Chapter 4 - A Locked Door on Mercer Street
A child-protection worker and police officer checked the address
identified through Lily’s school records. Daniel did not accompany them
inside.
The property was a converted boardinghouse on Mercer Street.
Unit 14 had a blue door.
Marlene Voss answered and claimed Lily was visiting relatives.
She offered no address.
She said Anna had asked her to care for the girl.
But she could not produce current contact information or clear
guardianship documents.
The officer documented the exchange.
Daniel received no confidential case details. He only learned that
authorities were trying to locate Lily.
Ethan was furious.
“You promised to help, not send people to scare her.”
Daniel sat at the kitchen table and let his son be angry.
“You’re right that she may be scared. I should have explained what I was
going to do.”
“Will they take her away?”
“I don’t know. I do know a locked door and a missing mother are not
things you should have to solve alone.”
Ethan cried then, quietly and with obvious embarrassment.
Daniel held him.
For the first time since Rebecca died, he understood that his son had
not been keeping a secret to escape his father.
May you like
He had been carrying one because he thought his father was too busy to
share it.
