Ethan carried Sophie upstairs, locked his bedroom door, and called Dr. Melissa Grant, Sophie's pediatrician.

"She ate dog food?" Melissa asked.

"I don't know how much."

"Bring her in. Now."

Vanessa pounded on the bedroom door.

"Ethan! You're turning this into something insane!"

Sophie covered her ears.

Ethan lowered his voice. "Sweetheart, we're going to see Dr. Grant."

"Is Vanessa coming?"

"No."

The relief on Sophie's face made his stomach twist.

He texted Martin, his head of security, and told him to meet them at the garage.

Before leaving, Ethan crouched in front of Sophie.

"You said something about the basement. What did you mean?"

Her eyes moved to the locked door.

"She said I wasn't allowed to tell."

"You can tell me anything."

"She puts me there when I'm bad."

"In the basement?"

Sophie nodded.

"Where?"

"The little room."

Ethan knew every room in the lower level: gym, wine cellar, laundry, storage, mechanical room. No little room.

"How long?"

Sophie held up both hands, then looked confused.

"Until the light outside is gone."

Ethan stopped breathing for a second.

Downstairs, a door slammed.

He opened the bedroom door and found Vanessa in the hallway holding a suitcase.

"I am leaving," she said. "But when you calm down, you're going to feel stupid."

Ethan looked past her.

"Where's your phone?"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you calling anyone in this house."

Vanessa's eyes sharpened. "You don't get to confiscate my property."

"Fine. Martin will escort you out."

They drove Sophie to the pediatric clinic. The doctor found dehydration, stomach irritation, and bruising on one wrist that Sophie said came from Vanessa "holding too tight."

Melissa's face stayed professional, but her voice hardened.

"Ethan, I have to document this."

"Do it."

"And I need to ask Sophie questions without you in the room."

He hated leaving her, but he did.

Twenty minutes later Melissa came out holding a yellow legal pad.

"She says Vanessa locked her downstairs more than once. She says there was no window. She says there was a camera."

Ethan stared at her.

"A camera?"

"She called it the little red eye."

His phone rang.

Martin.

"Sir," Martin said, "you need to come home."

"What happened?"

"The basement security system has been wiped."

Ethan gripped the phone.

Martin continued.

"And there's something else. We found a door behind the wine racks."