Chapter 3 - THE MAN AT THE DOOR
“Pause it.”
The manager froze the frame.
The man’s face was partly hidden under a baseball cap, but there was enough to see.
Sharp jaw.
Short beard.
Tattoo on his right hand.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Too fast.
She answered too fast.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Noah tugged my sleeve.
“Daddy?”
I crouched beside him.
“What?”
“That’s the man.”
Every adult in the room looked at him.
“What man?”
“The man from our house.”
Vanessa inhaled sharply.
I turned to her.
“Our house?”
Noah nodded.
“He came when you were working.”
My heart started pounding.
“When?”
“Lots.”
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Noah is confused.”
I stood.
“He’s five, not stupid.”
“He sees delivery drivers. Landscapers. Neighbors.”
Noah shook his head.
“No. He hugged you.”
The silence was brutal.
My mother closed her eyes.
Lauren whispered, “Oh my God.”
Vanessa laughed.
Actually laughed.
“This is insane.”
I looked at the screen again.
The man pulled on the SUV handle.
Then crouched.
He said something to Noah through the glass.
Noah moved away from the window.
The man checked around the parking lot.
Then he pulled something from his pocket.
A small metal tool.
Marco leaned closer.
“He’s trying to open the door.”
I felt sick.
The manager grabbed the phone.
“I’m calling the police.”
Vanessa snapped, “No!”
Every head turned toward her.
She lowered her voice.
“I mean, there’s no need. He didn’t get in.”
I stared at her.
“A stranger tried to break into a car with my son inside, and you don’t want police?”
“I don’t want this getting blown out of proportion.”
“It already is.”
The footage continued.
The man worked at the door for almost thirty seconds.
Then a couple walked out of the restaurant.
He stopped.
Walked away.
Got into a silver sedan.
And drove off.
Marco zoomed in.
The plate was blurry.
But not useless.
The manager wrote down the numbers he could see.
Vanessa started toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“No.”
She turned.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not taking my car.”
Her face tightened.
“It’s our car.”
“The car you locked my child in?”
My mother stood.
“That’s enough.”
“No. It’s not even close to enough.”
Noah suddenly pulled on my hand.
“Daddy?”
“What?”
“The man told me something.”
My chest tightened.
“What did he say?”
Noah looked at Vanessa first.
Then back at me.
“He said, ‘Tell your mommy she owes me.’”
Vanessa’s knees seemed to weaken.
Lauren grabbed the back of a chair.
I stepped toward my wife.
“Owes him what?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“Owes him what?”
Her eyes filled.
Not with sadness.
Fear.
Then the manager opened the office door.
Two police officers were standing outside.
One of them looked directly at Vanessa.
May you like
“Ma’am, we’re going to need you to stay right here.”
And for the first time since I’d met her, Vanessa looked like she had no idea what lie to tell next.
