She opened a conversation he had never known existed.
And what he saw there explained why she had been afraid to speak.
PART 2
The conversation on Emma’s phone was not between her and a stranger.
It was between my mother and Caleb.
I read the messages twice because my mind refused to accept what I was seeing.
Mom: She won’t leave unless she gets scared enough.
Caleb: What if he comes home?
Mom: He won’t. I checked his schedule.
My stomach turned.
I kept scrolling.
There were messages from six weeks earlier.
My mother had been telling Caleb exactly when I would be working late.
Exactly when Emma would be alone.
Exactly when she planned to come to the house.
And then I found the message that made my hands go cold.
