“We are pulling the traffic camera feeds now,” Marcus said. “Where would they go without money?”

“They know where Lily is,” I said, my voice trembling for the first time. “They heard me say she was safe.”

“The St. Jude therapeutic academy,” Marcus said, his voice turning urgent. “The early morning session starts in fifteen minutes.”

“Call the academy,” I said, running back toward my SUV parked in the driveway. “Tell them to lock the doors.”

“I am calling them now,” Marcus said. “But the administrative staff might not be there yet.”

I jumped into the driver’s seat of my SUV, threw it into reverse, and tore down the driveway.

The tires screamed against the asphalt as I swung the vehicle onto the main road.

The headlights cut through the falling snow, illuminating the empty suburban streets.

“Marcus, what’s the status?” I demanded, pushing the vehicle to seventy miles per hour.

“The school line is busy,” Marcus said. “I am trying the director’s personal cell phone.”

“Keep trying,” I said. “I am five minutes away.”

My dashboard screen suddenly flashed with an incoming call from an restricted number.