Page 63 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
"So where does that leave us?" Caden asked.
"Well, for now it seems isn't a threat or a flight risk. It also means Jessica was operating completely alone, which might actually make her easier to predict."
"To that end, we've been able to trace more of Jessica's activity. The good news is that she’s left a clear digital trail. The bad news is that she seems to be acting unpredictably. Her activity seems to be all over the place from going to multiple gas stations to food stops, she's stopped at various places multiple times, using her card—a few dollars here and a few dollars there."
"So, you don't think she's been planning this?" Caden said, his voice hollow.
"It's too hard to make a judgment right now with what we have, but preliminarily I think it's a good guess."
"I feel like I'm in a really bad dream right now."
I looked up at Morrison. "It feels like tracing her cards has us playing catch-up. When can we get a break? I mean, people notice an eleven-year-old, right?" I asked. "Hotels, restaurants, gas stations?"
"Normally, I'd say yes. The issue is that Jessica is her mom. And we don't know what Macy knows—so she may not realize the depth of what's going on. Jessica's car is on the alert, and wehave banners going across the highways with the description of her car."
Detective Morrison's phone rang. He glanced at it and held up a finger. "This might be something." He accepted the call, "Morrison... Yes... Where?... How long ago?" His expression shifted, becoming more alert. "Keep me posted. I'll have someone call the local station."
He hung up and looked at us with cautious optimism. "We have the card companies on notice and are tracking her real time now. Jessica's credit card was just used at a gas station out in Western Mass. State police are en route, but..."
"But?" Caden leaned forward.
"It's getting close to the border where Connecticut, New York, and Mass meet. She's still technically in Mass, but if she crosses into New York or Connecticut, this becomes a multi-jurisdictional case, which complicates things."
"What does that mean for finding Macy?"
"It means more agencies get involved, which can help with resources but slow down decision-making and present issues around process. The important thing is that we have a confirmed sighting and direction of travel."
My phone buzzed with a text. My heart jumped, hoping irrationally that it might be from Macy, but it was from Maliyah.
Maliyah: Thinking of you. Remember what I said about focusing on what you can control. Love you.
I showed the message to Caden, who squeezed my hand.
"Your sister is amazing," he said quietly.
"She is. She said children are more resilient than we think."
Detective Morrison was doing something on his phone. "Sorry to interrupt. So, we found Jessica's computer at the house—given everything that's happening, we got a warrant—seems her husband wasn't the happiest, but he kept out of the way. Something a bit weird about that guy, but nothing on his record pops.".
"I just got confirmation that, when they did a cursory review of her computer and data, our forensics team found some concerning searches. It's just preliminary for now, but it was enough to be eye-catching."
"What kind of searches?" Caden asked, though his tone suggested he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"Searches about leaving the state without co-parent consent and custodial interference." He paused. "All today and yesterday."
The room felt like it was spinning. This wasn't a panicked flight. This was a calculated kidnapping.
"So, Forensics searched their home computer. We can only assume the searches we found were made by Jessica—for the time being, until we can speak with her." Detective Morrison paused, his expression growing more serious—looking down at his phone again to read something. When he looked up, it was with almost regret in his eyes, “Caden, are you aware of Jessica having issues with prescription drugs?”
"Prescription drugs?" We both looked at Morrison in confusion. "Wait, what? What do you mean?"
"I mean drugs like Oxy or Norco. Anything like that?
"What?! No way!" Caden stood up from his chair, facing the Detective. "You're serious?"
"I am. Your ex has her devices connected, so we can see what she has searched on her phone, which is mirrored on her personal computer. We found evidence of what may indicate a possible substance abuse problem and what the team thinks could be a shopping addiction. There are multiple searches for online pharmacies, ways to obtain prescription opioids without a prescription, and she has significant purchasing activity around luxury goods."
"Opioids?" Caden's voice was hollow.
