Chapter 9 - THE TRAP
Officer Martinez read the note twice.
Then she looked at Evelyn.
“Does he know where you are?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Probably.”
“Does he have a key to this house?”
“No.”
Frank laughed bitterly.
“She said no pretty fast.”
Evelyn snapped, “Because he doesn’t!”
Martinez asked, “Has he ever been inside?”
Silence.
Frank stared at her.
“Evelyn.”
She whispered, “Once.”
“When?”
“Months ago.”
Frank shut his eyes.
Officer Martinez stayed focused.
“What was supposed to happen at midnight?”
Evelyn rubbed her hands together.
“I was supposed to meet him.”
“With money?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Twenty thousand.”
Frank said, “My money.”
Evelyn didn’t look at him.
The officer asked, “Where?”
“A closed gas station off Route 9.”
Daniel spoke up.
“That’s a bad area.”
Evelyn shot him a look.
“I know.”
Martinez leaned toward her.
“Was he threatening violence?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“He never said he’d hurt me.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Evelyn hesitated.
“He said things.”
“What things?”
“That he knew where Rachel worked.”
My entire body went cold.
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Evelyn finally looked at me.
“I didn’t know he was actually watching you.”
I stood so fast my chair scraped backward.
“You gave him my name?”
“I was angry!”
“You gave him my name?”
“I told him you overheard us!”
“Why?”
“Because I needed him to know the recording existed!”
I laughed in disbelief.
“So this is your fault too.”
“I didn’t tell him to threaten you!”
“You handed him a target.”
Officer Martinez stepped between us.
“Rachel, I need you to sit down.”
I didn’t want to.
But I did.
The officer looked at Evelyn.
“Did you tell him where Rachel works?”
“No.”
“Where she lives?”
“No.”
Daniel’s face changed.
I saw it.
“You did,” I said.
He looked at me.
“What?”
“You told him.”
“No.”
“Then how did he find our house?”
Silence.
Daniel looked down.
I felt physically sick.
“Daniel.”
He whispered, “He asked me to meet.”
Nobody moved.
“When?”
“Last week.”
I could barely hear myself.
“You met Greg?”
“He said he wanted to settle things.”
“And you went?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell me?”
“No.”
“Did you tell the police?”
“No.”
“What did you tell him?”
Daniel looked miserable.
“Not much.”
“WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?”
“He asked where we lived.”
Frank shouted, “You gave him your address?”
Daniel yelled back, “I was trying to keep him away from Mom!”
I stared at my husband.
“You gave a blackmailer our home address.”
“I didn’t think he’d go after you.”
“You don’t think very much, do you?”
He flinched.
Good.
Officer Martinez raised a hand.
“That’s enough.”
Then she looked at Daniel.
“What else does Greg know?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Nothing.”
His phone rang.
Everyone looked at it.
Unknown number.
Daniel went pale.
Officer Martinez said, “Answer it. Speaker.”
Daniel picked up.
“Hello?”
For two seconds, there was only static.
Then a man laughed.
The same man from my recording.
Greg.
“Daniel.”
My skin crawled.
“You’ve made a mess.”
Officer Martinez motioned for everyone to stay quiet.
Daniel swallowed.
“What do you want?”
Greg chuckled.
“You know exactly what I want.”
May you like
Then his voice sharpened.
“And tell your wife I can see her standing next to you.”
