Chapter 7 - THE RABBIT POCKET
At midnight, a pediatric nurse brought Mia a stuffed rabbit from the hospital donation closet.
Mia held it for three seconds, then shook her head.
“I have one.”
“Where?” Julia asked.
“In my backpack.”
Security had recovered the backpack from the emergency entrance.
Inside were socks, a cracked plastic cup, two diapers, a granola bar, and an old gray rabbit missing one eye.
Mia hugged it immediately.
“My dad got him at the fair.”
The rabbit’s belly had been sewn twice.
Leah noticed the newest stitches were bright blue.
“Did your mom fix him?”
Mia nodded.
“Yesterday morning.”
Leah looked at her.
“Before she went to the pharmacy?”
“Yes.”
Something about the timing bothered her.
“Mia, did your mom put anything inside the rabbit?”
The child frowned.
“I don’t know.”
With Mia’s permission, Julia carefully opened three loose stitches.
A folded strip of paper slid out.
Leah unfolded it.
One line was written in Erin’s handwriting.
ROSA - UNIT 214 - IF TRAVIS FINDS THE ORIGINALS, GO TO DANA PRICE.
Dana Price.
The detective currently searching for Erin.
When Dana arrived, she read the note twice.
“I’ve never met your mother.”
“Then why would she know your name?” Leah asked.
Dana looked unsettled.
“I handled a domestic assault case involving Travis eight years ago.”
Mia was listening.
Dana lowered her voice.
“The victim dropped the complaint.”
“Who?”
“His former girlfriend.”
Leah stared at the words UNIT 214.
“Storage unit?”
“That’s my guess.”
Dana called the storage facilities within five miles of Erin’s neighborhood.
The fourth one had a Unit 214 rented to Rosa Alvarez.
Mia sat straight up.
“Mrs. Alvarez.”
Dana grabbed her coat.
Before she left, Mia called after her.
“Detective?”
May you like
Dana turned.
“My mom said Mrs. Alvarez knows what Uncle Travis did to the other little boy.”
