Police later confirmed a white van nearby was linked to an adult under investigation in a disappearance case.
Footprints matched the mud by my fence.
If Dylan hadn’t called, if he’d ignored the sound…
That night I sat with all the lights on. My ex called, worried about Chloe coming home. I promised it would be safe, though I wasn’t sure yet.
Police sealed the duct, reinforced the fence, and told me to change the locks.
I paid Dylan double. He didn’t want credit. But he’d saved someone’s life.
Two weeks later, a social worker called.
“Iris is safe.
She asked us to tell you… your basement saved her life.”
I didn’t feel heroic. I felt shaken.
Because I learned something that night: normal life is fragile. Sometimes all it takes is a hidden opening in the yard for danger to slip in.
And sometimes, it takes a single whisper at the right moment to stop it.
