Day after day, I plastered the town with missing posters, hoping—praying—for any clue. Nothing. Each night, I came home more exhausted and defeated than the last.
Then, one evening, just as I was unlocking my front door, someone tapped my shoulder. My heart jumped—maybe it was news! But no… it was my neighbor, Angela, all smiles. “Hey! I’m having a big garage sale before I move,” she said, flashing that Hollywood grin. “You should come check it out. So many cool things!”
Reluctantly, I followed her over. I barely glanced around—until something caught my eye. I froze.
There, casually draped over a rack of clothes… was Amanda’s jacket.
The jacket. The one I embroidered by hand with tiny daisies.
I spun around, heart pounding. “Angela,” I demanded, my voice shaking, “WHERE did you get this?! Tell me right now—or I’m calling the police!”
👇
Amanda, Kaylee’s 15-year-old daughter, had been missing for two agonizing weeks. Despite tireless efforts by both Kaylee and the police, there wasn’t a single lead—no sightings, no clues, nothing.
Kaylee spent each day blanketing the city with missing posters, clinging to hope that someone, somewhere, had seen Amanda. Her hands were raw, her heart even more so.
One afternoon, drained but determined, Kaylee was out putting up more posters when she noticed a garage sale sign in front of her neighbor Angela’s house. Needing a moment’s distraction, she wandered over.
Angela greeted her with a bright smile. “Just clearing things out before the move. Take a look—there’s all sorts of stuff!”
Kaylee nodded absently, her eyes scanning the tables. Then, she froze.
There, casually draped over a pile of clothes, was Amanda’s jacket. The jacket—denim, with little daisy embroidery Kaylee had sewn by hand. The same jacket Amanda had worn the night she disappeared.
Her heart dropped.
She turned to Angela, her voice shaking. “Where did you get this jacket?” she asked, barely containing the panic in her chest.
Angela hesitated.
Kaylee’s voice rose, fierce and trembling. “Tell me right now, or I’m calling the police.”