Chapter 10 - THE KNOCK AFTER MIDNIGHT
Three knocks.
Slow.
Heavy.
I froze.
It was 12:43 a.m.
No one should have been there.
The babies slept in bassinets beside the couch.
I picked up my phone.
Another knock.
Then a voice.
“Rachel.”
Every muscle in my body locked.
Travis.
I called 911.
“Police are on the way,” the dispatcher whispered.
“Do not open the door.”
Travis knocked again.
“I just want to talk.”
I backed toward the nursery.
He knew where I lived.
How?
“Rachel.”
His voice sounded soft.
That was worse than yelling.
“I’m not angry.”
I almost laughed.
He tried the handle.
Locked.
“I know you’re in there.”
The dispatcher said, “Officers are three minutes out.”
Three minutes suddenly felt like three hours.
Travis pressed his forehead against the door.
I could hear it.
“I saw Noah’s pictures.”
I said nothing.
“He looks like me.”
My hand shook around the phone.
“I know I messed up.”
Still nothing.
“I know.”
Then his voice cracked.
“I lost everything.”
Something inside me snapped.
I walked toward the door.
Not close enough to open it.
Close enough to answer.
“You lost everything?”
Silence.
“You left me bleeding on a floor.”
“I know.”
“You told me not to move.”
“I know.”
“You locked me inside.”
“I was scared.”
“You went shopping.”
He slapped the door suddenly.
I jumped.
“So what do you want me to say?”
There he was.
The real Travis.
“I want you to leave.”
“I want my family.”
“You had one.”
“Rachel.”
“No.”
“I’m their father.”
“You’re the man who nearly made sure they never took their first breath.”
Silence.
Then the handle moved again.
Harder.
“Open the door.”
“No.”
“Open the damn door.”
I heard footsteps below.
Then a man’s voice.
“Back away from the door.”
Evan.
Travis laughed.
Of course.
“Of course he’s here.”
“I called him,” I lied.
Actually Evan lived above his sister’s bakery on the third floor temporarily while renovating his house.
He must have heard the knocking.
“You sleeping with him now?” Travis shouted.
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
Travis turned.
I heard movement in the hallway.
Then a crash.
I opened the security camera app.
Travis had shoved Evan into the wall.
Evan raised both hands.
“Don’t.”
Travis swung.
Bad choice.
Evan ducked.
Pinned him against the wall.
Travis screamed.
“Get off me!”
“Stop fighting.”
“You stole my wife!”
Evan looked genuinely confused.
“She filed for divorce because you abandoned her in labor.”
Travis kicked backward.
Evan tightened his hold.
Police arrived seconds later.
They arrested Travis for violating the protective order.
As officers led him downstairs, Travis looked toward my door.
“Rachel!”
I watched through the camera.
“I love you!”
I felt nothing.
Then he screamed:
“You’re going to come crawling back!”
The officers pulled him away.
Evan knocked gently.
“It’s me.”
I opened the door two inches.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Kids?”
“Asleep.”
“Good.”
His eyebrow was bleeding.
“You’re bleeding.”
“So are half my patients.”
“That’s not how medicine works.”
He smiled.
Then became serious.
“He knew your address.”
“I know.”
“How?”
I didn’t know.
The answer came the next morning.
Natalie called me.
“He got it from Mom.”
I closed my eyes.
“How did she get it?”
Silence.
“Natalie?”
“She paid someone.”
My stomach turned.
“Who?”
“A private investigator.”
“For my address?”
“And more.”
“How much more?”
Natalie hesitated.
“Rachel…”
May you like
My skin went cold.
“She’s been following you since Noah came home.”
