Chapter 5 - The Missing Mother
The next morning, Sarah sat across from Detective Marcus Reed in a small interview room at the police station.
Lily’s old phone rested inside an evidence bag between them.
Most of the recordings were short. Some contained silence, footsteps, or arguments from another room. Others captured Grant blaming Lily for his anger while Evelyn encouraged him.
None included graphic evidence.
They did reveal a pattern of intimidation, control, and isolation.
More importantly, Evelyn mentioned Lily’s mother several times.
In one recording, Grant asked whether Grace had contacted the school.
Evelyn replied, “She cannot contact anyone from where she is.”
Lily had been told that Grace abandoned the family eleven months earlier.
Sarah searched missing-person records.
Grace Carter had never been reported missing.
Instead, Sarah found a traffic incident from the previous year. Grace’s car had been discovered abandoned near a bus terminal. Grant claimed she had left voluntarily after taking money from their joint account.
The case had not been investigated further because no crime was reported.
Detective Reed examined the bank records.
“The money was not withdrawn by Grace,” he said. “It was transferred online using Grant’s home computer.”
“Who received it?”
“A consulting company registered to Evelyn Mercer.”
They searched Evelyn’s name.
She had no criminal record, but she had used three different surnames over ten years. She had worked as a private caregiver, family assistant, and temporary school counselor in several states.
At each job, she entered families during moments of crisis.
Then financial problems followed.
A widow lost control of her property.
An elderly man changed his will.
A struggling father signed over access to his accounts.
None of the victims had connected the incidents.
Sarah opened Grace’s file again.
A note from a responding officer mentioned that Grace had recently asked a domestic support center for advice. The center could not release details without authorization, but they confirmed Grace had attended one appointment.
“She didn’t abandon Lily,” Sarah said.
Reed agreed.
They interviewed Lily later that afternoon with a child specialist present.
Lily sat on a couch holding a stuffed rabbit given to her by a hospital nurse.
“When did you last see your mother?” the specialist asked.
“The morning Evelyn came.”
“What happened?”
“Mom packed a bag.”
“Did she say she was leaving?”
Lily shook her head.
“She said we were going to Aunt Claire’s house. She told me to put on my shoes.”
“What happened next?”
“Evelyn came into the kitchen. Daddy got angry. Evelyn told me to go upstairs.”
“Did you see your mother again?”
“No.”
Lily looked at Sarah.
“But I heard her voice two weeks later.”
Sarah leaned forward.
May you like
“Where?”
“Under the floor.”
