Chapter 7
I had never felt fear like that.
Not when my father died.
Not when my company nearly collapsed during its first year.
Not even when I watched Vanessa lift that iron.
Because the photograph meant whoever was helping her knew exactly where my son was.
“Everybody away from the windows,” Detective Brooks ordered.
Rebecca grabbed Noah.
David closed the blinds.
Maria began crying.
Luis stood frozen beside the table.
Brooks called for units.
Within minutes, police cars surrounded Rebecca’s street.
Officers searched yards.
Alleys.
Parked vehicles.
They found nothing.
The photograph had been taken from behind a wooden fence near the side of the house.
Someone had come close enough to see Noah through the family-room window.
I wanted to move him immediately.
Brooks refused.
“Not until we know we’re not being followed.”
“So what do we do?”
“We secure this house, then transport him.”
“Where?”
“A location your wife doesn’t know.”
I looked at Rebecca.
She nodded.
“Do it.”
My sister’s voice shook, but her eyes were hard.
I had spent years believing Rebecca was dramatic.
Now she was the strongest person in the room.
Brooks took my phone.
“The threat came from a prepaid number.”
“Can you trace it?”
“We’ll try.”
I pulled him aside.
“What about Evan?”
“We’re locating him.”
“He knows where Rebecca lives.”
“Anyone else?”
“Half my company.”
“That’s not helpful.”
I almost snapped at him.
Instead, I nodded.
He was right.
The picture did not prove Vanessa or Evan had taken it.
But the timing was impossible to ignore.
Two hours later, Noah and Rebecca were escorted to a secure rental property owned by one of David’s clients.
Maria chose to stay with them.
I wanted to stay too.
But Brooks asked me to come to headquarters.
They had found Evan.
He had voluntarily agreed to answer questions.
I nearly laughed.
“Voluntarily?”
“He says the photograph is being misunderstood.”
“How do you misunderstand your partner meeting your wife while she’s running from police?”
Brooks gave me a look.
“Come hear what he says.”
Evan sat in an interview room wearing jeans and a blue polo shirt.
He looked tired.
But not frightened.
I had known him since college.
We built Carter Biomedical together.
He had stood beside me at my wedding.
He held Noah at the hospital the day he was born.
When I entered, he stood.
“Mike.”
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
Brooks sat between us.
Evan rubbed his hands together.
“I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
“Vanessa called me.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Why?”
“She said you were having some kind of breakdown.”
I stared at him.
“She told you I was unstable?”
“She said you accused her of trying to hurt Noah.”
“She did try to hurt Noah.”
“I know that now.”
“You saw her before the police found you.”
“She asked me for money.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“Five thousand dollars.”
My chair scraped backward.
“You helped her run.”
“No!”
“You gave her cash!”
“She said you froze your accounts and she needed a hotel.”
“You believed her?”
“She was crying.”
“So?”
Evan looked at the table.
I laughed bitterly.
“You’ve always had a weakness for her.”
His head snapped up.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You tell me.”
“Nothing ever happened between us.”
I hadn’t accused him of that.
Not directly.
His answer came too quickly.
Brooks noticed.
“So there was reason Mr. Carter might suspect a relationship?”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“Did you sleep with my wife?”
“No.”
“Look at me.”
He did.
“Did you sleep with Vanessa?”
“No.”
I studied him.
Then asked something else.
“Did you want to?”
His expression changed.
There it was.
Small.
But there.
I sat back.
“Oh my God.”
“Mike—”
“How long?”
“Nothing happened.”
“How long have you been in love with her?”
“I’m not.”
“Stop lying!”
Brooks raised a hand.
Evan’s face tightened.
“It was a mistake.”
“What was?”
“She kissed me once.”
The room went silent.
“When?”
“Last year.”
“Before Noah was born?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“At your house.”
My stomach twisted.
“What happened?”
“You were in New York.”
“Of course I was.”
“She’d been drinking.”
“And you?”
“One drink.”
“Then what?”
“She kissed me. I stopped it.”
“Did you tell me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because she was pregnant!”
I stood.
“And that made lying better?”
“I didn’t want to blow up your family.”
“You protected yourself.”
He looked ashamed.
Then Brooks asked, “Did Mrs. Carter ever discuss the merger with you?”
Evan went quiet.
I stared at him.
“Answer.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“She asked questions.”
“What kind?”
“Valuation. Timing.”
“Did you answer?”
“Some.”
I could barely believe it.
“You gave confidential information to my wife?”
“She was your wife!”
“That doesn’t make her an executive!”
“I didn’t know she was stealing anything.”
Brooks asked, “Do you know Richard Hale?”
Evan blinked.
“No.”
The lie was obvious.
I slapped both hands on the table.
“Enough!”
“Mike—”
“We have video of Richard in my house.”
Evan’s face turned white.
Brooks leaned forward.
“You recognize the name?”
Evan swallowed.
“He contacted me.”
“When?”
“About four months ago.”
“Why?”
“He said Halcyon’s board was worried you would back out of the deal.”
“That’s garbage.”
“I know.”
“Then why meet him?”
Evan looked at me.
“Because he offered me something.”
I felt numb.
“What?”
“If I helped make sure the merger closed under their terms, I’d get a leadership role in the combined company.”
David had warned me that Evan hated the new structure.
He would lose operational control.
Apparently Richard knew it too.
“What did you give him?”
“Nothing illegal.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“General information.”
“What information?”
“Your concerns. Your negotiating position.”
I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I stayed seated.
“Did you tell him about my family?”
“No.”
“Vanessa?”
“No.”
“Did you introduce them?”
“No.”
Brooks studied him.
“Then how did Mrs. Carter meet Richard?”
Evan shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
My phone, sitting in an evidence pouch on the table, buzzed.
Brooks checked it.
Another unknown text.
This one contained no picture.
Just an address.
And a message.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH.
Brooks read it.
“Obviously, you’re not going alone.”
Another message appeared before I could answer.
ASK EVAN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FIRST WIFE.
I stopped breathing.
Evan stared at the screen.
His face changed completely.
My first wife, Claire, had died seven years earlier in a car accident.
I turned slowly toward him.
“What does Vanessa know about Claire?”
Evan whispered, “Mike…”
My blood turned cold.
“What?”
He looked at Brooks.
Then at me.
“I should have told you this years ago.”
Every sound in the room disappeared.
“What are you talking about?”
Evan’s eyes filled with tears.
“The night Claire died…”
May you like
He swallowed.
“She wasn’t alone.”
