When my daughter, Jane, unexpectedly dropped off my grandson, Tommy, saying she needed to go on a sudden work trip, I was surprised but didn’t question her much—until I looked in his suitcase later that night. It wasn’t packed for a week or two—it held clothes for every season, medications, and even an envelope of cash with my name on it. That’s when I realized: Jane might not be coming back. I tried calling her,
, but her phone was off. Days passed with no word. I reached out to friends, coworkers—no one had seen her. I was terrified. Then, out of nowhere, she video-called me. Her face was tired, her words vague. She claimed she was on a secret assignment and couldn’t say where she was. It didn’t make sense, and she refused to talk more,