Page 36 of The Kidnapped

“What color were they?”

“Blue. And the characters were all birds.”

“Okay. Now, did she play in her room that morning or go to yours?”

“She played in her room. When I went to get her, she was coloring.”

“Crayons or markers?”

“God, no. She wasn’t allowed markers unless I was in the room. The walls would’ve been covered by the time I got in there.”

“What color crayon was she using when you got there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t look.”

“Yes, you did. You would’ve walked in, looked for her, and she was on the bed or on the floor.”

“Floor. She was on the floor.”

“And what color crayon did she have in her hand?”

Raleigh squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember the crayon.

“She would have said something to you, right? Like, ‘Look, Mommy. I colored…’ ”

“The dinosaur,” Raleigh replied, opening her eyes. “It was green. Dark-green. It was everywhere.”

“Good,” Dylan said, smiling and giving her a nod. “Now, let’s get in the car. Close your eyes again for me. When you got to the parking lot, how many cars were there?”

Raleigh closed her eyes and thought back to that day.

“I don’t know. Five, maybe.”

“Including yours?”

“No.”

“Okay. How full was the lot?”

“It’s a small lot, and there’s street parking. So, half-full.”

“And did you take Eden’s stuff out of the car first or get her out?”

“I always got her stuff out first because I didn’t want her running into the street or to the playground without me.”

“So, you’ve got her stuff now. What’s the weather like?”

“It was a nice day. It had rained a few days before, and I could still smell it in the air. I remember being worried that she’d come home with a lot of mud all over her.”

“Was it muddy, though?”

“I didn’t notice any.”

“Get Eden out of the car for me now.”

Raleigh remembered opening the car door and looking in on her daughter, who was smiling up at her, excited to go play in the park. The tears formed behind Raleigh’s eyes.

“Look around the park, Raleigh. What do you see?”

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