Chapter 14 - The Blue Door
The abandoned estate was not empty.
Investigators discovered fresh food, a child's blanket, and a collection of storybooks inside the red playhouse.
The little blue door led to a narrow storage room connected to an older service tunnel.
A child's voice echoed from somewhere beyond the wall.
Nathan called Lily's name while Torres checked the passage for hazards.
For one hopeful second he heard footsteps running toward them.
Then the sound stopped.
An electronic lock clicked on the far side.
Security officers traced the wiring to a power cabinet inside the estate.
When the door opened, they found a small room decorated to look like a nursery.
There were drawings on the walls and a toy horse beneath the window.
Lily was not there.
But Caroline Reed sat on the floor with bruised wrists and a split lip.
She said Marcus had moved Lily an hour earlier after receiving a warning that police were coming.
Caroline had tried to distract him, and he left her locked inside.
She handed Nathan a red ribbon Lily had tied around her wrist.
In the knot was a tiny folded scrap of paper.
Nathan unfolded it.
The handwriting was shaky, written by a child who had only recently learned to spell.
'I AM OK.'
Underneath were three carefully drawn stars.
Sarah began crying when she saw the message.
She knew what the stars meant.
When Lily was frightened, Sarah had taught her to draw three stars for the three promises they made every bedtime.
Stay together.
Tell the truth.
Find the light.
On the paper, Lily had drawn a fourth star.
Sarah stared at it.
'Four means she's not alone,' she whispered.
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'But whoever is helping her isn't Caroline.'
