Chapter 3: The Name Behind the Investigation
The officer’s words stayed in the air long after he said them.
“For a missing person.””
I stared at him.
At first, my mind refused to connect the pieces.
Missing person.
Sarah’s house.
The bags in the pool.
My daughter locked away.
It all sounded like pieces from different nightmares that somehow ended up in the same place.
“What missing person?”” I asked.
The officer looked toward his partner before answering.
“We can discuss that at the station.””
“No.””
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
“My daughter was trapped in that house for three days. I found evidence that something happened there. You just told me the address is connected to a missing person case, and now you want me to leave?””
The officer studied me.
I could see he understood.
A father standing in front of him wasn’t just angry.
He was terrified.
“Mr. Carter,” he said calmly, “I’m not trying to hide anything from you. I’m telling you this because we need to handle the situation carefully.””
I looked back at Emily.
She was still wrapped in my jacket, holding the old phone tightly.
“Who is missing?””
The officer hesitated.
Then he answered.
“Jason Miller’s former business partner.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Jason’s business partner?””
“Yes.””
“When did he disappear?””
“Three weeks ago.””
Three weeks.
The same amount of time Jason had started spending more nights at Sarah’s house.
I felt a cold sensation move through me.
“What was his name?””
The officer looked down at his notes.
“Daniel Brooks.””
Emily suddenly moved.
Not much.
Just enough that I noticed.
Her face had changed.
“Emily?””
She looked at the officer.
“I know that name.””
The officer immediately focused on her.
“You do?””
She nodded slowly.
“Jason said it.””
My heart sank.
“When?””
“Before he took my phone.””
The officer stepped closer.
“Emily, can you tell me what you heard?””
She looked at me first.
I nodded.
“You’re safe.””
She swallowed.
“Jason was yelling at Mom.””
“When?””
“Thursday night.””
The officer took out a notebook.
“What did he say?””
Emily squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember.
“He said, ‘Daniel should have stayed quiet.’”
The officer stopped writing.
“What else?””
“He said… he said nobody was supposed to know what happened.””
A silence followed.
I looked at the officer.
He looked back at me.
Something had changed.
Before, this was a missing child situation.
Now it was something bigger.
Something darker.
The officer spoke quietly.
“Did your daughter mention seeing anything else?””
I answered before Emily could.
“She mentioned black bags in the pool.””
The officer’s expression hardened.
“We need to go back there.””
“No.””
I stepped forward.
“You’re not taking her back there.””
“We need evidence.””
“You can get evidence without bringing my daughter into that place.””
The officer nodded.
“You’re right.””
He looked at Emily.
“She won’t have to return.””
A second officer approached.
“We have a unit heading to the residence now.””
I watched them walk away.
For the first time since finding Emily, I allowed myself to breathe.
But relief never lasted long.
Not anymore.
Because there was one question I couldn’t escape.
Where was Sarah?
The police station smelled like coffee and old paper.
Emily sat in an interview room with a blanket around her shoulders.
A female officer named Detective Miller sat across from her.
She spoke softly.
No pressure.
No harsh questions.
Just patience.
I watched through the glass.
Every few seconds, Emily looked toward me.
Every time she did, I raised my hand slightly.
A reminder.
I’m here.
I’m not leaving.
After twenty minutes, Detective Miller came outside.
“She’s incredibly brave.””
I nodded.
“She’s ten.””
“I know.””
The detective looked down.
“That’s what makes this harder.””
“What did she tell you?””
She glanced through the glass.
“She confirmed Jason locked her in the enclosure.””
My jaw tightened.
“Did she say why?””
“She said Jason believed she had evidence.””
“The phone?””
“Yes.””
I looked at the old phone sitting on the table.
“What’s on it?””
“We’re working on getting access.””
“You don’t have the password?””
“No.””
I almost laughed.
“Then figure it out.””
Detective Miller didn’t react.
“I understand your frustration.””
“You don’t understand anything.””
My voice cracked.
“You didn’t find her.””
The detective went quiet.
I immediately regretted the words.
Not because they weren’t true.
Because they were coming from pain.
She nodded slowly.
“No. I didn’t.””
Then she looked at me.
“But I’m going to help make sure nobody does this to another child.””
That stopped me.
I looked away.
“Sorry.””
“You don’t have to apologize.””
She looked at the phone.
“Mr. Carter, there’s something else you should know.””
“What?””
“The missing person case involving Daniel Brooks wasn’t the only investigation connected to Jason.””
My stomach tightened.
“What else?””
“Financial crimes.””
I frowned.
“Jason isn’t rich.””
“No.””
She lowered her voice.
“But he had access to accounts he shouldn’t have.””
“Whose accounts?””
She didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said:
“Sarah’s.””
I felt numb.
“What are you saying?””
“We believe Jason may have been manipulating people financially.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t explain Emily.””
“No.””
Detective Miller looked toward the interview room.
“But it might explain why your ex-wife is missing.””
The word hit me.
Missing.
I had been so focused on what happened to Emily that I hadn’t allowed myself to consider it.
Sarah wasn’t answering.
Her house was abandoned.
Her boyfriend was connected to a missing person case.
And now police were telling me she might not just be hiding.
She might be gone.
A few minutes later, an officer rushed into the hallway.
“Detective Miller.””
She turned.
“What is it?””
The officer looked at me.
Then back at her.
“We found something.””
My body went tense.
“What?””
Detective Miller stepped closer.
“Mr. Carter, I need you to prepare yourself.””
I stood.
“Is it Sarah?””
She didn’t answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
“What did you find?””
The officer held up a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a necklace.
A silver necklace with a small heart-shaped pendant.
I knew it instantly.
Because I had given it to Sarah on our tenth anniversary.
My hands went cold.
“Where was that found?””
The officer looked at his notes.
“In the backyard.””
My eyes moved toward the direction of the evidence bag.
“The pool?””
He nodded.
“Near the black bags.””
Everything inside me froze.
“Did you open them?””
The officer’s face changed.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because they’re being treated as evidence.””
I stared at him.
“What’s inside?””
Nobody answered.
And somehow, that scared me more.
Three hours later, the police search of Sarah’s house was still ongoing.
Emily had fallen asleep in a chair at the station.
I sat beside her.
I watched her chest rise and fall.
Every time she moved, I looked up.
I couldn’t stop.
A part of me was still afraid that if I looked away, she would disappear again.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
“Hello?””
No response.
Just breathing.
“Who is this?””
A few seconds passed.
Then a whisper.
“David?””
I froze.
Nobody called me that except one person.
“Sarah?””
The line stayed silent.
“Sarah, where are you?””
A shaky breath.
Then:
“You need to listen to me.””
I stood up.
“Where are you?””
“Don’t trust Jason.””
“I know.””
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“You don’t understand.””
I looked around the station.
“Sarah, what happened?””
A pause.
Then she whispered:
“David… the bags in the pool…”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What about them?””
Her voice dropped.
“They’re not evidence of what Jason did.””
I frowned.
“Then what are they?””
The line went silent.
Then Sarah said something that made my entire body go still.
“They’re evidence of what I did.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Slowly, I lowered it.
And behind me, Emily opened her eyes.
“Dad?””
I turned.
She looked frightened.
“What did Mom say?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know how to tell my daughter that the woman she trusted might be the person we were looking for.
Then my phone buzzed again.
A message.
From Sarah.
May you like
One sentence.
*If you want the truth, come alone.*
