The Scapegoat Daughter

d sterile, a stark contrast to the humid New Orleans heat outside. The dismemb

y-looking man named Dr. Evan

wenties. He took his time with this one,

is face grim. "Any

of that. We'll have to rely on dental records or DNA. We're running a

y didn't know it was me. My father's cold, pro

. It was Olivia, my roommate, my only friend. Her eyes

ather's desk. "I need to file a missing

s files, his expression ann

osed to meet me yesterday for her birthday. She never

hing in my father's eyes

"She had a fight with us yesterday. She's

nger. "This is different. She was scared. She

ering over her. He was using his cop vo

g to manipulate us because she didn't want to do her volunteer work. I'm in the middle of a m

stood there for a moment, stunned into silence. Tears

to comfort her. But I

uiet. My mother was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She w

father asked, a rare hin

. Just the way he liked it, with extra sausag

g like a shrine. My chair was also empty, but no one seemed to notice or car

e son they thought was dead, they didn'