ONE

      Sienna Thompson lay in bed, trying to get to sleep.

      But she couldn’t rest. She hadn’t been able to get any shut-eye for the past two days.

      How could she sleep knowing that something terrible might have happened to her friend Anita? Little two-year-old Colby’s life would never be the same if something happened to his mama.

      So why couldn’t Sienna get in touch with the woman?

      Anita was supposed to pick up Colby on Monday. Today was Wednesday, and Sienna had heard nothing from the boy’s mom. An ominous feeling churned in her gut, and she tried to push away the worst-case scenarios that flooded her mind.

      A car accident? Medical emergency? Had she been the victim of some kind of crime?

      Maybe the answer was simpler. Maybe Anita was just irresponsible. Maybe she’d lost track of time. Or maybe it was just as simple as Sienna misunderstanding her.

      As Sienna turned over in bed, a sound at the other side of the house caught her ear.

      What was that noise? She hoped Colby hadn’t somehow gotten out of his crib.

      Sienna threw her legs out of bed and tugged a sweatshirt on over her T-shirt and yoga pants. With quick—but quiet—steps, she hurried into the hallway and paused, waiting to listen.

      There was the noise again. It almost sounded like a scratch—and a grating one, at that.

      Concern began to rise in her.

      She rushed across