Chapter 9 - THE BROTHER

Daniel hadn’t seen his brother in six months.

Ethan Carter was two years younger.

Charming.

Reckless.

Always one good idea away from success and one terrible decision away from disaster.

Daniel called him.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

Ryan drove.

Emily sat in the back seat.

Daniel tracked Ethan’s phone through the family account.

A blue dot moved north.

Fast.

“Where’s he going?” Ryan asked.

“Looks like the highway.”

Emily leaned forward.

“You think Claire ran away with him?”

“No.”

Daniel said it too quickly.

Ryan glanced at him.

Daniel saw the question.

He hated it.

“No,” he repeated.

But a memory surfaced.

Claire and Ethan laughing alone on the back porch last Thanksgiving.

Claire defending Ethan after he borrowed money and failed to pay it back.

Ethan showing up at their house late one night while Daniel was away.

Claire had said he needed advice.

Daniel had believed her.

He stared at the moving dot.

“Call him from your phone,” he told Emily.

She did.

Ethan answered.

“Hello?”

Daniel grabbed the phone.

“Where are you?”

Silence.

Then:

“Dan.”

“Where are you?”

“Listen—”

“Put Claire on.”

“Daniel, calm down.”

Ryan muttered, “Wrong answer.”

Daniel’s voice dropped.

“If she’s with you, put her on.”

Ethan sighed.

“She’s upset.”

“I don’t care.”

“She’s your fiancée.”

“Not anymore.”

Silence.

“What happened?” Ethan asked.

Daniel almost laughed.

“You don’t know?”

“No.”

“Then why did you drive her away from the wedding?”

“Because she called me crying.”

Daniel’s jaw tightened.

“Where are you?”

“We’re at a gas station.”

“Which one?”

Ethan hesitated.

Daniel looked at the tracking map.

“I can see your location.”

“Jesus, Daniel.”

“Stay there.”

“Why?”

“Because police want to talk to Claire.”

This time, Ethan went completely silent.

Then he whispered, “What did she do?”

In the background, Daniel heard Claire shout.

“Hang up!”

The call ended.

Ryan accelerated.

Ten minutes later they pulled into a highway rest stop.

Ethan’s car sat beside a pump.

Driver’s door open.

No one inside.

Daniel got out.

“Ethan!”

Nothing.

Emily pointed.

“There!”

Claire was walking fast toward the rear parking area.

Ethan followed her.

Daniel ran.

“Claire!”

She turned.

For half a second, she looked relieved.

Then she saw Emily and Ryan.

The relief vanished.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped.

Daniel stopped several feet away.

“Police are looking for you.”

Ethan stared at Claire.

“You said this was about a fight.”

“It is.”

Daniel looked at his brother.

“She and her mother stole cash from the wedding and tried to frame a waiter.”

Ethan slowly turned toward Claire.

“What?”

Claire threw up her hands.

“Oh my God. Daniel, you don’t even know what happened.”

“I know marked bills from the missing cash were found in your bridal suite.”

“That was my mother.”

“And the envelope in Miguel’s locker?”

Claire’s face changed.

Ethan noticed.

“What envelope?”

Daniel looked at his brother.

“They planted evidence.”

Ethan stepped away from Claire.

“Did you do that?”

Claire stared at him.

“You’re taking his side too?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“You know what Daniel’s like. He always needs to be the good guy.”

Daniel said nothing.

Claire turned to him.

“You love this, don’t you?”

“Love what?”

“Everyone looking at you like some hero.”

“You slapped a waiter.”

“It was one slap!”

Ethan flinched.

Daniel stared at her.

One slap.

Like it was a spilled drink.

A broken glass.

Nothing.

Claire pointed at Daniel.

“You’ve been waiting for a reason to leave me.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, Claire. I’ve been ignoring reasons to leave you.”

That hit.

She went silent.

Then Ethan spoke.

“Claire.”

She turned.

He looked sick.

“Tell him.”

Her face tightened.

“Tell me what?” Daniel asked.

Ethan looked at Daniel.

“I didn’t know about the waiter.”

“Okay.”

“But there is something I knew.”

Daniel stared at him.

“What?”

Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets.

Claire whispered, “Don’t.”

Daniel looked from one to the other.

“What did you know?”

Ethan’s eyes filled with shame.

“I loaned her money.”

Daniel blinked.

“How much?”

Ethan swallowed.

“Fifty thousand.”

The parking lot seemed to tilt.

Daniel stared at his brother.

“Where did you get fifty thousand dollars?”

Ethan looked away.

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