“She’ll be safe with me.”

“Thank you, Evelyn,” I said, laying my hand on Lily’s soft hair.

The phone on the Formica kitchen island started ringing with a high, pulsing satellite tone.

The little display lit up green, showing an international country code tied to a marine satellite line assigned to a cruise ship.

Officer Bell came back to the kitchen doorway and stood silently next to the pantry.

I went to the table, reached over, and pushed the round speaker button on the base.