Landon would be furious when he found out.

And Patricia would be worse.

My phone buzzed again in my hand.

It was the backup phone.

Another text message from the same unsaved number.

I held the screen up so Officer Miller could see it.

*Mother says you should try to pump some milk. Don’t let your supply dry up just because you’re resting.*

The sheer normalness of the text, sent while I was sitting in a hospital room with social services, made me want to scream.

They had no idea.

They thought I was still trapped in that dark house, quiet and obedient.

“Do not reply to that,” Officer Miller said.

“We want to preserve all communication exactly as it comes in.”

“I am going to call the precinct and have them dispatch a unit to your residence immediately.”

“We need to be there before the sister shows up.”

He stepped out of the room, his phone already at his ear.

Sarah Jenkins stayed behind, her expression gentle but serious.

“Marissa, do you have any family in the area?” she asked.