“I need to know if my Mommy is coming back before dinner,” Leo said. The innocence in his voice hit Martha like a physical blow to the chest. “My tummy hurts really bad.”

Martha stared at the screen. The call trace was working, triangulating a cell tower signal, but it was bouncing because of the storm. It wasn’t a landline. It was a burner phone or an old mobile.

“Leo,” Martha said, keeping her voice steady despite the cold dread pooling in her stomach. “Where is your Mommy right now?”

“She went to sleep,” Leo whispered. “In the basement.”

Martha’s blood ran cold. “In the basement? Did she tell you she was going to sleep?”

“No,” Leo said. “Rick did. Rick is my… he’s my new dad. He said Mommy was tired and she went to sleep in the basement three days ago. And he locked the door.”

Three days.