my mother still had when she vanished.
Whatever they had done to her, they knew where she was.
Jett unlocked his office and pulled up the security footage without another word.
“She didn’t even notice.”
We watched the couple finish their meal. At first, nothing seemed unusual beyond the man’s constant glances at his phone. Then the woman reached into her purse, searching for something. As she withdrew her hand, a small object caught briefly on the clasp.
My mother’s ring dropped onto the seat.
It rolled into the narrow gap between the cushion and the wall, disappearing from view.
“She didn’t even notice,” Jett murmured.
A minute later, the man’s phone lit up. He answered, listened, and went rigid. Whatever he heard drained the color from his face. He turned the screen toward the woman.
“They weren’t running from the check.”
Her hand flew to her mouth.
They stood
