She walked out of the kitchen, leaving Grant alone with his drink.

I stared at the green screen, my mind racing through the files of my old case.

Hector Vance had a younger sister who had disappeared from Mexico right before the federal raid.

Her name on the birth registry was Vanessa.

The pieces of the puzzle began to slam into place with terrifying speed.

This wasn’t just about Grant’s greed.

This was a trap designed to draw me back.

And Lily was the bait.

Suddenly, the screen on my tablet flashed with a new, high-priority alert.

It was an incoming video stream from the hidden pinhole camera I had left in Lily’s bedroom closet months ago.

The screen split, showing a small, darkened room.

A tiny figure was sitting on the edge of a twin bed, her knees pulled to her chest.

Lily.

She was staring at the door of her room, her eyes wide with terror.

The door handle began to turn slowly.

My breath caught in my throat.

I leaned closer to the monitor, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.