17. Ella

17

ELLA

W ith the boys at work and a morning full of playing inside the house, I take Lily to a nearby park. She's set up in the oversized sandbox, sharing her set of shovels with the little boy beside her.

I smile at the young mother, and we sit on nearby benches to watch them play. The day is beautifully sunny—bright blue skies and small, puffy clouds like the scenes in a children's storybook. Lily's tiny little pigtails are held up with oversized pink bows. Her garbled conversation with her playmate is sweet and constant as they dig holes beside each other.

Her giggle is the sweetest thing in my ears. I can't understand how flippant Vanessa is about her own daughter—neglectful and selfish. I would think that her ego would be at least mildly stroked by the way Lily looks like her. Most moms enjoy dressing up their little girls like mini versions of themselves before the novelty wears off.

Lily doesn't even cry through the night. She only wants a little attention and cuddles before she settles down to sleep. Playing with her is easy, too. If I haven't seen it again and again with the parents I nannied for, I wouldn't think it possible to be so disassociated from one's own child.

Did anyone ever check Vanessa for postpartum depression? It could have pinged off her usually self-absorbed nature to keep her from becoming attached to her daughter since it hinders the bonding experience. I get how much harder it can be when postpartum plays a role. The signs are there in Lily, although her communication is on par. Her attachment to Marcus, the fitful interactions with the slew of nannies he hired before me, how fussy she can get, it all connects.

Maybe I'm giving Vanessa too much of the benefit of the doubt, especially after her behavior this morning. How much I gathered from her rantings and the guys' comments about her indiscretions and infidelity says I may be way off. She's not a good person in general.

Lily is lucky to have Marcus, even if he seems to beat himself up over how much time he has to spend at his job. At least he's tried to find her a loving nanny—and succeeded with me, thank you very much—and he doesn't leave her any more than he needs to. Plus, he's in charge of the fire house and ensuring that all of his men are safe. So, it's not like he's working long hours to make more money. He's got a purpose, and that's hard to give up, hard to balance with being a single father.

I lean my head back and bask in the sunshine for a few minutes before I focus on Lily again. She might not be running yet, but I'm always nervous about taking my eyes off her for longer than a few minutes.

It's hard with the way a cool breeze caresses my cheeks, balancing the heat of the sun on my skin. The combination creates the perfect atmosphere for an early afternoon nap.

Lily's burbles accompany her slowed-down movements. I lift her out of the sandbox, dusting off her bottom before placing her in her stroller. I leave the shovel with the other child and pack up her other toys. Given that Marcus has the manor and the ability to pay me three times my usual salary, I don't think we will miss the shovel.

Smiling at the other mother, I decide to take Lily around the park to help her fall asleep. But after a few steps, my phone blares.

My screen flashes with an AMBER Alert.

Missing abducted child, Sarah Baker, F-5, last seen at Montgomery Grocery at 11.25a.m.

I swipe the message open as I hear the alert blaring like a wave through the park. Panic and tension swell across the parents, and my chest tightens at the thought of the missing little girl.

Montgomery Grocery is only a few minutes' walk from here, and I scan the park for anything suspicious. Peeking at the minimal details on the alert, it says she was last seen with an older gentleman in a fishing hat and vest.

I scan the park again, looking for any sign of them. I'm always so diligent, so paranoid when I'm caring for kids.

There's an older guy hovering at the edge of the park, far enough from the other parents and the way they are clutching their children. He doesn't check his phone, and he doesn't have a fishing vest on, but he is wearing a ballcap low over his eyes.

Something about this guy sets off my every warning bell.

I push Lily around the outside of the park with slow, even steps and dial Marcus.

"Ella. What's wrong? Is Lily okay?" The sharp worry in his voice makes me appreciate him just a little more.

"Lily's fine. We're at the park. Listen." I lower my voice a little, even though I'm more than far enough away from the man I'm suspicious of. "I got the AMBER alert about the missing five-year-old, and there's a guy that is pinging my every instinct here at the park. Can you send someone this way to check him out?"

"What park?" His tone grows serious and business-like. Deep and gruff.

"The small children's park right down the street from Montgomery's Grocery." I pause my stride to brush some stray curls from my face and use the excuse to clock the guy again. "I don't see the child, and his clothes don't match the description, but I'm telling you, something is up with this guy."

"Give me his description."

I shake my head, clearing it before I gather my wits. "Six feet tall, white male. In his late fifties, early sixties. Dark baseball cap pulled low over his face. Scruffy face, but no beard or mustache. He's wearing dark jeans and a white T-shirt with a dark blue overshirt, unbuttoned down the chest. Dark sneakers, no laces."

"Good God, woman. You're spectacularly observant, you know that?"

I will appreciate his awe in me later. "Is someone en route? No sirens. I don't want you to spook him before you can check him out."

"Yes, ma'am. Stay on the phone with me. Our unit is heading toward you now. Keep Lily safe." He relays the information, then he's back on with me. "You still have an eye on him?"

"I do. I'm slowly walking his way, along the outer perimeter. And you should know better. I will always keep Lily safe." The closer I get to the suspicious man, the more my heart races. Adrenaline and fear war with each other as I try to keep my gait slow and nonchalant.

The man shifts, glancing around with a bit more nerves than seems normal, furthering my skepticism of him. When I'm a few feet from him, I ask Marcus, "How far away are you?"

"We're close. A couple of blocks." The wind from the truck muffles his voice, but the rumbling of the wheels gives me a bit of calm.

"Hurry. He's acting squirrely, like he's about to bolt." I drop my gaze as I pass him, turning around and dropping onto a nearby bench with a huff. Grabbing the front of Lily's stroller, I coo at her, messing with her blanket and stealing glances at the man.

The other parents seem too calm when nothing happens around us. It disturbs me how quickly people can move on when someone else is in danger. So long as it's not their loved one, they don't want to dwell on the negatives. I can't stand for it. I always feel the need to do something, to deal out justice, to save others from the pains I've seen so many go through.

This guy is not going to get away.

When he shifts his stance from foot to foot, I stand again, shaking my hair out and jutting out my chest. He barely glances. The few other dads around the park look, and that solidifies it for me. This guy is not interested in grown women. He has to be the one who took that child. Where did he stash the child?

Glancing around the small, wooded area, I'm sure a five-year-old would be wailing by now if they weren't incapacitated. God, worry drops stones in my gut as I think about that poor little girl.

This idyllic little spot is perfect for this kind of thing. No one would suspect. Everyone's in their own bubble. None of them have likely experienced any grief even close to what Sarah's parents must be going through.

"What is keeping you?" I ask Marcus, who's been silent on the other end of the phone.

"We're coming, hitting every damn light on the way without the siren."

"Well, hurry up. I've got a bad feeling about this."

I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and make another lap around the park, faster this time without looking rushed. I continue to coo at Lily, trying to make it look like I'm soothing her before heading home. But she's already asleep in her stroller, oblivious to the drama unfolding in my chest.

When I'm twenty feet away, the man makes eye contact with me. I look down as quickly as I can, pretending that all is fine with the day when I honestly just want to light him on fire.. Shit .

He turns and walks in the opposite direction, not too quickly as to not attract attention. He's too slippery, and I'm afraid I may have provoked him.

Damn this to hell , I mutter to myself. Get your ass here fast, Marcu s.