Chapter 8 - THE WRONG POLICE OFFICER
“Police!”
Andrew stood.
Elizabeth exhaled.
“Thank God.”
Alex grabbed her hand.
Andrew walked toward the front hall.
Something felt wrong.
He stopped before opening the door.
“Who called you?”
A voice answered from outside.
“Emergency dispatch received a report of an armed disturbance.”
Andrew looked at Elizabeth.
“No phones work.”
Her face changed.
The pounding came again.
“Mr. Carter, open the door.”
Andrew looked through the side window.
One patrol car.
One officer.
No backup.
The man outside wore a uniform.
But Andrew didn’t recognize him.
Their town was small.
Andrew knew most of the police department.
He opened the door two inches with the chain still on.
The officer smiled.
“Mr. Carter?”
“Yes.”
“We need to come inside.”
“We?”
The officer’s smile faded.
Behind him, a dark SUV sat near the gate.
Andrew’s pulse jumped.
“Where’s your partner?”
“In the vehicle.”
“Name?”
“Officer Reed.”
Andrew stared at the badge.
The number looked scratched.
The officer moved closer.
“Open the door.”
Andrew shut it.
The officer immediately kicked it.
The chain snapped.
Andrew stumbled back.
Elizabeth screamed.
The fake officer rushed inside.
Andrew tackled him.
They crashed into the entry table.
The man pulled a knife.
Elizabeth grabbed a vase and smashed it over his shoulder.
He spun toward her.
Alex screamed.
“Behind you!”
Andrew punched the man in the jaw.
The knife fell.
Elizabeth kicked it away.
The fake officer slammed Andrew against the wall.
Then a shot exploded outside.
Everyone froze.
The man looked toward the door.
Another gunshot.
Then shouting.
“Police! Drop your weapon!”
Real police cars flooded the driveway.
Blue lights flashed through the windows.
The fake officer ran.
He made it three steps.
Detective Sarah Hale entered with her gun raised.
“Down!”
The man stopped.
Slowly, he raised his hands.
Andrew stared at her.
“How did you know?”
Sarah nodded toward Elizabeth.
“She called us.”
Andrew looked at her.
“How?”
Elizabeth held up Caroline’s old phone.
“When you threw it at the window, it landed on the curtain instead.”
Andrew almost laughed from relief.
Sarah looked around.
“Where are Lucinda Ward and David Mercer?”
“Gone.”
“We found an abandoned sedan half a mile away.”
“They have another vehicle.”
Sarah nodded.
“We’ll close the roads.”
Andrew pointed toward the office.
“I have video.”
Sarah followed him.
They watched the footage.
She didn’t speak until it ended.
“That changes everything.”
Andrew said, “You believed it was an accident.”
“We all did.”
Alex whispered, “I told people.”
Sarah looked at him.
“When?”
Alex’s eyes dropped.
“The man in the hospital.”
Andrew crouched.
“What man?”
Alex looked terrified again.
“The doctor.”
Elizabeth frowned.
“What doctor?”
Alex whispered, “He said if I talked, Daddy would die too.”
Sarah’s expression hardened.
“Alex, what did he look like?”
The boy looked toward the captured fake officer.
May you like
Then he whispered:
“Like him.”
