Chapter 3
Mark knew he needed to call the police immediately, but a paralyzing fear held his thumb hovering over the keypad of his phone. If he involved the authorities right away, it might trigger protocols that would frighten the children even more. Yet, staring at Sarah's abandoned cell phone and recalling Louis's fragmented story, he realized he had no other choice. He dialed 911, his voice tight and controlled as he explained that his wife was missing under strange circumstances.
While waiting for the local sheriff’s deputy to arrive, Mark busied himself with caring for his children. He stripped off Louis’s damp, stained shirt, replacing it with a clean, oversized t-shirt from her bedroom drawer. He heated a bottle of formula for the baby, pacing the hardwood floors of the living room as the infant fed hungrily. Every shadow outside the front window looked like a returning figure, but the street remained empty.
A sharp knock at the front door broke the heavy silence. Mark hurried to answer it, finding Deputy Miller standing on the porch. The deputy was a familiar face in their quiet community—a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a calm demeanor that usually brought comfort. Today, however, his expression was entirely serious as he stepped into the foyer.
"Mark, dispatch told me your wife walked off without her shoes," Deputy Miller said, pulling out a small notebook and a pen. "Let's walk through what happened from the very beginning."
Mark recounted everything, from finding the spilled milk and shattered bowl in the kitchen to Louis’s heartbreaking statement about the phone call. Deputy Miller listened intently, nodding slowly and writing down key details. When Mark mentioned the restricted number on Sarah's phone, the deputy asked to examine the device, sliding it carefully into an evidence bag.
"Kids see and hear a lot more than we give them credit for," Deputy Miller noted, glancing toward the living room where Louis sat quietly wrapped in her blanket. "Mind if I talk to her for a moment? Real gentle-like."
"Of course," Mark agreed, leading the deputy into the living room.
Deputy Miller crouched down to Louis's eye level, offering a reassuring smile. "Hey there, Louis. I know you've had a really scary afternoon. I'm Deputy Miller, and I'm a friend of your dad's. We just want to find your mom and make sure she's okay. Did you notice anything else unusual before she left? Did a car pull into the driveway?"
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Louis shook her head slowly, her eyes fixed on the deputy's badge. "No cars. She just ran past the garden. But... she dropped something near the old shed."
Mark and the deputy exchanged sharp, worried glances.
