Donald forced himself to focus on Rachel. “Why do you care so much while your dad only sees Marie as a renter?”

It was a simple question, but he could see it stumping her. Maybe not her own feelings though. Probably unable to understand why Marie didn’t mean as much to Kedar.

“Marie’s a real good person. She’s not looking for fame or anything, she wants to play her guitar. Make enough by that. But she doesn’t expect that to be everything. She knows that means a lot of work. And she works on it all the time. Dad set her a curfew where she’s not allowed to practice her guitar anymore in the garage.”

With Lori still holding the paper, Donald tried to remember all of the details of Marie’s photo. Every time he had seen her outside of work, it was just a familiar form in the distance. Glasses and hair dye and a guitar. And no home?

Something was wrong, more than just her disappearance. For the life of him, he couldn’t put a finger on it.