My Neighbor Asked Me to Watch Her Daughter for One Hour… She Didn’t Come Back Until Sunrise
Chapter 2
Daniel stood in the darkness of his living room, watching the black SUV across the street.
Lily came up behind him.
“Daddy?”
“Go upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Just take Sophie with you.”
Sophie immediately looked frightened.
“I want my mommy.”
“She’ll be back.”
“You said she would.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“I know.”
He tried to make his voice calm.
But he couldn’t stop looking at the SUV.
After nearly five minutes, the driver’s door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Baseball cap pulled low.
He walked toward Claire’s house.
Daniel’s hand instinctively moved toward his phone.
The man stopped halfway across the yard.
Then he looked directly at Daniel’s house.
Daniel stepped away from the window.
The man continued.
He reached Claire’s front door.
Knocked.
Three times.
Exactly like Claire had knocked on Daniel’s door.
Daniel’s skin prickled.
The man waited.
Then knocked again.
Claire didn’t answer.
The man took out his phone.
A moment later, Daniel’s phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Daniel stared at it.
He didn’t answer.
The caller stopped.
Then a text appeared.
Mr. Carter?
Daniel’s heart began beating harder.
Another message.
Claire asked me to pick up Sophie.
Daniel immediately locked his phone.
“No,” he whispered.
Lily looked at him.
“Daddy?”
“Upstairs. Now.”
“But—”
“Lily.”
Something in his voice made her stop arguing.
She grabbed Sophie’s hand.
They disappeared up the stairs.
Daniel checked the locks.
Front door.
Back door.
Kitchen window.
He lowered the blinds.
Then he called Claire.
Straight to voicemail.
He tried again.
Nothing.
The man outside moved away from Claire’s house.
Daniel watched through a narrow gap in the blinds.
The man crossed the street.
Toward him.
Daniel stepped back.
Three knocks sounded on his front door.
He froze.
“Mr. Carter?”
The man’s voice was calm.
“Claire sent me.”
Daniel said nothing.
“I’m here for Sophie.”
Silence.
“Mr. Carter, I know she’s inside.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around his phone.
“How do you know?”
A pause.
“Because Claire told me.”
Daniel glanced toward the stairs.
Then back at the door.
“What’s your name?”
The man hesitated.
“Marcus.”
“Last name?”
Another hesitation.
“Reed.”
Daniel didn’t recognize it.
“I’m not giving you Sophie.”
The man sighed.
“Listen to me. This is bigger than you understand.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can’t.”
“Then leave.”
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Marcus said something that made Daniel’s blood run cold.
“Claire isn’t coming back tonight.”
Daniel stared at the door.
“What did you say?”
“She knew this was going to happen.”
“What was going to happen?”
“Ask Sophie about the basement.”
Daniel felt a chill move through him.
“How do you know about the basement?”
No answer.
Daniel heard footsteps retreating.
He waited.
The black SUV started.
Its headlights turned toward the street.
Then it drove away.
Daniel waited another five minutes before moving.
Upstairs, Lily was sitting on her bed.
Sophie was beside her.
Daniel closed the bedroom door.
“Sophie?”
She looked up.
“Do you know a man named Marcus?”
Her face went white.
Daniel noticed.
“You do.”
Sophie shook her head.
“No.”
“You’re scared.”
“No.”
“Sweetheart, I need you to tell me the truth.”
She squeezed the rabbit.
Then she whispered:
“Mom said if he ever came, I should hide.”
Daniel sat down.
“Hide from Marcus?”
Sophie nodded.
“Why?”
She looked toward the hallway.
“Because he works for the people who took Daddy.”
Daniel frowned.
“Your father?”
Sophie nodded.
“He didn’t leave us.”
“What do you mean?”
Sophie’s eyes filled with tears.
“Mom says they told everyone he did.”
Daniel suddenly remembered Claire’s husband.
Evan Bennett.
He had supposedly disappeared three years earlier.
The story around town was that he had abandoned Claire and Sophie.
Daniel had never questioned it.
Nobody had.
Sophie reached into the pocket of her pajamas.
She pulled out a small brass key.
“My mom told me to give this to you if she didn’t come back.”
Daniel stared at it.
“What does it open?”
Sophie whispered:
“The box in the basement.”
Outside, somewhere down the street, a car door slammed.
Then Daniel heard his own front gate creak.
Someone had come back.
And this time, they weren’t knocking.
