Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Took Her Place
Nine days after Naomi was rescued, Detective Brooks returned to the hospital.
She carried photographs of several properties outside Atlanta.
Investigators had identified a number of addresses associated with Andre Collins and people connected to him.
One property was a small house surrounded by trees.
It had green shutters.
A gravel driveway.
And a railroad crossing less than a mile away.
Naomi recognized it immediately.
"That's the house."
Detective Brooks didn't celebrate.
Instead, she asked Naomi to describe details the photographs didn't show.
Naomi remembered a stained kitchen ceiling.
A narrow bedroom window facing a shed.
A metal cabinet in the hallway.
And a broken step near the back door.
Investigators obtained legal authorization to search the property.
Inside, they found the room Naomi had described.
There were discarded food containers, worn bedding, and restraints consistent with her account of confinement.
Investigators collected physical evidence and recovered documents connecting the property to Andre.
A search of company records also revealed financial transfers routed through accounts associated with Tasha and her cousin.
The case against them was no longer based solely on Naomi's testimony.
Elijah learned about the search later that afternoon.
He was sitting in his office when Detective Brooks called.
"We have enough evidence to move forward with arrest warrants," she told him.
He closed his eyes.
"Have you found them?"
"Not yet. But we're following several leads."
After the call, Elijah remained seated.
He looked around the office.
The shelves still held Naomi's neatly labeled folders.
A photograph of Emma at her sixth birthday party stood beside the computer monitor.
And next to the printer lay a small stack of documents Tasha had prepared before disappearing.
For months, Elijah had treated those documents as ordinary business paperwork.
Now he examined everything.
He found nothing that investigators hadn't already collected.
But he discovered something else about himself.
He had let Tasha make decisions because she sounded confident.
He had let her answer uncomfortable questions because she had explanations ready.
And when Naomi disappeared, he had gradually allowed Tasha's certainty to replace his own judgment.
That afternoon, he told his remaining employees that he was cooperating fully with the investigation.
He gave the police access to the business records and agreed to independent financial reviews.
The company might suffer.
He might face civil disputes over documents he had carelessly approved.
But Elijah was finished protecting an image that had already cost his family too much.
Two days later, Andre was arrested during a traffic stop in a neighboring county.
Tasha was located the following evening at a motel outside the city.
Detective Brooks informed Naomi before the news reached the public.
"They're both in custody," she said.
Naomi gripped the edge of her hospital blanket.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she asked, "Can they come near Emma?"
"Protective arrangements are being pursued, and we'll explain the safeguards available to your family."
Naomi nodded.
She had imagined this moment for seven months.
She had pictured shouting.
Demanding answers.
Watching Tasha finally experience the fear she had inflicted.
Instead, Naomi felt tired.
Deeply, painfully tired.
That evening, Denise brought Emma to the hospital.
The little girl carried a small paper bag.
"Mommy, I brought you something."
Naomi smiled.
"What is it?"
Emma pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper.
Inside was a drawing of the silver heart necklace.
The real necklace was being held temporarily as evidence, and Emma had decided her mother shouldn't have to wait without one.
"I made you a new one," she explained.
Naomi unfolded the paper.
Emma had drawn a large silver heart with two tiny stick figures inside.
One was a mother.
The other was a little girl.
At the bottom, in uneven letters, she had written:
WE FOUND EACH OTHER.
Naomi pressed the drawing against her chest.
"Oh, baby."
Emma climbed carefully onto the chair beside the bed.
"Do you remember when you used to sing to me?"
Naomi nodded.
"Every night."
"Can you still do it?"
Naomi looked toward Denise.
Her sister smiled through tears.
Then Naomi began humming the soft melody she had sung since Emma was a baby.
Her voice was weak.
She forgot part of the second verse.
Emma filled in the missing words.
And for a few minutes, the police investigation, the unanswered questions, and the terrible months apart seemed very far away.
Later, after Emma had gone home with Denise, Detective Brooks returned with an update.
Tasha had requested an attorney and declined to give a detailed statement.
Andre's attorney had also advised him not to speak.
Formal proceedings were beginning.
There would be interviews.
Hearings.
Possibly a trial.
Naomi understood that justice would not arrive in one dramatic afternoon.
She looked at Emma's drawing.
Then she asked a question she had avoided since the freezer door opened.
"Will I have to see Tasha again?"
Detective Brooks answered carefully.
"You may have to testify about what happened. We'll discuss each stage with you and explain your options."
Naomi nodded slowly.
Seven months earlier, she had been powerless to decide when she could eat, sleep, or step outside.
Now she had a voice again.
It was still frightening to use.
But she would use it.
May you like
Not to get revenge.
To make sure the truth could no longer be buried behind another locked door.
