Chapter 8
The silence after Samantha said Officer Bennett’s name felt heavier than any scream.
Ethan spoke first.
“Are you sure?”
“That’s what Marcus said.”
“Marcus is a liar.”
“I know.”
“Then why believe him?”
“Because he knew things I only told police.”
My heart started pounding.
“What things?”
“Where I hid after leaving my house.”
Rachel looked toward the windows.
Samantha continued.
“I called the Richardson police from a gas station. I told them I was going to a friend’s apartment in Addison.”
“What happened?”
“Marcus was waiting two blocks from the apartment.”
“Maybe he followed you.”
“He couldn’t have.”
“Why?”
“I changed cars.”
We all stared at the phone.
“How?”
“A woman at the gas station recognized me from the preschool. She let me borrow hers.”
Samantha took a shaky breath.
“Marcus still found me.”
Ethan looked at Noah.
Noah mouthed, Don’t say anything.
Samantha said, “I need to meet you.”
Ethan immediately answered, “Okay.”
I shook my head hard.
He saw me.
“Not alone,” he added.
“No police.”
“Samantha—”
“No police.”
“Then no.”
She started crying.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand you’re scared.”
“I have the key.”
“You said that.”
“And I know where the box is.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if Marcus is listening, I’m dead.”
My skin crawled.
“Are you somewhere safe?” I asked.
“I think so.”
“Then stay there.”
“I need to give Ethan the key.”
“No.”
She fell silent.
I continued.
“You’ve survived this long because you didn’t trust anyone. Don’t destroy that instinct now.”
Ethan looked at me.
I said, “Call us again in one hour.”
“Why?”
“We’ll create a way to verify each other.”
“How?”
“We need time.”
She hesitated.
Then said, “Fine.”
The call ended.
Rachel exhaled.
“What are we doing?”
“We’re not handing ourselves to Marcus.”
Ethan looked toward the front door.
“What about Bennett?”
“We don’t know.”
Noah lowered his voice.
“Do we tell Warren?”
“Maybe.”
“You trust him?”
“I trust nobody.”
The words came out before I thought.
Ethan looked at me.
I hated what Patricia had done.
Not only the bruises.
Not only the custody plan.
She had poisoned the simplest thing in a family.
Trust.
Noah had an idea.
“Give Samantha a phrase only we know.”
“That proves us to her,” Rachel said. “Not her to us.”
“Then ask something Marcus couldn’t know.”
Ethan thought.
“What?”
He barely knew Samantha existed.
Then his expression changed.
“Daniel.”
“What about him?”
“If she has his records, she might know something private.”
He grabbed a piece of paper.
“When I was little, Dad used to call me Scout.”
Rachel frowned.
“That’s common.”
“No. Not because of the book.”
“Then why?”
“I couldn’t say ‘screwdriver.’ I called it a scout-driver.”
Despite everything, a laugh escaped me.
Ethan smiled sadly.
“Dad thought it was hilarious.”
“So ask her what Daniel called you.”
“Yes.”
We also chose a phrase for her to verify us.
Blue bicycle.
Why?
Because Lily’s nursery had a tiny blue bicycle decoration on one shelf.
Visible on the camera footage.
Samantha had never seen our house.
Marcus probably hadn’t noticed it.
Not perfect.
But better than nothing.
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Officer Bennett.
Nobody moved.
He answered normally.
“Hello?”
“Any contact from Samantha?”
Ethan looked at me.
“No.”
The lie came easier than expected.
Bennett said, “If she calls, tell her to contact me directly.”
“Okay.”
“We have reason to believe Marcus may use her to get to you.”
“Understood.”
She paused.
“Are you still at Rachel’s?”
My blood went cold.
Ethan’s eyes moved toward me.
“Yes.”
“Good. Stay there.”
The call ended.
Rachel whispered, “She already knew we were here.”
“Of course,” Noah said. “She responded here last night.”
Right.
That proved nothing.
But fear made everything look guilty.
Twenty minutes later, Detective Warren called.
He asked the same question.
Any contact from Samantha?
Ethan lied again.
No.
Then Warren said, “Officer Bennett is no longer on your protection detail.”
We all froze.
Ethan kept his voice calm.
“Why?”
“She’s been reassigned.”
“To what?”
“I can’t discuss personnel matters.”
“Did something happen?”
“Ethan, stay focused on your family.”
Then Warren hung up.
Rachel whispered, “That’s not normal.”
“No,” Noah said. “It isn’t.”
At exactly 6:17, Samantha called.
Ethan answered.
“Tell me what Daniel called me when I was little.”
Silence.
Then Samantha said, “Scout.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“Because you called a screwdriver a scout-driver.”
His eyes filled.
It was her.
Or at least someone with Daniel’s private records.
Samantha said, “Now my turn.”
Ethan looked at me.
“Blue bicycle.”
She exhaled.
“Okay.”
“Where are you?”
“At a motel.”
“Which one?”
“No.”
“Samantha.”
“I’ll meet you.”
I interrupted.
“Somewhere public.”
“Yes.”
“Busy.”
“Yes.”
“No parking garage. No isolated place.”
“Fine.”
She named a hospital cafeteria in north Dallas.
Cameras.
Security.
People.
Smart.
“Thirty minutes,” she said.
“No.”
“What?”
“We’re not bringing Lily.”
Silence.
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“Marcus did.”
“I’m not Marcus.”
“I know.”
“Then leave her with Rachel.”
I looked at Rachel.
She nodded instantly.
I hated the thought of leaving Lily.
Every instinct fought it.
But bringing her near this situation was worse.
Ethan and I drove in Noah’s car.
Different vehicle.
Different route.
Rachel stayed behind with Lily and two patrol officers Warren had arranged outside.
I didn’t know whether that made me feel safer anymore.
The hospital cafeteria was crowded.
Nurses.
Families.
Visitors.
A television showing a baseball game.
Samantha sat in the corner wearing a baseball cap.
I recognized her immediately.
Not because of the website photograph.
Because she looked like Ethan.
The same eyes.
The same way of pressing her lips together when nervous.
Ethan stopped walking.
Samantha stood.
For several seconds, brother and sister stared at each other.
Then she began crying.
“So it’s true.”
Ethan nodded.
“I think so.”
She hugged him.
He hesitated only a second before hugging her back.
I looked away.
They had lost thirty-one years.
Not by accident.
By design.
We sat.
Samantha placed a small brass key on the table.
Then she covered it with her hand.
“Before I give you this, you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“Daniel knew Marcus might kill him.”
Ethan swallowed.
“And?”
“He also suspected Patricia would help cover it up.”
Ethan looked down.
Samantha pulled a folded letter from her purse.
“This is a copy.”
Ethan opened it.
The handwriting was neat.
Daniel’s.
Ethan recognized it immediately.
The letter was addressed to Helen Brooks.
If anything happens to me, protect Samantha and Ethan from both of them.
Both.
Marcus and Patricia.
Ethan’s eyes moved rapidly across the page.
Daniel wrote that Marcus wanted control of the business.
Patricia wanted freedom from her marriage without losing money.
Marcus believed Daniel had hidden millions in property and investments.
Daniel feared they might use Ethan someday if they discovered the trust.
The final line broke Ethan.
Tell my son I chose to be his father, and I would choose him again.
Ethan covered his mouth.
Samantha cried too.
I reached for his hand.
I didn’t think about it.
I simply did it.
He gripped mine.
Then Samantha looked over my shoulder.
Her face changed.
“What?”
She whispered, “Don’t turn around.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Marcus.”
Ethan’s hand tightened around mine.
“Where?”
“By the cafeteria entrance.”
I looked at the reflection in the dark television screen.
A man in a dark jacket stood thirty feet away.
Scar beside his mouth.
Marcus.
He wasn’t looking at Samantha.
He was looking at me.
Then he lifted his phone.
Mine vibrated.
A message appeared.
NICE TRY.
Another message followed.
WHERE IS LILY?
I felt sick.
Samantha whispered, “We need to go.”
Ethan stood.
May you like
Marcus smiled.
Then the hospital fire alarm started screaming.
