Chapter 5: The Flight That Never Was
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The sirens were outside now.
Blue light flashed through the basement window well.
But all I could hear was Vanessa's last sentence.
“He never expected you to come back from Seattle.””
I looked at Marcus.
“What did she mean?””
“She’s panicking.””
Vanessa laughed.
It sounded almost hysterical.
“Oh, now I'm panicking?””
“Vanessa, shut up.””
“No!””
She pointed at him.
“You told me Daniel would be out of the picture!””
Marcus rushed toward her.
I stepped between them.
“Back up.””
He stopped inches from me.
For seventeen years, I had trusted this man.
He'd been beside me when Emma was born.
He'd stood at my late wife's funeral.
He'd carried Emma on his shoulders when she was two.
Now I couldn't recognize him.
“What was supposed to happen in Seattle?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why did Vanessa think I wasn't coming back?””
Marcus shook his head.
“She misunderstood.””
Police pounded on the front door.
“Police! Is anyone inside?””
“Down here!”” I shouted.
Marcus glared at me.
Two officers entered the basement moments later.
Everything became noise.
Questions.
Names.
Hands visible.
Separate sides of the room.
I showed them the bruise photographs Rachel had texted me, the kitchen footage, the basement recording, the locked room.
The older officer, Sergeant Cole, watched part of the video without speaking.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
“Ma'am, I need you to step upstairs with Officer Ramirez.””
Vanessa immediately pointed at Marcus.
“He helped me!””
Marcus's head snapped toward her.
“With what?”” Sergeant Cole asked.
“The money.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“She's trying to save herself.””
“I have messages!””
That shut him up.
Vanessa grabbed her phone from her purse.
Marcus moved.
Fast.
He snatched it from her hand.
“Hey!”” Officer Ramirez shouted.
Marcus tried to turn away.
Cole caught his arm and forced him against the wall.
“Drop the phone!””
Marcus released it.
The device hit the concrete.
Vanessa stared at him.
“You were going to delete it.””
“Stop talking.””
Officer Ramirez picked up the phone.
Vanessa pointed at it.
“Everything is there. Messages. Transfers. The Seattle plan.””
Sergeant Cole looked at me.
“Mr. Carter, do you know what she's referring to?””
“No.””
“Were you scheduled to travel?””
“Yes. Marcus arranged a business trip.””
“When?””
“Tomorrow.””
“Transportation?””
“A company car to the airport.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
I suddenly remembered something.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
“The car.””
“What about it?”” Cole asked.
“Marcus changed our transportation vendor two weeks ago.””
Marcus stared at the floor.
“He insisted on it.””
Cole's expression sharpened.
“Do you have the company's name?””
“Blackridge Executive Transport.””
Vanessa whispered, “Oh God.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
She covered her mouth.
“What?””
“Marcus told me it was handled.””
Cole stepped closer.
“What was handled?””
Vanessa began crying again.
“The accident.””
The word seemed to suck the air from the basement.
Marcus shouted, “She's lying!””
Vanessa screamed back.
“You told me the car would crash before he reached the airport!””
My knees nearly buckled.
Cole immediately signaled Ramirez.
“Separate them. Now.””
Marcus was taken upstairs.
Vanessa remained against the wall.
I couldn't stop staring at her.
“You knew?””
She shook her head violently.
“Not at first.””
“You knew someone planned to kill me?””
“He said you wouldn't suffer.””
I felt physically sick.
“And you stayed quiet?””
“I was scared!””
“You were planning to run away with him!””
Vanessa looked down.
That was when I understood something worse.
“If I died, what happened to Emma?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
“Vanessa.””
Her silence terrified me.
“What happened to my daughter?””
“I don't know.””
“Look at me.””
She slowly raised her eyes.
“What happened to Emma if I died?””
“Marcus said there were documents.””
“What documents?””
“Custody papers.””
I stared at her.
“You're her stepmother.””
“I know.””
“You wouldn't automatically get custody.””
“I know!””
“Then what documents?””
Vanessa's voice became barely audible.
“Something you supposedly signed.””
My mind jumped to the forged trust authorization.
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
“Vanessa!””
“His office!””
Sergeant Cole stepped forward.
“Do not go there yourself.””
I looked at him.
“My daughter's future is sitting in that office.””
“And we will deal with it.””
My phone rang.
Rachel.
I answered instantly.
“Is Emma okay?””
There was silence.
“Rachel?””
“She's okay, but Daniel…”
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“Emma asked me to get her backpack from your house.””
“Okay.””
“She said there's something inside that Marcus gave her.””
I looked toward the basement stairs.
“What did he give her?””
Rachel lowered her voice.
“A phone.””
My blood turned cold.
“What phone?””
“A little prepaid phone. She says Marcus told her to hide it from you and Vanessa.””
“Why?””
“I don't know. She won't tell me over the phone.””
I grabbed my keys.
Sergeant Cole blocked the stairs.
“You're not driving anywhere in this state.””
“My daughter—”
“We'll take you.””
Twenty minutes later, I was at Rachel's house.
Emma ran straight into my arms.
“Daddy!””
I held her tighter than I ever had.
“I’m here.””
“Is Vanessa coming?””
“No.””
“Promise?””
“I promise.””
Her body relaxed.
Rachel stood behind her holding a tiny black phone.
Emma saw it.
Her expression changed.
“Sweetheart,” I said, “why did Marcus give you that?””
She looked at Rachel.
Then at me.
“He said it was our secret.””
“When?””
“When you went on your last trip.””
“What did he tell you to do with it?””
Emma swallowed.
“He said if Vanessa ever took me downstairs again, I had to press the red button.””
I stared at the phone.
“Did you?””
Emma nodded.
“Yesterday.””
Rachel handed it to Sergeant Cole.
He examined the screen.
There was one outgoing call in the history.
Yesterday.
2:14 p.m.
Duration: forty-three seconds.
Cole looked at the number.
“Do you recognize this?””
I did.
It belonged to Marcus.
May you like
My daughter had called him while locked in that basement room.
And he had answered.
