Taking the stairs two at a time, I race to the second floor, throwing open doors, calling her name with increasing desperation. The master bedroom is empty, bed still made. Eli’s old office sits untouched, dust covering the surfaces. Bathroom empty.
Back downstairs, I stand in the foyer, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. The blood on the floor. The empty house. Lila, gone.
“Fuck,” I whisper, my mind racing through possibilities. Did she leave on her own? No. Not without telling me. Not with her books still here. Not with blood on the floor.
My stomach drops as the most obvious answer hits me. Eli. But he’s in jail. He can’t have taken her. Unless...
My hands shake as I pull out my phone, scrolling to Dillian’s number. He picks up on the second ring.
“Anthony? What’s up, man?”
“Lila’s gone,” I say, my voice tight with fear. “I left her at the house for twenty minutes to get more boxes, and when I came back, there’s blood on the floor and she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Shit.” Dillian’s voice changes instantly, all casual friendliness gone. “I’m on my way. Where are you?”
“Her old house. The one she shared with Eli.” I pace the foyer, eyes locked on that small bloodstain. “I think he tookher, Dillian. I know he’s supposed to be in jail, but I can’t think of who else would—”
“Stay put,” Dillian cuts me off. “I’m bringing backup. I’ll call it in officially, get local PD there too. Don’t touch anything. Could be a crime scene.”
“Hurry,” is all I can say before hanging up.
My next call is to Jonathan. Unlike Dillian, he’s not a cop, but he’s the most level-headed person I know, and right now, I need that. He answers immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, no greeting, no preamble.
“Lila’s been taken,” I tell him, the words burning my throat. “I think Eli has her. I need your help.”
“Where are you?” His voice is calm, focused.
“Her old house. Dillian’s on his way with police.” I run a hand through my hair, my whole body vibrating with adrenaline and fear. “Jonathan, there’s blood.”
“I’m on my way,” he says. “Twenty minutes. Don’t do anything stupid before I get there.”
“I won’t,” I promise, though every fiber of my being wants to tear out of this house and hunt Eli down myself. “Just hurry.”
After hanging up, I stand in the foyer, staring at that small smear of blood. Her blood. The thought of Eli putting his hands on her again makes something dark and violent rise inside me. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to calm the rage threatening to consume me. I need to think clearly. I need to be smart about this.
I dial Cainen’s number next. If anyone can find electronic breadcrumbs, it’s him.
“I’m in the middle of something,” he answers, voice clipped.
“Drop it,” I command. “Lila’s been taken. I need you to get into the police database, the court system, anywhere you can. Find out if Eli Fischer has been released from jail.”
I would normally have Dillian do this to avoid Cainen’s exposure, but Dillian is on his way to me right now. Cainen knows I wouldn’t ask him to do this unless it was necessary.
There’s a brief pause, then the sound of typing. “Give me two minutes.”
While I wait, I walk carefully around the foyer, looking for any other clues. The front door wasn’t broken. She must have opened it, thinking it was me. Or someone had a key. The blood is a small amount, not enough to suggest a fatal injury. Maybe she fought back. The thought gives me a flicker of hope. My Lila is a fighter.
“Anthony.” Cainen’s voice pulls me back to the phone. “Eli Fischer posted bond six weeks ago.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. “What? That’s impossible. Lila would have been notified. She’s the victim, she would have been told he was out.”
“Checking notification system now,” Cainen says, more typing sounds in the background. “There’s a flag on his file. All notifications regarding his case were turned off or routed. Lila’s phone and email were removed from the notifications list.”
“Routed where?” I demand.
“Working on it.” More typing. “It’s a dummy account. Someone with access to the system redirected her notifications and removed her information.”
