Then came the twist that shattered James.
Two years earlier, a b0dy had washed up in a nearby bay—similar height, wearing clothes that matched what Emily was last seen in. No dental match was ever made, but authorities closed the file. Emily was legally declared dead.
But it wasn’t her.
Briggs followed one final lead.
A woman had been arrested for shoplifting in Portland, Oregon. The fingerprints triggered a flag—connected to the decade-old missing person case.
James got on a plane that night.
At the holding facility, he peered through the glass. A pale, thin woman sat handcuffed, head bowed.
She looked up.
Hazel-green eyes.
“Emily,” James whispered.
Her hand trembled as it met the glass. Tears slid down her cheeks.
“I thought you were gone,” he said, voice cracking.
“I had to protect him,” she sobbed. “Derrick found me. I didn’t know what else to do.”
James pulled every string to clear her charges. He brought her home. Found her a counselor. And most importantly—he brought her to Luca.
