Ella rushed to the window the moment Ben said it. She did not know what she expected to see maybe a shadow a figure a car that did not belong but the street below looked calm. Too calm.
Ben stood behind her hands on his hips breathing hard like he was trying not to explode. "There must be something," he said. "Someone cannot just appear send a picture take someone and vanish."
Ella scanned the sidewalk again. Nothing. Just a cat walking along the fence and a man locking his bicycle. Normal things. But her gut told her she was not crazy. Something was off.
She stepped away from the window and leaned on the wall. "She planned this a long time," Ella said quietly. "Rita knew exactly what would push him."
Ben rubbed his forehead. "She is not working alone. She does not have the brains to pull all this off by herself."
Ella nodded. "And Lucas he is probably scared."
Ben paused then shook his head. "No. Lucas is not stupid. He knows how to read people. He will not panic unless he feels cornered." He looked around the messy room again. "But she cornered him."
Ella walked to the couch touching the edge of the pillow. Lucas had sat here earlier today she could almost feel it. "We need to find something he left. Something he tried to say."
Ben gave her a small nod. "Check everywhere. Rita will not think we are smart enough to catch small clues."
Ella pulled the couch cushions aside while Ben checked the kitchen drawers. The place had been tossed around but not violently. More like someone searched calmly knowing what they wanted.
Ella checked under the table under the lamp behind the small plant near the wall. Nothing.
Then she saw something near the corner of the carpet.
A tiny fold.
Barely visible.
Like someone had lifted it for a second and dropped it back.
She pulled the carpet up.
A small white paper lay flat on the floor.
Ben saw her freeze. "What is it?"
Ella picked it up gently. It was not a note. It was the back of a receipt. A normal shopping receipt. But Lucas had scribbled something on it with shaky handwriting.
One word.
"Upstairs."
Ella's heart jumped. "Ben. He left something. He wrote Upstairs."
Ben grabbed the paper eyes sharp. "The roof."
Ella nodded fast. "Yeah. He went up there. Or he wanted us to."
Ben did not wait. He headed to the door. "Let us go."
They rushed into the hallway closing Lucas's loose door behind them. The staircase was dim and cold the air heavy with dust. Ella's legs moved quicker than she expected. Every step made her chest feel tighter.
When they reached the top floor Ben pushed the final metal door open.
Cold air hit them instantly.
The rooftop was quiet except for the wind.
Ella stepped forward slowly. "Lucas?"
No answer.
Ben scanned the place. "He was here. He had to be."
Ella moved toward the small storage shed near the edge. Something white stuck out from under the door.
A piece of cloth.
She crouched and pulled it.
It was Lucas's shirt. Torn at the sleeve.
Ben cursed under his breath. "She dragged him."
Ella stood gripping the shirt. "He fought back."
Ben looked around carefully. "He tried to leave us a trail."
Ella held the shirt against her chest. "We have to be fast. She is not going to wait."
Ben pointed toward the roof's edge. "Look."
Near the drainpipe a small silver object glinted.
Ella hurried over and picked it up.
Lucas's keychain.
The one he always kept hooked to his belt.
Ben nodded firmly. "He dropped things on purpose. He wants us to follow him."
Ella looked at him. "So where next?"
Ben turned toward the stairs again. "If she dragged him from here she took him down the back exit. That alley leads to one place she likes to hide."
Ella swallowed. "Where?"
Ben's jaw tightened. "Her mother's old bakery. It is closed down now no one goes there."
Ella felt her heart pound louder. "So she has him there?"
Ben met her eyes. "If she is smart yes."
Ella did not wait. She moved toward the stairs. "Then let us go."
As they rushed down Ella felt it again that strange sense that they were not moving alone. Like eyes were on them. From the shadows. From the corners.
Someone out there was watching.
And waiting.