PART 5: The Shadow Behind the Car
The fog hung so thickly around the rusting iron walls of the car that I could barely see ten paces ahead. "Is someone there?" I called out, but my voice sounded hoarse, almost like a pathetic squeak in the vast emptiness of the grounds. No answer. Only the dripping of moisture from the rusted roof and the distant sound of a passing nighttime highway gave signs of life.
I took a hesitant step forward, my heart hammering against my ribs as if trying to break free. Then the shadow moved again. Out of the darkness behind the car, a figure stepped forward. It wasn't a man, nor was it Mrs. Kramer. It was a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, dressed in an oversized raincoat, her hands shoved deep into her pockets.
She looked at me with an expression where fear and determination strangely walked hand in hand. "You're crazy for coming alone," she whispered, glancing back over her shoulder as if being pursued. I squinted to make out her face better in the dim moonlight. "Who are you? Where is my baby?" I asked, my voice cracking into panic. The woman took a step closer and shook her head vehemently.
"I work for them... or at least, I worked for them until this afternoon. My name is Lisa. I'm the assistant to the lawyer who drew up this whole document scheme." She swallowed audibly. "And I know exactly where they're hiding your daughter."
