Alessia could barely see through the blur of her tears as she raced down the street, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her breathing was erratic, her chest tight with panic. Thoughts of Avery—her baby, her little girl—flashed in her mind like a movie reel, each image more devastating than the last.
“She’s going to be okay,” Alessia whispered to herself repeatedly, a desperate mantra to keep herself from spiraling. “She has to be okay.”
When she pulled into the daycare parking lot, she slammed the car into park and threw open the door without even shutting off the engine. The scene in front of her sent her heart plummeting even further: two police cruisers were already there, their lights flashing ominously. A small group of daycare workers stood huddled together, their faces pale and anxious.
Alessia stumbled out of the car, her legs barely supporting her as she raced toward the building. “Where’s my daughter?” she cried, her voice breaking. “Avery! Where is she?”
Miss Linda, the daycare worker who had called her earlier, stepped forward cautiously, her hands wringing together nervously. “Mrs. Deveraux, I’m so sorry,” she began, her voice trembling. “The woman who came… she had the ID. She said—she said you sent her.”
Alessia’s heart sank further, and she grabbed Linda’s arm, her eyes wide with desperation. “Describe her. What did she look like?”
Linda hesitated, her voice shaking as she responded. “She was tall, dark-haired, very well-dressed. She looked… professional. She even smiled when I handed Avery over. I didn’t think—”
Alessia’s stomach twisted, her blood running cold. The pieces clicked together in her mind, and she cursed under her breath. “It’s Zoey,” she spat, her voice filled with venom. “She took my daughter.”
One of the police officers stepped forward, his notebook in hand. “Mrs. Deveraux,” he said calmly, trying to steady the panicked woman in front of him. “We’re going to do everything we can to find your daughter. But we need as much information as possible.”
Alessia turned to him, her eyes blazing with fear and fury. “Her name is Zoey Valdez,” she said quickly. “She’s dangerous. She’s been stalking me and my family for days. She has dark hair, tall, always looks put-together. I told you—she’s the one who took Avery.”
The officer nodded, jotting down notes as Alessia spoke. “Do you know where she might go? Any places she’s mentioned, or where she might feel safe?”
Alessia shook her head frantically. “No, I don’t know. She’s completely unhinged. She escaped from a mental hospital, and I don’t know what she wants, but I need you to find my daughter now.”