Ramirez did not want Ruth driving anywhere.<\/p>\n
That became clear before I had even finished telling her about the brass key. She asked me to put the call on speaker, then made Ruth repeat exactly what she remembered about the old house, the crawlspace, and Sadie\u2019s strange remark about there being \u201ctwo places.\u201d Ruth answered from my kitchen table with both hands wrapped around her handbag, her knuckles whitening each time Ramirez asked another question.<\/p>\n
The house stood on Birch Avenue, twelve minutes from us and perhaps four minutes from where police had found Kurt\u2019s truck. Ruth had sold the property the previous spring after moving into a smaller apartment. The new owner, she explained, was a widowed nurse named Mr. Daniels who worked nights twice a week. Ruth had retained no legal access after the sale, but the little brass key Sadie had given Emma was an old copy Ruth had once kept beneath a ceramic flowerpot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould that key still open anything?\u201d Ramirez asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe back porch door, maybe,\u201d Ruth said. \u201cUnless Mr. Daniels changed the lock.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the crawlspace?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo lock. There\u2019s a wooden panel underneath the porch. You pull two nails and it swings out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez was silent for half a second.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not go there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s head snapped up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need you both to hear me. Kurt\u2019s vehicle was found nearby, and we do not currently know where he is. You remain inside until an officer arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward the dark front windows.<\/p>\n
The house suddenly felt too exposed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he dangerous?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have enough concern that I don\u2019t want civilians looking for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before hanging up, Ramirez told us a patrol car would stay near my house. Another unit was already checking Ruth\u2019s former address.<\/p>\n
Emma stood halfway up the stairs, pretending she had not heard every word.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Kurt coming here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said automatically.<\/p>\n
Ruth looked at me.<\/p>\n
I corrected myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma came down slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows where we live.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stopped me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe brought Sadie here yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course he did.<\/p>\n
The white truck at the curb.<\/p>\n
Kurt behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
I had stood in the window and watched him watching my house.<\/p>\n
My first instinct was to close every curtain. My second was to feel ridiculous for thinking curtains mattered.<\/p>\n
Ruth rose and helped me check the locks instead.<\/p>\n
Emma followed us from room to room.<\/p>\n
By the time a marked police cruiser pulled into the street twenty minutes later, every door was bolted and every blind shut.<\/p>\n
The officer who came inside introduced himself as Sergeant Caldwell. He did not seem alarmed, which helped until I realized his calmness was probably practiced.<\/p>\n
He asked Ruth about the property again.<\/p>\n
Then he asked Emma to show him the brass key.<\/p>\n
She placed it carefully in his gloved palm.<\/p>\n
Caldwell photographed it but returned it.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestigator Ramirez wants this left with Mrs. Bell for the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not take it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we don\u2019t yet know whether it\u2019s evidence or simply an old house key.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer made sense.<\/p>\n
Nothing else did.<\/p>\n
At nine twenty, Caldwell\u2019s radio crackled.<\/p>\n
He stepped into the hallway.<\/p>\n
Ruth and I watched him listen.<\/p>\n
His expression barely changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked when he returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey checked the old residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo sign of Mr. Haley.\u201d<\/p>\n
It took me a second to understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cKurt\u2019s last name is Haley?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth nodded.<\/p>\n
I had never known it.<\/p>\n
Caldwell continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current homeowner isn\u2019t there. No obvious forced entry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe crawlspace?\u201d Ruth asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficers are checking the exterior.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen let us go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that house better than anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat may be useful later.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
For the first time since arriving, grief gave way to anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cLater is what we\u2019ve been doing with Sadie for a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell did not argue.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, his radio sounded again.<\/p>\n
This time he went outside.<\/p>\n
Through the narrow opening between the blinds, I watched him speak rapidly into his shoulder microphone.<\/p>\n
When he returned, he looked directly at Ruth.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bell, I need you to tell me exactly where that crawlspace opening is.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack side of the porch. The house has lattice around it. Third panel from the steps. There used to be a loose board behind the hydrangea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything stored inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOld gardening tools when I lived there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChristmas decorations. Mason jars. Some of my husband\u2019s things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould a child get inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell nodded once and stepped away again.<\/p>\n
Emma moved closer to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie went in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was not a question.<\/p>\n
Ruth looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me she had a hiding place that smelled like dirt and old paint.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth pressed a hand over her mouth.<\/p>\n
I felt the room tilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell anybody?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s eyes immediately filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know it was bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t do anything wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said it was where she went when Kurt yelled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth sat down hard.<\/p>\n
Emma kept speaking because now that the door had opened, the words were coming faster.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said Grandma Ruth\u2019s house was better because nobody looked under the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth made a small broken sound.<\/p>\n
I reached across the table and took her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe trusted that place,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sold it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI sold the one place she thought was safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth stared at the key.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe begged me not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence stopped everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew she didn\u2019t want you to sell it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she liked the backyard. She said she wanted the porch. Children say things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice hardened against herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told her houses cost money even when nobody lives in them. I thought she was sentimental.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell came back before either of us could answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found the crawlspace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth stood again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas anything inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn empty plastic storage bin. Some old newspapers. A blanket. A flashlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Sadie\u2019s hiding place.<\/p>\n
Caldwell continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd evidence that somebody was there recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFresh footprints in the soil.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdult?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became completely still.<\/p>\n
Caldwell\u2019s next words were measured.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe access panel was open when officers arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s fingers curled around the brass key.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma looked frightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was he looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
Then Ruth whispered, \u201cThe second place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie said there were two.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took out a notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bell, think carefully. Did Sadie ever mention another hiding place at your old house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA shed? Loose floorboard? Attic?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething buried?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s face went blank.<\/p>\n
Then she looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a jar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie buried a jar in my garden once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo summers ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called it a time capsule.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie likes time capsules.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth turned to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made one at school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did she bury that one?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell brought the conversation back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bell, where was the jar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the lilac bush beside the shed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould it be the second place?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
His radio sounded before he could answer.<\/p>\n
He listened.<\/p>\n
Then the calm drained from his face for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
He held up one hand.<\/p>\n
A voice crackled through the speaker, too distorted for me to understand.<\/p>\n
Caldwell responded with an address.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at Ruth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there a detached shed behind the property?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it have electricity?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny reason someone could enter without being seen from the street?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alley.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caldwell moved toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Ruth asked.<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe officers found the garden disturbed near the shed.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also found blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma gasped.<\/p>\n
Caldwell raised both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know whose it is. It could be old. It could be unrelated. Do not assume anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
But his own urgency betrayed him.<\/p>\n
He opened the door.<\/p>\n
Two officers were waiting outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped after him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergeant.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Kurt at that house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExpanding the search.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFar enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
He left.<\/p>\n
The front door shut.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, none of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then Emma said, \u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie told me something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every nerve in my body seemed to pull tight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if Kurt ever found the first place, he\u2019d know where the second one was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth slowly turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmma, please.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying again.<\/p>\n
I pulled her close.<\/p>\n
Ruth paced toward the window and back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat connects the crawlspace to the garden?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
I pictured a nine-year-old crawling beneath an old porch, hiding from shouting, perhaps staying there long enough to learn every crack and nail.<\/p>\n
A blanket.<\/p>\n
A flashlight.<\/p>\n
Old newspapers.<\/p>\n
Maybe the storage bin had once contained more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was stored under the porch?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Ruth stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Specifically. What boxes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChristmas things. Gardening supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband\u2019s workshop box.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOld screws. Labels. Twine. Chalk. Things he used around the yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChalk?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlue carpenter\u2019s chalk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma suddenly pulled away from me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlue?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadie draws blue arrows.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat blue arrows?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt school. Tiny ones. Under desks sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth gripped the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere do they point?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat places?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe places.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words landed heavily.<\/p>\n
Emma continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says if you\u2019re scared, follow blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s eyes closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband used to mark things in the yard with that chalk. Sadie watched him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need Ramirez.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s voice was suddenly urgent.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Kurt found the crawlspace, he would follow blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the garden?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo wherever Sadie wanted Grandma to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Emma froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat picture?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Sadie\u2019s backpack.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat picture?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guinea pig drawing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered it.<\/p>\n
Waffles drawn in crayon.<\/p>\n
I had seen it while searching for the phone number.<\/p>\n
Emma was pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t Waffles\u2019s cage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Waffles\u2019s cage is red.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the drawing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth stared at me.<\/p>\n
A hidden phone number.<\/p>\n
A key.<\/p>\n
A drawing.<\/p>\n
A path constructed by a child who did not trust adults to listen unless she made them follow the pieces themselves.<\/p>\n
I called Ramirez.<\/p>\n
She answered immediately.<\/p>\n
I told her about the blue arrows.<\/p>\n
The drawing.<\/p>\n
The blue cage.<\/p>\n
The idea of safe places.<\/p>\n
There was a pause.<\/p>\n
Then Ramirez said, \u201cWe still have the backpack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the guinea pig drawing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paper moved at her end.<\/p>\n
A minute passed.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
\u201cRamirez?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you see?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA blue rectangle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the cage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her voice had changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s writing under the crayon.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n
She read it slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWEST LOCKER. BUS STATION.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Ramirez was already issuing orders to somebody beside her.<\/p>\n
I gripped the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat bus station?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old county terminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it still open?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPartially.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s in the locker?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then another voice came through Ramirez\u2019s phone.<\/p>\n
Urgent.<\/p>\n
Male.<\/p>\n
Too distant to understand.<\/p>\n
Ramirez stopped speaking to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I heard her ask.<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
Then, \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
Ramirez returned to the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just located Kurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hand tightened around the receiver.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSecurity cameras picked him up twenty-six minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the county bus terminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez did not want Ruth driving anywhere. That became clear before I had even finished telling her about the brass key. She asked me to put the call on speaker, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12644"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12672,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12644\/revisions\/12672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}