Page 39 of Veil of Silence

Search parties. Police cars. People coming and going through the house at all hours while Nora kept waiting for someone to tell them there had been a mistake.

That he’d just wandered off. That they’d found her brother playing in the woods.

Her stomach tightened. They’d waited ten years for answers. Ten agonizing years.

Nora glanced at the house, her thoughts churning and old memories trying desperately to surface. “I know this is going to sound weird, but would it be okay if I saw Preston’s room?”

Deputy Cross studied her. “I’ve already looked through everything.”

“I’d like to see for myself. If that’s okay.”

After a moment he nodded. “Just don’t touch anything.”

“I won’t.”

Shelby blinked at Nora. “Why do you want to see it?”

“I . . . I don’t know yet.” That was the truth. Something inside Nora had started tugging at her thoughts, and she wasn’t sure whether it was instinct, memories of Christian, or simply everything Jacob had done to her.

But her gut told her something was seriously wrong.

When Shelby headed inside, Nora followed.

Nora stopped in the living room, and her mind flashed back to yesterday. To Preston playing with his Matchbox car.

She prayed the boy was okay. Please, Lord . . . protect him.

Her chest tightened. She’d prayed that same prayer so many times over the years about Christian, and she’d tried to keep her faith strong despite the unanswered prayers. That was what faith was—believing in things you couldn’t see. Trusting God in impossible situations.

But she wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

“His room’s this way.” Shelby led Nora down the hall.

Preston’s bedroom door stood open. The bedspread had been pushed back, and a pillow lay on the floor.

Nora slowly stepped inside.

The room was decorated in dark blue and mustard yellow and accented with . . . cars, of course. A pile of clothes sat beside a small dresser. Sneakers were tucked beneath the desk.

She glanced around. “Is anything missing?”

Shelby frowned. “What?”

“If Preston left willingly—or if his dad picked him up—did he take anything with him?”

“I . . . I don’t know.”

Nora opened the closet and saw a small backpack hanging from a hook. “Would Preston usually take this if he stayed with his dad?”

Shelby stared at the backpack. “Probably.”

“Is there anything else he’d take?”

Shelby looked around the room as if she’d never seen it before. “His tablet. But it’s still here.”

Nora glanced at the nightstand. Sure enough, a blue tablet sat plugged into a charger.

“And his shoes,” Shelby whispered, nodding at the sneakers beneath the desk. Her breathing started to quicken again. “Nora, what are you saying?”