Chương 6
"But I brought you somewhere I thought was safe."
The honesty made Mara uncomfortable.
She preferred when adults pretended everything was under control.
At least then she knew what to believe.
"Are we going home?"
Elena looked at her.
"Yes."
The answer came quickly.
No hesitation.
No calculation.
Just yes.
For some reason, that made Mara feel better.
They did not leave immediately.
Daniel insisted they wait until he confirmed transportation and spoke with the proper people.
Elena did not like waiting.
Mara knew because her mother kept checking the time on her phone even though the screen was dark.
"You always do that," Mara said.
"What?"
"Look at your phone when you're worried."
Elena looked down at it.
"I do?"
"Yes."
A small smile appeared.
"I guess I do."
It disappeared almost immediately.
"Your father used to tap his fingers when he was nervous."
Mara looked at her.
She had not expected that.
Elena rarely mentioned him.
"What happened to that?"
Elena stared at the street.
"Some habits stay."
The answer was not enough to satisfy Mara.
But she knew better than to push.
A few minutes later, Daniel returned.
His expression was different.
More serious.
"I need to tell you something before we leave."
Elena straightened.
"What?"
"The company owner has denied knowing anything about the schedule change."
Mara frowned.
"Didn't he do it?"
Daniel looked at her.
"I don't know."
She noticed he never gave easy answers.
That was both annoying and comforting.
"Then why does it matter?"
"Because someone changed records using his company account."
"So he is responsible."
Daniel paused.
"Maybe legally."
The distinction confused her.
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is what can be proven."
Mara looked back at the banquet hall.
Through the glass doors, she could see people cleaning the ballroom.
The event was over.
The evidence of what happened was already disappearing.
Tables were being cleared.
Glasses were being washed.
The room where she had stood terrified was becoming just another room again.
"People are going to forget," she said.
Daniel followed her gaze.
"Some will."
"Then what happens?"
Daniel looked at the building.
"We make sure the right people don't."
It was the closest thing to a promise he had made.
But it still was not a guarantee.
The ride home was quiet.
Elena sat in the back with Mara while Daniel's driver followed the city streets.
The apartment building looked smaller than usual when they arrived.
The hallway light on their floor flickered.
The neighbor's television played loudly through the wall.
A normal night.
Almost.
Inside their apartment, Elena immediately checked the locks.
Then she checked them again.
Mara noticed.
She did not say anything.
Her mother made tea but forgot to drink it.
The kettle sat beside her untouched.
Daniel remained near the door.
He did not seem comfortable inside their small apartment, but he did not seem uncomfortable because of the size.
He looked uncomfortable because he had seen something he could not fix quickly.
Elena looked up.
"With who?"
"Someone who can review what happened."
"Government?"
"Not exactly."
Elena nodded slowly.
Mara sat at the kitchen table and stared at her math worksheet from earlier.
The numbers looked strange now.
Like they belonged to a different life.
Daniel noticed the paper.
"You were doing homework before all this?"
Mara shrugged.
"Math doesn't care if your day is bad."
For a moment, Daniel smiled.
A real one.
"That might be the most honest thing I've heard tonight."
Elena almost smiled too.
Then her phone buzzed.
The sound changed the room instantly.
Everyone looked at it.
Elena picked it up.
Her face tightened.
"What is it?" Mara asked.
Elena did not answer.
She turned the phone toward Daniel.
A message had been sent from an unknown number.
It contained only one sentence.
Stop looking for answers if you want to keep your daughter safe.
Mara read the message twice because the first time her brain refused to accept the words.
The second time made them worse.
Elena took the phone from Daniel's hand and stared at the screen.
Her face had gone completely still.
That frightened Mara more than panic would have.
Her mother was not someone who froze easily.
She was someone who cleaned when she was upset, cooked when she was upset, organized drawers that did not need organizing when she was upset.
Stillness meant something had reached a place where there was nothing left to do.
"Who sent it?" Daniel asked.
Elena looked at the number.
"Unknown."
"Did you receive any other messages?"
"No."
"Calls?"
"No."
Daniel held out his hand.
"May I?"
Elena gave him the phone.
He looked at the message details, then at the screen again.
Mara watched him carefully.
"What?"
Daniel looked up.
"Nothing yet."
"That's not true."
His eyes moved toward her.
"You are right."
He handed the phone back to Elena.
"There is not enough information."
Mara frowned.
"That sounds like the same thing."
A small breath escaped Daniel.
Not quite a laugh.
"Maybe."
He sat down at the kitchen table for the first time since arriving.
The apartment suddenly felt too small for four people and one terrible message.
Elena stood near the counter.
"We should stop."
Daniel looked at her.
"What?"
"Whatever this is."
Her voice was low.
"We should stop looking."
Mara turned toward her.
"Mom."
Elena ignored the interruption.
"My daughter has already been dragged into this once."
Daniel did not argue immediately.
That surprised Mara.
He looked at Elena like he understood why she was saying it.
"I know you are scared."
"Of course I am."
"I would be worried if you weren't."
Elena folded her arms.
"But?"
Daniel looked at the phone.
"But whoever sent that message knows enough about your situation to contact you."
The room became quiet.
Mara felt the meaning before anyone explained it.
The person who sent the message was not guessing.
They knew.
"How?" she asked.
Nobody answered right away.
May you like
That made the question feel heavier.
Daniel looked at her.
