“Yes,” I said. “We were on our way to a weekend trip in Sedona. And he just—just pulled over and forced us out.”

“Has he done anything like this before?”

I shook my head. “No. He’s quiet, always has been, but he’s never… hurt us. Never even raised his voice.”

“But you said you noticed something about the bags?”

I nodded. “None of my stuff was in the car. Only his and Caleb’s. It’s like he knew what he was doing. Like he planned to abandon me.”

Detective Moore sat back. “He didn’t abandon you. He abandoned both of you.”

I paused. “No. I don’t think he meant to leave Caleb. I think—he panicked when I didn’t get out alone. Caleb was in the back. Maybe he didn’t want a scene. Or maybe…” My voice cracked.

“Maybe he was planning to take him somewhere else.”

Moore stared at me. “Like where?”

I looked her dead in the eye. “To start over. Without me.”

---

It didn’t take long for the police to locate the SUV. It had been parked outside a small regional airport 40 minutes away. Surveillance footage showed Brian entering alone—carrying two bags: his and Caleb’s.