"Vania, please answer the phone! Don’t make me worry!" Devandra spoke in a panic as he redialed his wife’s number, praying he would hear her voice on the other end.

But the ringtone echoed emptily. No answer. No sign that Vania intended to pick up his calls.

Frustrated, Devandra ran his hand through his hair and paced restlessly in the Montgomery family’s living room. Since morning, he had been trying to trace Vania’s whereabouts, but all his efforts had led nowhere. What made it ...