Chapter 9
We called the police.
Daniel gave them Ryan’s address.
I gave them Grace’s photograph.
Michael called the investigator.
No one could tell us exactly where she was.
Then Daniel remembered the location-sharing app on Grace’s phone.
His hands shook so badly he entered the password wrong twice.
Finally the map loaded.
A blue dot blinked.
Downtown bus station.
“She hasn’t reached him yet.”
We ran.
Daniel drove.
I sat in the passenger seat.
Michael followed in his car.
The twenty-minute drive felt like two hours.
I called Grace seven times.
No answer.
I texted.
Please don’t meet him alone.
Nothing.
Daniel gripped the steering wheel.
“She thinks I’m controlling her.”
“She’s angry.”
“She could get hurt.”
“We’ll find her.”
“If something happens—”
“Don’t.”
He looked at me.
“I already lost Sarah.”
His voice broke.
“I can’t lose Grace.”
“You won’t.”
I hoped I wasn’t lying.
The blue dot moved.
“She’s on a bus.”
Daniel swore.
“Which route?”
I searched.
“Route 14 goes toward Ryan’s registered address.”
Daniel pressed harder on the gas.
We reached the bus station too late.
The dispatcher confirmed the Route 14 bus had left eleven minutes earlier.
The police were already heading toward Ryan’s house.
We followed.
Grace finally answered my call.
“Grace?”
Her voice was quiet.
“I told you not to follow.”
“Are you on the bus?”
“Yes.”
“Please get off somewhere public.”
“I just want to talk to him.”
“You can talk to him with Daniel there.”
“He hates him.”
“Daniel is afraid.”
“So are you.”
“Yes.”
I didn’t deny it.
“I’m terrified.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Because I remember what Ryan was like.”
“People change.”
“They do.”
“You said that.”
“Yes.”
“But?”
“But if he changed, he can prove it without getting you alone.”
Grace didn’t answer.
“Please.”
Then a man’s voice came through the phone.
“Grace?”
My blood stopped.
Not from the phone.
From somewhere near her.
Ryan.
“Grace, where are you?”
She whispered, “He’s here.”
The line went dead.
I screamed.
Daniel nearly drove onto the shoulder.
“What?”
“He found her.”
“How?”
I called back.
No answer.
Daniel called police dispatch again.
They redirected units.
The bus driver later told police that a man had boarded two stops earlier.
He had sat three rows behind Grace.
When she got off, he followed.
We reached the location ten minutes later.
A gas station.
Grace stood near the side of the building.
Ryan was six feet away.
Two police cars were pulling in.
I jumped from Daniel’s vehicle before it fully stopped.
“Grace!”
She turned.
Ryan looked at me.
Sixteen years vanished.
His hair had gray in it.
His face was thinner.
But his eyes were the same.
Cold when challenged.
Warm when he wanted something.
“Emily.”
I stopped beside Grace.
“Get away from her.”
Ryan held up his hands.
“I haven’t touched her.”
Daniel arrived behind me.
Grace looked furious.
“You called the cops?”
“Yes.”
“I was talking to him!”
“You’re sixteen.”
Ryan laughed quietly.
“There she is.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“The Emily I remember.”
“Don’t.”
“Always telling everyone what they’re allowed to do.”
Grace looked between us.
Ryan smiled at her.
“Your mother had a temper.”
“Stop talking to her.”
A police officer stepped between us.
“Sir, I need you to back up.”
Ryan complied.
“I didn’t commit a crime.”
The officer asked for identification.
Ryan handed it over.
Grace pulled me aside.
“He said you lied.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
“Of course he did.”
“He said you took money.”
“I didn’t.”
“He showed me papers.”
“What papers?”
Ryan called out, “Tell her about the agency check, Emily.”
I turned.
“What check?”
“You know.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Pregnancy and legal expenses were paid through the licensed agency.”
Ryan laughed.
“Not that money.”
My stomach tightened.
“What are you talking about?”
He pulled a folded copy from his jacket.
The officer stopped him, took it, inspected it, then handed it to Daniel.
Daniel read.
His expression changed.
“This is a bank check.”
I grabbed it.
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
Payable to Ryan Hale.
Issued by Carter Family Trust.
My chest went cold.
“Carter?”
Daniel stared.
“My father.”
Grace looked at him.
“Grandpa?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Ryan smiled.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
I stared at the check.
“What is this?”
Ryan folded his arms.
“Daniel’s father paid me to disappear.”
Daniel looked stunned.
“You’re lying.”
“Your father found me before the adoption was finalized.”
“That makes no sense.”
“He offered twenty-five thousand if I signed the papers and never contacted the child.”
Grace’s face went white.
I looked at Ryan.
“Did you take it?”
He smiled.
“Yes.”
Grace stepped backward.
“So you sold me.”
Ryan’s smile vanished.
“No.”
“You took money to give up your rights.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Her voice rose.
“How was it different?”
“I knew Emily would never let me see you.”
“I was a baby!”
“I was young.”
“You were twenty-two.”
“Grace.”
“You took twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Ryan looked toward me.
“Tell her how desperate we were.”
“We?”
I almost laughed.
“There was no we.”
His eyes hardened.
“There could have been.”
“No.”
“You poisoned her against me.”
“She met you ten minutes ago.”
Grace stared at him.
“Did you come back because you wanted me?”
“Yes.”
“Or because you want something?”
Ryan hesitated.
Too long.
I saw it.
Daniel saw it.
Grace saw it.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Ryan.”
“Nothing.”
The officer returned from his patrol car.
“Mr. Hale, I need to speak with you about an outstanding civil matter.”
Ryan’s face changed.
“What matter?”
The officer said quietly, “You were served with a court order two weeks ago involving restitution.”
Daniel looked at me.
Ryan stepped backward.
“Unrelated.”
Suddenly I understood.
Money.
Of course.
“You owe someone.”
Ryan’s eyes hardened.
“Don’t.”
“How much?”
“Emily.”
“How much?”
Grace whispered, “He asked me about the trust.”
Daniel froze.
“What trust?”
She looked at him.
“He said Mom left money for me.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Grace.”
Ryan snapped, “It belongs to her.”
Daniel turned.
“You stay away from my daughter.”
“There it is. The rich father deciding everything.”
Grace looked sick.
“You didn’t come to find me.”
Ryan said, “Yes, I did.”
“You came because Mom left me money.”
“No.”
“How did you know?”
Silence.
Grace stepped away from him.
Tears ran down her cheeks.
“You don’t know my favorite food.”
“Grace—”
“You don’t know my middle school.”
“I can learn.”
“You don’t know what Mom sounded like when she laughed.”
Ryan said nothing.
“You don’t know that I hate tomatoes or that I sleep with the hallway light on when I’m scared.”
Her voice cracked.
“But you know about my trust.”
Ryan’s face hardened.
“Your mother kept me away.”
“No.”
Grace wiped her tears.
“You stayed away.”
The police escorted Ryan toward one of the cars to finish questioning.
He shouted my name once.
I didn’t turn.
Grace stood shaking.
Daniel approached slowly.
“I’m sorry.”
She looked at him.
“For what?”
“For not telling you about the trust.”
She laughed painfully.
“Another secret.”
“It becomes yours at eighteen.”
“How much?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Dad.”
“About three hundred thousand.”
Grace’s eyes widened.
“So that’s why he came.”
“Probably.”
She closed her eyes.
I stepped toward her.
This time, she didn’t move away.
I wrapped my arms around her.
For one second she remained stiff.
Then she collapsed against me.
She cried into my shoulder.
I held her.
I had dreamed of this moment for sixteen years.
But not like this.
Never like this.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She cried harder.
“I don’t know who to trust.”
I held her tighter.
“Then don’t trust words.”
She pulled back slightly.
“What?”
“Watch what people do.”
Daniel stood beside us.
Michael had arrived too.
He stayed several feet away.
I looked at Grace.
“People can say they love you while lying.”
My eyes moved toward Michael.
“They can say they’re protecting you while controlling you.”
Then toward Ryan.
“They can say they came back for you when they came back for money.”
I looked at Daniel.
“And people can make mistakes because they’re terrified of losing you.”
Grace breathed shakily.
“How do I know the difference?”
“Time.”
Daniel nodded.
“Actions.”
Grace wiped her face.
Then her eyes moved to Michael.
He looked destroyed.
She whispered, “What about him?”
I followed her gaze.
Michael slowly walked toward us.
He held something in his hand.
An envelope.
“What’s that?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“Divorce papers.”
My heart stopped.
“I had them prepared three months ago.”
May you like
The world tilted again.
And I realized Michael’s gambling might not have been the only reason he was stealing my savings.
