Chapter 5: The Missing Fourteen Months
The hospital waiting room felt colder after Claire’s voice disappeared.
Nobody spoke.
Not Elena.
Not Detective Reynolds.
Not me.
I stared at the phone in my sister’s hand.
“Call her back.””
Elena looked terrified.
“Daniel…”
“Call her back.””
The detective stepped forward.
“Put it on speaker.””
Elena pressed the button.
The call connected.
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then Claire spoke.
“I don’t have much time.””
My hands tightened.
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“You know my son was missing for fourteen months.””
“I know.””
“You know where he was.””
A pause.
“Yes.””
My anger exploded.
“Then why didn’t you help him?””
Her voice cracked.
“Because Marcus would have killed him.””
The room went silent.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“No.””
She sounded exhausted.
“I expect you to hate me.””
That answer stopped me.
“Why call me?””
“Because Marcus is going after the last piece of evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“The reason Leo was taken.””
Detective Reynolds moved closer.
“What evidence are you talking about?””
Claire heard him.
“Detective Reynolds?””
“Yes.””
“I know your name because Marcus kept files on everyone.””
The detective’s expression changed.
“What kind of files?””
“People he thought could hurt him.””
I looked at Elena.
My sister looked away.
“How did Leo survive?”” I asked.
Claire became quiet.
Then she said:
“Because I brought him food.””
My stomach twisted.
“You were there?””
“Yes.””
“Under the house?””
“Sometimes.””
“Sometimes?””
Claire started crying.
“I tried to get him out.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
“Because Marcus found out.””
I closed my eyes.
A thousand questions raced through my mind.
“You were his accountant.””
“Yes.””
“You helped him.””
“I helped him steal money.””
Her honesty was unexpected.
“I thought I could control it. I thought I could fix it before anyone got hurt.””
“And then my son saw something.””
“Yes.””
“What?””
Claire hesitated.
“Leo saw Marcus murder someone.””
The room froze.
Even Elena looked shocked.
“No,” Elena whispered.
Claire continued.
“Marcus wasn’t just stealing money.””
My voice lowered.
“Who did he kill?””
“My business partner.””
Detective Reynolds immediately grabbed his notebook.
“When?””
“The night Leo disappeared.””
Everything clicked.
The missing evidence.
The hidden rooms.
The lies.
Marcus hadn’t just been hiding a kidnapping.
He had been hiding a murder.
“Where is the body?”” Reynolds asked.
Claire went silent.
“Claire?””
“I don’t know.””
The detective looked frustrated.
“But you know something.””
“Yes.””
“What?””
Her voice became barely audible.
“Marcus kept trophies.””
My skin crawled.
“What kind of trophies?””
“Things from the people he destroyed.””
I looked toward the hallway.
Leo’s room was only a few doors away.
I couldn’t let him hear any more.
“Where are you, Claire?””
“I’m near Nashville.””
“Give us your location.””
“I can’t.””
“Why?””
A long pause.
Then Claire whispered:
“Because Marcus is already here.””
The call ended.
Immediately.
Detective Reynolds grabbed his radio.
“Lock down the hospital.””
I looked around.
“What?””
He didn’t answer.
He was already moving.
Security officers rushed through the hallway.
My heart started pounding.
Because I knew one thing.
Marcus had spent fourteen months hiding.
He had built secret rooms.
He had manipulated everyone around him.
He had taken my son.
A hospital wasn’t going to stop him.
I ran toward Leo’s room.
The door was open.
My blood turned cold.
The bed was empty.
The blanket was on the floor.
“LEO!””
I ran inside.
A nurse stood frozen near the window.
“What happened?””
She looked terrified.
“I thought he was with you.””
My chest tightened.
“No.””
Then I saw it.
A piece of paper on the bed.
My hands shook as I picked it up.
Five words were written in black ink.
*You should have listened to Elena.*
And beneath it was another sentence.
May you like
One that made my entire body go numb.
*Your son was never the only child I took.*
