Chapter 2 - THE TEN-MINUTE PLAN
The police separated everyone.
Rachel.
Lucas.
Elaine.
Tessa.
Guests.
The first truth came from Tessa.
She had seen Lucas carrying Maisie behind the house.
Maisie was screaming.
Elaine followed.
Tessa followed too because she thought Lucas was putting Maisie in the backyard to calm down.
Then she saw him lower the toddler into the dumpster onto flattened cardboard.
Not garbage.
No glass.
No food waste.
Only construction packaging.
Still dangerous.
Still terrifying.
Elaine closed the lid.
Tessa said:
“What are you doing?”
Elaine answered:
“Nothing you need to understand.”
Then Lucas told Tessa:
“Go inside.”
She did.
Why?
Because Tessa had spent her entire life obeying Elaine.
Five minutes later, a catering van passed through the alley.
Tessa did not see what happened after that.
Lucas did.
Or thought he did.
His plan was simple.
Maisie would be in the dumpster for less than two minutes.
A man named Grant Mercer would arrive through the service alley, lift her out, place her in the rear seat of his SUV, and take her to a rented house fifteen miles away.
Then, one hour later, Lucas would “discover” Maisie had disappeared.
Police would be called.
The story would begin.
Except Rachel started looking too early.
And Grant never sent the confirmation text.
Lucas checked his phone again.
Nothing.
Police detective Hannah Cole asked:
“Who is Grant Mercer?”
Lucas closed his eyes.
“A private investigator.”
Rachel nearly lunged across the room.
“You hired a man to TAKE OUR CHILD?”
Lucas whispered:
May you like
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
That sentence became the first lie he could no longer maintain.
