Caleb didn’t argue. Not yet.
They sat in silence for a moment in the quiet house, every sound amplified. The tick of the clock. The hum of the refrigerator. Ordinary things that felt wrong now.
“I wanted to ask you about people from her past,” Caleb said finally. “Friends. High school, maybe. Anyone she stayed in touch with.”
Her father leaned back, exhaling slowly. “Most of them moved away. College, jobs, families.” He frowned, thinking. “Mia was always focused. She kept a small circle.”
“Anyone local?”
“A few,” he said. “She didn’t have much time for friends. School, work, studying.” He hesitated. “Roy. Though he is a couple of years older. And Dana Weston. They weren’t friends exactly.”
“Anyone else?” he asked.
Her father shook his head. “If there is, I can’t think of them.” His voice cracked. “If I missed something…”
“You didn’t,” Caleb said quickly. “None of this is on you.”
Her father looked at him. “You’ll find her?”
Caleb didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
As he stepped outside, the late afternoon air felt sharp. The trust Mia’s father had placed in Roy sat heavy on his chest.
It didn’t feel wrong.
That was the problem.
CHAPTER 46
Mia rubbedher hands together and cupped them to her face. She blew out a breath hoping to warm them, but no such luck. A tremor ran through her. Her fingers felt stiff, clumsy, like they didn’t belong to her anymore. She pressed her ear to the seam anyway, listening for anything—noise, a voice, a whisper of help.
Nothing.
Just silence.
A faint warm breeze leaked through the seam, barely enough to notice. If she had to be grateful for something, it was that she was in Florida. The air was warmer than it should have been. Still not warm enough. If she were up north and this were winter, this metal coffin would’ve been a freezer. A slower death than whatever this was.
She was also grateful for the small amount of disgusting water she’d managed to lick from the condensation along the seam. It was foul and metallic, but it was something. Air and water would keep her alive. Barely. Long enough, she hoped for Caleb to find her.
And he would.
She knew that with all her heart. Caleb didn’t quit. He didn’t give up. He wouldn’t stop until he found her. She clung to that.
Still, believing didn’t make the cold bite less. It didn’t make the metal digging into her back any softer. It didn’t stop the tremors that rattled her body no matter how tightly she curled in on herself.
She pictured her father, the way he always pretended everything was fine when it wasn’t.
Mia wondered how her father was and if he was worried. Silly. Of course, he was worried. God, he must be frantic by now.
Then her thoughts drifted to Roy. How he stood between her and Dana. The fear in his eyes when he realized too late what she was capable of. Had he even known Dana was going to kill her? How did he ever connect with her? He wasn’t Dana’s type. He had to know she was using him.
Her chest tightened. She’d been irritated with him. Short-tempered. But Roy hadn’t been cruel. Just lonely. He wanted only to be wanted by somebody. It would never have been her. But there must have been someone, once.
If her father learned Roy had been involved, he’d be devastated. They’d trusted him. Invited him in and given him chances he hadn’t earned.
Still, Roy hadn’t been the mastermind. He wasn’t smart enough, vicious enough. How had Dana convinced him to help her?
And Dana?
