“Mason, what’s wrong?” 

“Mackenzie ran away, and I have no idea where she went,” Mason replied, his voice filled with concern. “I was hoping you could help me find her.”

“Of course! Why don’t you come in and tell me everything?” Alicia offered.

“Thanks, Alicia,” Mason said as he stepped inside the house. “It all began at the hospital. I was working on a case and ended up locked in the security room, needing to be rescued. Long story short, she sneaked out to save me when she was supposed to be doing something else. Our parents were furious, and she stormed off to her room. Fast forward to today: I was out doing Christmas shopping and managed to solve a case. Funny how that works, right? But when I returned home, I discovered that Mackenzie had snuck out. I knew our parents would be livid if they found out, and now I’m at risk of being grounded too for not telling them she was missing. They’re going to worry, regardless of my reasons for keeping quiet,” Mason explained.

“I know you and she are still friends, as far as I’m aware, so you’re my best bet to help me find her.”

“Of course I’ll help you look for her. I understand I’ve let you down in the past, and you have every reason not to trust me. But right now, finding Mackenzie is our priority,” Alicia replied sincerely.

“I appreciate it. By the way, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you would tell me if she were here, right?” Mason inquired.

“Don’t you think that would be the first thing I mentioned when you arrived?” Alicia countered.

“Maybe. Unless you’re covering for her,” Mason suggested.

“I hate to ask, but would you mind if I searched the house?” Mason asked hopefully.

“Of course, but I assure you, she’s not here,” Alicia responded.

“Have you talked to her at all since you got out of prison?” Mason queried.

“Nope,” Alicia replied.

“You’re sure?” Mason pressed.

“Would I ever lie to you?” she responded.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Mason remarked.

“Fair point,” Alicia conceded.

Mason then searched the house from top to bottom, but despite his efforts, he found no sign of his sister anywhere.

“Mason, is there anywhere you think she might have gone? Does she have any favorite spots she likes to visit?” Alicia inquired. “Sometimes when she needs to think, she goes to the library. Let's check there,” Mason suggested. They made their way to the library, hoping that Mackenzie might be inside.

Once they arrived, they approached the front desk to ask the receptionist if she had seen Mackenzie. 

“Excuse me, Miss, I'm looking for my sister. Her name is Mackenzie. We’re the same age and height, and she has brown hair styled in a ponytail. The last time I saw her, she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Have you seen her?” Mason asked.

“Yes, I think she was here earlier. If I had to guess, she was here about an hour ago,” the receptionist replied. 

“Did she check anything out?” Mason inquired.

“Yes, she did, but I can't recall the details. I believe she was researching something, though I’m not sure what,” the receptionist said.

“Researching something? What could she have been looking into? Was she trying to solve a case?” Mason asked, a frown of concern on his face. “Thank you for your help; it means a lot,” he added.

As they were about to leave the library, they encountered Olivia, who was there with her sister. 

“Olivia, I know how this may look, but I assure you, she’s with me solely for business reasons. We’re trying to locate my sister; she ran away from home while grounded,” Mason explained. 

“Mason, it’s alright. I know you would never betray me,” Olivia replied reassuringly. “You haven’t seen her, have you?”

“I just arrived here with Abby a few minutes ago, but if you give me a moment to drop her off, I can help you look,” Olivia offered.

“Thanks, Olivia,” said Mason, feeling a renewed sense of hope.

"Aww, can’t I come?" Abby pleaded.

"Sorry, sis, not this time. It's safer for you to stay at home," Olivia replied as she picked up her phone to call their father to pick Abby up. 

"Hey Dad, could you come to the library to pick up Abby? I need to help Mason with something," Olivia said. 

"Of course, I'll be there in a few minutes," their father assured her.

"Abby, I need to help Mason with an emergency. Promise me you'll stay here until Dad arrives to get you, okay?" Olivia implored.

"Fine," Abby sulked.

"Alright, now tell me what's going on," Olivia urged Mason.

"To sum it up, I got home from the mall where I was doing some Christmas shopping, went upstairs to talk to Mackenzie, and discovered that she was missing. I have no idea where she is or how long she's been gone," Mason explained.

"Do your parents know she's missing?" Olivia asked.

"As far as I know, no. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep them in the dark before they figure out not only that Mackenzie is gone but also that I lied about going to find her," Mason admitted.

"Where do they think you are right now?" Olivia questioned.

"Don't be mad, but they think I'm at your house," Mason confessed.

"What?! Mason, I'm not even at home! What if your parents call my dad?!" Olivia exclaimed.

"It seemed like a good excuse at the time, and how was I supposed to know you weren't home?!" Mason argued.

"We'll deal with that later. Right now, we need to focus on finding Mackenzie," Olivia said firmly.

"You're right," Mason agreed. "So what's our next step?"

"I think I need to go home and tell my parents what's really happening. I can't keep this from them any longer," Mason decided. "Also, going home will give me a chance to look through Mackenzie’s phone for clues."

With that, the group headed back to Mason's house so he could confront his parents about the situation.

Back at the house, Mason cautiously peeked inside to ensure the coast was clear. Fortunately, it appeared that no one was home. With the area secure, he entered with Olivia, while Alicia remained at the door as a lookout. The two of them made their way upstairs to Mackenzie’s room to search her phone for clues. 

The phone’s message history revealed that the last text she received was at 11:00 AM that morning from a woman requesting someone to watch her child. “But why would she leave without her phone?” Mason wondered aloud. “And what was she researching at the library?”

“It looks like her name is Wanda Morris,” Olivia replied. “She lives not too far from here. We should go talk to her, and I'll take Mackenzie’s phone with us, just in case.”

As they made their way back downstairs, they encountered Mason’s mother. “Hey, honey, I thought you were at Olivia’s,” she said.

“Yeah, about that,” Mason began, hesitating. “I should have come to you right away, but I was worried you'd be angry. Mackenzie isn’t in her room... she’s actually been missing all day. But don’t worry—I’m doing everything I can to find her.”

“Wait, what do you mean she’s missing?” Melissa asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Please try not to panic. I promise I will find her, no matter what. Also, I apologize for lying to you about going to Olivia’s. You can ground me after we find Mackenzie,” Mason said earnestly.

“Mason, it’s alright. I understand why you felt the need to hide the truth and lie about your plans. You thought you were protecting me,” Melissa said, her tone softening.

“So, I’m not in trouble?” Mason inquired hopefully.

“We’ll discuss that later. Right now, your priority is to find your sister. I’m counting on you to bring her home safely,” Melissa instructed.

“Thanks, Mom. I will,” Mason replied determinedly. “Now, let’s go talk to Wanda.”

With that, the three of them headed to Wanda’s house in search of answers. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a Hispanic woman in her mid-thirties. 

“Hello, are you Wanda Morris? My name is Mason, from the Mystery Twins, and these are my friends, Olivia and Alicia. You sent a message to my sister’s phone asking for a babysitter. Is she here?” Mason asked urgently.

“Why don’t you come inside? I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have,” Wanda said. “Yes, I did send out an alert looking for someone to watch my daughter for a while while I ran some errands,” she continued. “But why would Mackenzie take a random babysitting job, especially when she was supposed to be grounded? We’re detectives, not babysitters. This doesn’t add up,” Mason replied. “This isn’t typical behavior for her. Anyway, she came over to look after Alexa while I did some shopping. When I returned, I found a note saying they had gone to the park.” 

“What time did this happen?” Mason inquired. 

“I would say around 1:00,” Wanda replied. 

“It’s nearly 7:00 now. If they left at 1:00, they should definitely be back by now, which indicates something is wrong,” Mason said. “I think we need to head to the park next.” 

“Mason, what if Mackenzie was never at the library?” Olivia asked. 

“The librarian said she was there,” Mason countered. 

“Maybe he just thought he saw her. Don’t you think it’s possible he could have mistaken her for someone else?” 

“I suppose that could be the case, but either way, the library is closed now, so it’s too late to return and check,” Mason replied. “Let’s just go to the park.” 

“Olivia, do you think Buddy could help us find her?” Mason asked. 

“Why are you only bringing this up now?” Alicia questioned. 

“Because I didn’t think it was necessary before,” Mason explained. “I believe they’re at the playground near the woods.” 

“What makes you think that?” Alicia asked. 

“Because that’s the playground built in our honor, and it would make sense for her to go there,” Mason said. “I’m sure Buddy could track her down if you have something of hers for him to sniff.” 

“Would her phone work?” Mason asked. 

“I think so. I just need to quickly stop by my place to grab Buddy,” Olivia offered. 

“Okay, you go home to pick up Buddy, and we’ll meet you at the park near the woods,” Mason instructed.

As Olivia headed home to retrieve her dog, Mason and Alicia made their way to the park in search of any signs that Mackenzie might be nearby. Upon their arrival, they began calling out her name in hopes that she might hear them. "Mackenzie!" they shouted in unison. "Mackenzie, can you hear us?" Mason eventually called out. After shouting for around 20 minutes without a response, Olivia returned with her dog. 

"Alright, boy, do you think you can find my sister?" Mason asked, lowering his phone for the dog to sniff. "I think he’s caught a scent," Mason announced as they all followed Buddy, who was bounding toward the woods. Eventually, Buddy stopped near a hole in the ground.

"Mason, is that you?" a voice called from within the hole. 

"Mackenzie, are you okay?" Mason replied. "Hold on, we’re going to find a way to get you out!" 

"Hurry! I think my leg is broken!" Mackenzie urged. 

"Is Alexa with you?" Mason asked. 

"Yes, and I promise I'll explain everything; just get me out of here first," Mackenzie replied. "Check near the playground; there must be a maintenance shed nearby." 

"What should I do if it’s locked?" Mason asked.

"Here, take this bobby pin," Olivia offered. 

"Thanks, I’ll be right back," Mason said as he rushed off to locate the shed. After a search, he finally found an unlocked shed where he could grab a rope and a ladder, as well as something to stabilize Mackenzie’s leg until she could get to a hospital. 

"I'm back with a rope and a ladder," he announced. "Send Alexa up first, then I’ll come down for you." Mason lowered the ladder, allowing Alexa to climb up, then descended to secure the rope around Mackenzie’s waist and stabilize her injured leg for the ascent.

"We need to get you to a hospital, and Alexa needs to get back to her mother. However, it’s getting late and you’re in no condition to walk," Mason said. "I’m calling Mom for a ride." 

"MOM! We found Mackenzie, but she's injured and needs to get to a hospital. How quickly can you get down here to give us a ride? We're in the woods near Barnes Playground," Mason explained. 

She assured him she would arrive as soon as possible. "I think one of us should head back to the playground to guide her to our location," Mason suggested.

"I'll go," Olivia declared.

"Alright, Alicia and I will stay here with Mackenzie," Mason replied.

"How angry are they?" Mackenzie inquired.

"Let's just say that when you get home from the hospital, you shouldn't expect to leave your room until next year. Mom didn't show it when I spoke to her, but I think she was pretty upset that you sneaked out of the house when you were supposed to be grounded," Mason explained.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," Mackenzie said, remorsefully. "What I really want to understand is why. This is so unlike you."

"I know," Mackenzie replied. "Believe me, I don’t even know what came over me. I was just so angry at Mom and Dad."

Before Mackenzie could elaborate, their mother arrived to assist them. "Mom, I—," began Mackenzie.

"It's alright, sweetheart. Let's get you to the hospital first, and then we can talk," Melissa assured her as they helped Mackenzie into the car.

Upon their arrival, they carried Mackenzie into the waiting room until the doctor was ready to see her. 

"I think we should have Alexa checked out too, just in case," Mason suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'll arrange for her examination, and then we'll call her mother to come pick her up," the doctor replied.

After about an hour, the doctor returned with an update on the girls. "Alexa is fine and is now waiting for her mother to come get her. However, we’d like to keep Mackenzie overnight for observation. If everything goes well, she should be able to go home in a couple of days," the doctor informed them.

"Thanks, Doc," Mason said appreciatively. "We definitely owe you one after the situation with the unwrapped presents."

"Yeah, I'm a real hero," Mason said, his voice tinged with despair.

"Mason, I know what you're thinking, and you can't blame yourself. None of this is your fault," Olivia said, trying to reassure him.

"Why?" Mason lamented. "If I hadn’t gotten myself stuck in the security room, Mackenzie wouldn’t have had to sneak out to save me. Because of that, she wouldn't have been grounded, she wouldn’t have felt angry with our parents, which means she wouldn’t have run away, and her leg wouldn’t be broken right now. This is all my fault."

"You couldn’t have predicted any of this," Olivia reassured him. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

Before Mason could respond, his mother interrupted, "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, I think it's time for me to go. It’s getting late, and I don’t want my father to worry," Olivia replied.

"Do you want a ride?" Melissa offered. "It’s too dark for you to walk home alone."

"Thanks, that would be great," Olivia said gratefully. 

"Mason, I wanted to let you know that your father is on his way, and he should arrive soon," Melissa informed him.

"Is he upset about everything that happened?" Mason asked anxiously.

"I think he’s had some time to cool off, so it shouldn't be too bad when he gets here," Melissa reassured him.

"Mom, I just want to say I'm sorry for lying to you about going over to Olivia's and for knowing that Mackenzie snuck out," Mason admitted.

"It’s alright, honey. We can discuss it after I take Olivia and Alicia home, okay?" Melissa replied.

"Yeah, okay," Mason said, following them to the car. "I’ll keep you guys updated."

"Thanks, Mason," Olivia said.

"Actually, I should be thanking you. I never would have found her without your help," Mason responded as he waved goodbye and headed back inside.

"Oh, and Mason, your father will take you home when he arrives at the hospital, okay?" Melissa called after him.

With that, Mason went back inside to check on Mackenzie and see how she was doing.

“Hey, sis, how are you feeling?” Mason asked.

“I’m doing pretty well, all things considered,” Mackenzie replied.

“I can’t shake the feeling that this is all my fault,” Mason admitted.

“Mason, there’s something important about Alexa that you need to know,” Mackenzie said.

“Does this have anything to do with how you ended up in that hole?” Mason inquired.

“I think Alexa might be experiencing abuse at home,” Mackenzie revealed.

“What makes you think that? When the doctor examined her, there didn’t seem to be any signs of abuse,” Mason pointed out.

“Who was the doctor that examined her?” Mackenzie asked.

“I don’t know,” Mason admitted. “Mackenzie, what’s going on?”

“Alright, I suppose I should start from the beginning,” Mackenzie began. “I was in my room when I received an alert from our app. Someone was asking for help with childcare.”

“Yeah, that was from Wanda Morris,” Mason interrupted.

“That’s what I thought at first, but when I arrived at the house, I immediately sensed that something was off. I don’t believe Wanda was the one who sent that message; I think she claimed she did to prevent anyone from suspecting that something was wrong,” Mackenzie explained. “Alexa told me that she was the one who sent the message as a signal for help.”

“I don’t understand why you left your phone behind when you could have used it to call for help,” Mason said.

“Hey, you received the message, didn’t you?” Mackenzie responded.

“Wait, so you intentionally left your phone behind, hoping that I would find it and come looking for you?” Mason asked incredulously.

“I would have gone looking for you anyway after I noticed you were missing. Besides, I left a note saying we were going to the park,” he continued. “Yeah, I know, rookie mistake, but we didn’t actually go to the park at first. We went to the library instead so I could do some research on signs of abuse,” Mackenzie explained.

After we left the library, I noticed that someone seemed to be following us. To shake them off, I hopped on a bike with Alexa, “wait a minute, there’s no sign of a stolen bike,” Mason interjected. “Unless we overlooked something.” Regardless, we pedaled away in an attempt to escape our pursuer and eventually found ourselves at the park. We abandoned the bike and tried to lose them in the woods, Mackenzie continued. “Did you see who it was?” Mason asked. “I had a nagging suspicion that it was Alexa’s mother trailing us, and I turned out to be correct. “This must have been around 2:00,” Mackenzie speculated. “That’s just about the time I got home from the mall,” Mason replied.

The person pursued us into the woods. I instructed Alexa to climb down a nearby hole, assuring her it was safe, but as I followed her, the vine snapped, and I fell, breaking my leg. I was stranded down there with Alexa until you found us. As for our pursuer, I believe they returned home and acted as if everything was perfectly normal, Mackenzie added. That was around the time I arrived at Wanda’s house. She explained she was running errands, which would conveniently provide a perfect cover for stalking someone, Mason remarked. 

We may have to wait until tomorrow to address this situation, since it’s too late to take action tonight, Mason stated. By the time Mackenzie finished recounting her story, their father finally arrived to take Mason home. “Hey, Dad,” Mason greeted him. “Hi, kids. Mason, I’m afraid it’s time to head home for the night.” David noted, “It sounds like you had quite the eventful day.” 

“Yeah, now that I think about it, I’m exhausted. Goodnight, sis. I’ll visit you tomorrow,” said Mason. “Goodnight, Mason.” Mackenzie added, “And about what you said earlier, Mason, none of this is your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” 

“I know, but it’s hard not to feel at least a bit guilty,” Mason admitted. David urged, “Come on, son. Say goodnight to your sister, and let’s head home. I’ll be back to stay with you after I drop off your brother, okay?”

“Wait, before we go, I need to check on something,” Mason said. He turned to the doctor. “Hey, do you know who performed Alexa's checkup?” 

“I believe it was her father,” the doctor replied.

“Alexa’s father works here?” 

“Yes, and this isn’t the first time she’s been brought to the hospital.”

“Has he conducted checkups on her before?” Mason inquired. 

“Yes, and every time he clears her, despite the visible bruises,” the doctor answered.

“How has he not lost his job?” Mason asked incredulously.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” the doctor replied.

“When can we get her out of that house?” Asked Mason “

”I have a friend at CPS who can intervene,” Said the doctor 

“I'll have him visit the house tomorrow to pick her up,” the doctor assured him.

“Thanks, doc. Please keep me updated,” Mason replied. He then sent a message to Olivia, informing her of the situation and asking if her father would be willing to take Alexa in temporarily. “She’s probably asleep now; I’ll hear back from her tomorrow,” he thought.

“Alright, I’m ready to go home now.” Mason got into the car, and his father drove him back so he could rest after such a long day. 

Upon arriving home, Mason bid his father goodnight and headed inside to get some sleep. As soon as he walked in, the lights turned on, startling him. He screamed, prompting David to rush in and find Wanda sitting at the table.

“Who are you, and what are you doing in our house?” David demanded. 

“Now that my secret is out, I’m afraid I can’t let you take my child away,” Wanda replied ominously.

“We can't allow you to continue abusing her,” Mason asserted. “I suspect you pay your husband to claim everything is fine and the medical board to keep him in his position. Am I right?”

“Very perceptive,” Wanda admitted with a smirk. 

“Am I also correct in assuming you were the one following Mackenzie and the reason she ended up in that hole?” Mason pressed.

“Another gold star for you,” Wanda said. “I knew it was only a matter of time before someone caught on, so I had to eliminate the competition.”

“But you failed. Mackenzie is alive, and now you’ve made your biggest mistake by trying to break in here. I contacted my friend at the FBI,” Mason declared confidently.

“The police have taken your husband into custody, and now they're coming for you. You’ll never see your daughter again,” Mason warned. "This is the police. You are under arrest for the endangerment and abuse of a child," the officers announced as they began to escort Wanda away. 

"Dad, can I stay at the hospital tonight? I don't think I'll feel safe here," Mason asked. 

"Of course, I'll take you back," David replied. "Your mother should have returned by now." 

"Thanks, Dad," Mason said as David drove him back to the hospital. Upon their arrival, they found that Melissa had already returned from dropping Olivia and Alicia off at home.

"Honey, what’s wrong? I thought your father was taking you home," she inquired.

"We ran into a little complication; we had to deal with a break-in," David explained. 

"Someone broke into our house?!" Melissa exclaimed. 

"Yes, but it's alright. Mason handled it and had them arrested," David reassured her. "However, he didn’t feel comfortable staying there after that, so I brought him back."

"Oh my God, at least no one was hurt," Melissa sighed in relief. "But I still don’t understand how they got our address in the first place," Mason wondered aloud.

"Let’s focus on that tomorrow; it’s late, and we should all try to get some rest," David suggested.

"I know everyone is eager to go to bed after such a long day, but I have something to say," Mackenzie interjected. "I'm really sorry for everything I put you all through today and for making everyone worry about me."

"It's alright, dear. We'll discuss everything in the morning, including any consequences," Melissa replied.

"Consequences? Shouldn’t breaking her leg be punishment enough?" Mason questioned.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. Can we please go to bed now?" David urged, his patience wearing thin.

"We should really head to bed now; your father is starting to get cranky," Melissa added with a smile.

"Yeah, okay. Goodnight, everyone," Mason said as they exchanged goodnights, finally settling in for sleep after a long day.