Chapter 8 - The Price of Obedience
Mark wanted to tear the world apart.
Instead, he handed the phone to Detective Cole.
The call had already ended.
“We trace it.”
“He will know.”
“He already knows the police are involved.”
Laura opened her laptop.
“The bank will not release the funds without fraud approval.”
“Then we make Richard believe they will.”
Detective Cole contacted the state police.
Roadblocks were established across three counties.
Richard’s car had disappeared from traffic cameras.
He had changed vehicles again.
Mark listened to Rosie’s voice inside his head.
He says he can put me beside Mommy.
His father had used Emily’s grave to terrify a child.
Mark walked outside before his anger made him useless.
A woman stood near the station entrance.
She wore a restaurant uniform beneath an old coat.
Mark recognized her as Eva Torres.
Eva had cleaned his parents’ house for eleven years.
She carried a large shopping bag.
“Mr. Mark.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw the news about Rosie.”
“Do you know where my father took her?”
Eva looked toward the station doors.
“I know why he needed the basement room.”
Mark led her inside.
Eva placed the shopping bag on a table.
Inside were children’s blankets, plastic restraints, a small tripod, and a box of instant cameras.
Mark stared at them.
“Where did you get these?”
“From the room under the stairs.”
Detective Cole closed the interview room door.
“Explain everything.”
Eva’s hands trembled.
“Mrs. Hale told me never to enter that room.”
“Two weeks ago, I heard Rosie crying.”
“I opened it.”
“She was sitting on a chair.”
“Miss Bethany was recording her.”
Mark leaned forward.
“Recording what?”
“They made Rosie repeat sentences.”
“What sentences?”
“Daddy scares me.”
“Daddy hits things.”
“I want to live with Grandma.”
Mark covered his mouth.
Eva continued.
“Rosie kept saying the words wrong.”
“Mrs. Hale squeezed her arms.”
“That is where the marks came from.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Eva began crying.
“Mr. Richard said he would report my son to immigration.”
“My son was born here, but my husband was not.”
“He said he could destroy all of us.”
Detective Cole pointed to the bag.
“When did you remove these?”
“After the police came to the house.”
“I thought they would search the room.”
“They did not.”
“Mrs. Hale started cleaning everything.”
“So I took what I could.”
Eva removed a small memory card from her pocket.
“This was inside the camera.”
Laura inserted the card into her computer.
Videos filled the screen.
In the first recording, Rosie sat beneath a bright light.
Diane stood behind the camera.
“Say it again.”
Rosie wiped her cheeks.
“Daddy loves me.”
Diane stepped into view.
She grabbed Rosie’s arms.
“That is not what I told you to say.”
Bethany’s voice came from behind the camera.
“She keeps ruining it.”
“Then make her afraid.”
The next video showed Richard entering the room.
He placed the yellow folder on a table.
“This is taking too long.”
Diane looked at him.
“Mark will react when he sees the bruise.”
“What if he does not hit Bethany?”
“Then we use the glass.”
Mark stopped the video.
“The glass?”
Eva nodded.
“Mr. Richard told everyone at dinner what to do.”
“They were told to keep watching Rosie.”
“They were told not to interfere.”
“The whole dinner was staged.”
Detective Cole copied the memory card.
“This gives us conspiracy, child abuse, evidence tampering, and kidnapping motive.”
Laura looked at Eva.
“Do you know where Richard goes when he wants to disappear?”
Eva hesitated.
“He has an old warehouse near Blackwater Quarry.”
“He took me there once to clean an office.”
“There was a room behind a metal wall.”
Detective Cole began issuing orders.
Mark stood.
“I am going.”
“No.”
“My daughter is there.”
“We do not know that.”
Mark’s phone rang again.
This time, Bethany’s name appeared.
He answered.
Only breathing came through the speaker.
“Bethany?”
She whispered.
“He left us in the van.”
“Where?”
“I cannot see outside.”
“Is Rosie with you?”
“Yes.”
A loud banging sound came through the phone.
Bethany gasped.
“He is coming back.”
“Leave the phone on.”
“Mark, there is something else.”
“What?”
“Dad did not just steal Emily’s money.”
May you like
Bethany began sobbing.
“The night Emily died, he was inside your house.”
