She had not mistaken herself for Alma.
She wanted to erase her.
A police radio crackled.
Detective Brooks listened.
Then she looked at me.
"They found your wife."
My knees nearly gave out.
"Is she okay?"
"As good as she can be."
I covered my face.
The next several hours came in pieces.
Ava in handcuffs, a detective collecting the laptop, and an officer driving me to the hospital.
Alma had been in the basement for five days.
Ava left water, crackers, and canned food. She had installed the camera so she could check that Alma was still there.
She told officers that she planned to return every weekend to check on her.
She believed she could disappear for a day, visit the basement, and come home before I became suspicious.
At the hospital, a nurse led me into a private room.
Alma was sitting in bed beneath a white blanket.
