The first thing five-year-old Sophie Carter noticed was the broken glass.

In the central command room of the Northbridge Police Department, tactical monitors displayed live traffic feeds, flight manifests, and security footage from the tri-state area.

Detective Vance stood before a large white whiteboard with photos of David Carter pinned to the center.

"David Carter, thirty-eight years old, chief financial officer at Apex Logistics," Vance announced to the gathered task force. "Six months ago, Apex began an internal audit following allegations of embezzlement totaling three million dollars. The audit was scheduled to finalize its findings yesterday afternoon."

Detective Miller stepped up to the board, slapping a bank record printout beside David’s photo.

"David was drowning," Miller explained. "He forged documents, siphoned company funds into offshore accounts in Grand Cayman, and when the walls started closing in, he decided to start a new life under a false identity. But he had a major obstacle: a pregnant wife and a child who tied him to Northbridge."

"He poisoned the milk before leaving for the airport," Vance said, his voice hard as iron. "He calculated that Natalie and the unborn baby would die quietly in the locked house while he was over international waters. Sophie was supposed to be trapped inside alone until someone checked on them days later."

"That monster," Officer Bellamy muttered under his breath.

"Where is he now?" Vance asked.

A tech specialist turned around in his swivel chair. "We pulled security footage from Northbridge International Airport. David Carter checked in at 7:15 AM using a fraudulent Canadian passport under the name 'Richard Vance.' He’s currently boarded on Flight 842 to Zurich, Switzerland."

Vance looked at his watch. "What’s the flight status?"