Chapter 3

Back at the house, forensic investigators went over Lily's bedroom with a fine-tooth comb.

There was no sign of forced entry on the windows or door locks.

Wearing gloves, they carefully bagged the music box with the missing figure.

The snapped-off bronze head left on the desk was also taken as evidence.

Seeing her toy being carried away, Lily threw a tantrum. "That's mine! My birthday present!"

I held her tight, my mind a mess.

This cursed thing brought nothing but death, and she still wanted it?

After the police left, it was just the three of us.

That's when the phone rang. The sharp, piercing sound made us jump in the dead-silent living room.

Lily flinched in my arms.

Ethan rushed out of the bedroom, his face turning pale when he saw the caller ID.

"It's Mrs. Gable... Lily's preschool teacher."

He took a deep breath and answered, putting it on speaker.

"Ethan?"

The voice on the other end was frantic.

"Sorry to bother you! Is Lily okay? Did... did something happen at your house?"

"Mrs. Gable, what's going on? Lily is fine," Ethan said, keeping his voice as steady as possible.

"Oh, thank god! Thank god! But Chloe's mom and Mason's mom just called me..."

Mrs. Gable sounded terrified, her voice shaking.

"They said their kids received a weird music box too! It's identical to the one Lily got yesterday!"

My heart stopped.

On the other end, Mrs. Gable was practically in tears.

"And they said... the little bronze figures on their music boxes... they're broken too!"

I quickly told Ethan to grab the guest list from yesterday's party. We started calling the parents one by one.

Some had received the music boxes; others had no idea what we were talking about.

Eventually, we tracked down five kids who got them.

That left three more.

Just then, my phone rang. It was an unknown local number.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I picked up.

"Is this Lily’s mother?" a strange man's voice asked.

"This is the police department. Regarding Leo's case..."

Before he could finish, Ethan's phone rang loudly.

It was Detective Carter.

"Mason is gone!"

"Just minutes ago, right outside his apartment. The security cameras captured him walking off willingly with someone in a mascot costume..."

Almost at the same time, the officer on my line finished his sentence.

"...And we've determined that the sender's target group is highly specific. Every child who received or might receive a music box attended the same preschool class."

I stared at the preschool graduation photo hanging on our wall.

A group of innocent, smiling children stood clustered around their teacher.

With a trembling finger, I pointed at them one by one.

Lily, Leo, Chloe, Mason, Harper...

Three more kids.

And in the very corner of the photo stood a shy little girl with a quiet smile.

The name tag pinned to her shirt read:

Daisy...