CONNOR'S POV:
A few hours after Alex left, I found myself grappling with uncertainty. The decision not to involve the police until now weighed on me; it could be risky, and I couldn't bear the idea of anything happening to Maria.
"Is this a mistake I'm making? Is it right not to involve the police?"
"Could it be that the police could have found her by now if I had let them know about it?"
"Maybe she'd have been found by now," I muttered to myself, running my hands through my hair. At that moment, Maria's phone started ringing, and it was her mother.
I picked up the phone and glanced at it, wondering what to do this time. I had learned just how much she cared about Maria. She had called and texted a couple of times that morning, and I could pick up.
I texted her back just like I did t
