“What did he say?”
Margaret’s face changed.
“He told me to stop digging.”
Sophie shook her head.
“Why would he say that?”
“I didn’t know.”
“Not then.”
Margaret took out another paper.
It was a bank statement.
Old.
Yellow around the edges.
“There were monthly transfers from Richard’s account.”
Sophie looked closer.
“Who received them?”
“A woman named Carol Mason.”
“Do you know her?”
“She was Richard’s cousin.”
“She lived in Minnesota.”
Margaret pointed to the page.
“The payments began the month Emily disappeared.”
Sophie’s heart started pounding.
“How long did they continue?”
“Eleven years.”
Sophie looked up sharply.
“Until Emily would have turned eighteen.”
Margaret nodded.
Sophie stood.
She paced across the room.
“This means Richard may have sent Emily to Carol.”
“That is what I believe.”
“Did you contact Carol?”
“I tried.”
“She denied everything.”
“Then she moved.”
“Richard told me if I kept asking questions, Nathan would disappear too.”
