Chapter 6 - THE BOAT
The boat sat at the far end of an aging marina.
White hull.
Faded blue stripe.
Name barely visible.
SECOND CHANCE.
“Daniel named it,” Hale said.
Ethan stared at the boat.
“Not much of a second chance.”
Police searched the cabin.
Nothing.
They opened compartments.
Nothing.
Checked beneath seats.
Nothing.
Then Ethan noticed damage near the navigation panel.
“Here.”
A screw was fresh.
Hale removed the panel.
Behind it sat a waterproof metal box.
Inside was a digital recorder.
And an envelope.
Hale opened it.
A handwritten letter.
If something happens to me, give this to the police.
Daniel Cross.
Ethan looked toward the recorder.
“Play it.”
Hale hesitated.
“This may become evidence.”
“I need to know.”
Hale pressed play.
Static.
Then Daniel’s voice.
“You took money from the company.”
Vanessa answered.
“I borrowed it.”
“Two hundred grand?”
“I was putting it back.”
“With what?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel sounded exhausted.
“I’m done.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You think you can leave me with nothing?”
“You stole from me.”
“You’d rather humiliate me than forgive me.”
“You need help.”
Then another voice.
Male.
Cole.
“Everybody calm down.”
Daniel said, “Stay out of it.”
Cole answered, “She came to me because she was scared.”
Vanessa said, “Daniel, please.”
“No.”
“I love you.”
“No, you love what I pay for.”
The recording stopped.
Ethan felt uneasy.
“That’s it?”
Hale examined the device.
“Different file.”
He pressed another button.
Daniel again.
“If you’re hearing this, Vanessa has probably done exactly what I’m afraid she’ll do.”
Ethan felt his skin crawl.
Daniel continued.
“She’s been putting something in my drinks.”
Hale’s eyes sharpened.
“I don’t know what.”
Daniel coughed.
“I wake up dizzy.”
Then his voice dropped.
“I told Cole.”
A pause.
“That was a mistake.”
Ethan looked at Hale.
Daniel continued.
“I think Cole is helping her.”
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then a sound came from above.
Footsteps.
Hale looked up.
“Police!”
A shadow crossed the deck.
Someone ran.
Ethan reached the stairs.
“Stay back!”
Hale drew his weapon and followed.
Cole Cross jumped from the boat onto the dock.
“Cole!”
He ran.
Two officers chased him.
Cole knocked over a cart.
Boxes crashed behind him.
He reached the parking lot.
A truck door opened.
Cole dove inside.
The truck roared away.
Hale radioed the plate.
Ethan stood on the dock.
Then his phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
He opened the message.
A photograph of Sophie asleep in Rachel’s house.
Taken through the bedroom window.
Beneath it were six words.
THE GIRL SHOULD STOP TALKING TOO.
Ethan’s hands began shaking.
Hale saw the screen.
“Call Rachel.”
Ethan did.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then a third time.
Rachel finally picked up.
“Hey.”
“Where’s Sophie?”
“In the backyard with me.”
“Take her inside.”
“What?”
“Now.”
Rachel heard his tone.
“Sophie!”
Ethan heard her running.
Then Rachel screamed.
“Ethan!”
His heart stopped.
“What?”
“The gate is open.”
“Where is Sophie?”
“I don’t know!”
Rachel’s voice broke.
May you like
“She was right here!”
And somewhere between one phone call and the next, Ethan’s four-year-old daughter had disappeared.
