Andrew’s blood ran cold. “So he was… kidnapping them?” “Pretty much,” the officer said grimly. “He was taking them across state lines. Their mom filed a missing persons report this morning. Your call just blew it wide open.”
Andrew blinked, the weight of it all finally hitting him. The girl with the tote was looking at him again. Not panicked now. Just… grateful. Exhausted, but safe. She gave a small, slow nod. Andrew returned it.
The motel parking lot had mostly emptied by the time the cruisers prepared to leave. Flashing lights still painted the cracked pavement, but the tension had melted into something quieter—something closer to relief.
Andrew stood beside his rattling Civic, arms crossed, trying to process everything. An officer approached him, a clipboard in one hand. “Just one more signature,” he said. “You’re clear to go after this.”