Page 126 of Everything She Feared

“We can’t believe that. We can’t let her keep Carrie and all the others. We can’t let her win.”

“Ryan, I’m so tired.”

“Me, too. But we can’t give up, alright?”

He glanced at his files stacked near him.

“Mom, you’ve had all the samples I sent you by courier for some time now. You’re analyzing the DNA at your lab and sending it to Willow’s dad, right? His police friends are still helping us? You’re still helping me like you promised?”

“Just like every other time, but, Ryan, we don’t know how much longer we can do this, how much longer I can get other people to help us.”

“You know it’s crucial, Mom. Magda’s DNA is in the system. Our only hope of finding her is comparing the samples I send you to hers. It’s the only way to confirm we’ve found her.”

His mother said nothing.

“We’re still a team, right, Mom?”

“Ryan, I’m tired. I don’t know how much longerIcan do this.”

“Mom, we just have to keep doing this until we get a match.”

“We can’t go on like this forever.”

“Mom, we’re going to find her. We’ll find Magda and we’ll find Carrie and all the others. I swear.”

57

Shoreline, Washington

“How are things going?” Pierce asked her son as she drove.

“Alright, I guess.”

She glanced at the gift-wrapped box on the console between them.

“It was nice of Amber to invite you to her birthday party.”

“Yeah.”

“I was surprised you said yes. I mean, you don’t even know her. I’m proud of you, willing to meet new people and maybe make new friends.”

Ethan shrugged.

“Your drum is coming along.”

“Yeah, I like making it. When are we going to Arizona?”

“A month, or so, maybe. We’ll see.” Pierce knew Ethan had something on his mind, something he’d been carrying for a while. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Mom, did kids call you and Dad names when you were my age?”

And there it is, Pierce thought.

“Is someone calling you names?”

Ethan turned to his window.

“Just one kid at school.”

---