stepped out of the vehicles, all of them looking like they meant business. A woman in her thirties, dressed in an expensive business suit that looked entirely out of place in the mud, stepped forward.
— “Good morning. We’re looking for a five-year-old girl, blonde hair. Have you seen her?”
— “She’s right here. She’s safe.”
Frank stepped aside, letting the woman into the cabin. She didn’t seem to care about the humble surroundings. When she saw Lily, she let out a sharp, almost forced laugh. Frank felt an immediate sense of unease. This woman didn’t look like a worried mother; she looked like someone who had just found a lost piece of jewelry.
Lily, seeing the woman, tried to crawl under the bed.
— “Sweetheart, what are you doing? It’s me! I was so worried about you,” the woman, whose name was Audrey, said, reaching for the girl.
But Lily’s face was a mask of pure terror. She clearly didn’t want to go to her.
— “She doesn’t seem too happy to see you,” Frank noted dryly. “Why is she trying to hide?”
Audrey ignored him, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
— “Lily, come here. Don’t be silly. Did this man scare you? Did he do something to you?”
Frank was stunned by how quickly she turned on him.
— “Now hold on a minute, lady. Don’t come into my home and start making accusations. I’m the one who pulled her out of the river. There are predators out there, and the water is freezing. If you’re her mother, I’ve got to wonder how you let her get lost in the first place.”
Audrey grabbed Lily’s arm and pulled her up.
— “You have no idea who you’re talking to. Lily is my stepdaughter, and I love her like my own. How dare you question me?” she snapped.
Frank didn’t flinch. He had dealt with tougher people than her.
— “I don’t care who you are,” Frank said calmly. “Show me some ID and proof that you’re her guardian. I’m not letting her go until I know she’s safe. And your hired muscle doesn’t scare me.”
Audrey’s face hardened. The mask of the grieving mother slipped away.
— “Don’t get in my way, old man. I’ll have you charged as a kidnapper. I’ll say you snatched her from our estate to try and get a ransom. Who do you think the police will believe? A man with your record or me?”
— “Lily can’t talk, but she can point…”
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