My mother heard him. “Tell Andrew not to overreact.” I ended the call.

For one moment, neither of us moved. Then Andrew opened his laptop. “I’m finding flights.”

Chapter 6 — Fourteen Hours

I called my grandmother. Evelyn Harper lived twenty minutes from my parents. She was eighty-one, independent, sharp-minded, and more capable before breakfast than most people managed to be all day.

She answered on the first ring. “My girl.”

“Grandma, I need you to go to Mom’s house.” Her voice shifted at once. “What happened?”

“They went to South Padre. They left Mia there alone.” Silence. Then, very slowly, “Alone?”