My heart pounded violently. “And Emily?” I whispered. “Where is my daughter?” Marcus’s voice softened slightly. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. But there’s one more thing.” He pulled out a small plastic evidence bag. Inside was Emily’s hospital wristband. My hands flew to my mouth. “It was found on the passenger floorboard,” Marcus said.
“Meaning at some point, she may have made it to a medical facility… or someone wanted us to think she did.” Tears spilled down my face. “Daniel was supposed to take her for nausea. She was sick…” Marcus nodded slowly. “That’s another concern. We contacted her pediatric records. Emily has no history of sudden illness.”
I felt dizzy. “Then why was she nauseous?” Marcus hesitated. “Sometimes nausea can be caused by poisoning.” The word hit me like ice. “No… no…” Marcus’s voice was firm. “We are investigating all possibilities. Mrs. Carter, I need you to think carefully.” He leaned closer. “Did Daniel seem afraid of anyone?”
Images flashed through my mind. Daniel trembling. His insistence I stay home. His panic. And suddenly… I realized something horrifying. He hadn’t been protecting Emily. He’d been trying to keep me out of whatever was about to happen. My voice broke. “Someone knew. Someone planned this.”
Marcus nodded grimly. “We found surveillance footage near the marina.” My heart stopped. “It shows Daniel’s car pulling in… and another vehicle following closely behind.” I stared at him, shaking. “Do you know who it was?” Marcus’s jaw tightened. “We’re working on identification.” Then he added quietly: “But Mrs. Carter… what we found next suggests this wasn’t random.”
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