Chapter 4: The Marina Ledger

Detective Alvarez located records from a marina near Gwen’s former home. One weathered ledger showed that Gwen had taken a small boat out on the evening my family disappeared.

Beside her name, the attendant had written: “Four passengers. Two children.”

They had reached Gwen’s house. She had lied from the beginning.

The same night, a sudden coastal squall had produced dangerous waves. Gwen sold her home three weeks later and moved across the country under her married name. Clara’s car had been placed on the river bridge before dawn by someone who knew which roads were unmonitored.

Alvarez found Gwen in an assisted-living community in Arizona. She was ninety, frail, and still mentally alert.

I wanted to fly there immediately, but my doctor refused to clear me. Instead, I sat beside Daniel during a video interview while Alvarez entered Gwen’s room.

When Gwen saw my face on the screen, she covered her mouth.

“Andrew,” she whispered.

“Where are my children?” I asked.

Her shoulders shook. “Matthew is gone,” she said. “Clara too. But Emily survived.” Continue Reading ⬇️