Chapter 7 - THE HOUSE ON RIDGE ROAD
Police reached my mother’s house before I did.
Her front door was open.
One lamp was broken.
A chair was overturned.
And Mom was gone.
There was blood on the kitchen floor.
Not much.
But enough.
I stood behind the police tape shaking with rage.
Lauren grabbed my arm.
“We’ll find her.”
I pulled away.
“I told her.”
“What?”
“I told everybody something was wrong.”
She started crying again.
I didn’t comfort her.
I couldn’t.
Everything in me was focused on Noah.
He was safe at Lauren’s neighbor’s house with two officers.
I had refused to bring him here.
Officer Ramirez came outside.
“There are signs of a struggle.”
“Whose blood?”
“Lab will tell us.”
“Where is my mother?”
“We don’t know.”
“Was Vanessa here?”
“We found her fingerprint on the back door.”
“So yes.”
“It means she touched the door.”
“When?”
He didn’t answer.
I hated police language.
Careful words.
Maybe.
Possibly.
Could be.
My mother was missing.
My wife was lying.
A criminal had been inside my son’s bedroom.
I didn’t have patience for possibly.
Then Lauren found something.
“Ethan.”
She was standing near Mom’s mailbox.
A white envelope had been shoved behind a flowerpot.
My name was written on it.
ETHAN.
My heart stopped.
Ramirez put on gloves and opened it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
My mother’s handwriting.
I read it twice.
Ethan,
If you are reading this, I was wrong.
Vanessa told me she had gambling debt. She said Mason was threatening her. I gave her money. I helped her hide things from you because I thought I was protecting your marriage.
But tonight I saw the papers.
She has been moving money from your company account.
I think she is trying to leave.
There is more.
Mason is not just someone she dated.
They are still together.
I am sorry.
Mom.
I sat down on the curb.
My company account.
I opened the banking app.
Locked out.
Of course.
I called my business partner, Sam.
He answered half asleep.
“What’s wrong?”
“Check our operating account.”
“What?”
“Now.”
I heard typing.
Then silence.
“Ethan.”
“How much?”
“Jesus.”
“How much?”
“One hundred eighty-seven thousand dollars is gone.”
I shut my eyes.
“When?”
“Transfers over six months.”
“To where?”
“Different accounts.”
“Can you freeze everything?”
“I’m calling the bank.”
Ramirez’s radio crackled.
An officer spoke.
“Possible vehicle located.”
Everyone turned.
“Silver sedan found abandoned near Ridge Road.”
“Any occupants?”
“Negative.”
Ridge Road.
I knew the area.
Industrial buildings.
Storage units.
Old warehouses.
Then another officer called out from inside the house.
“Detective, you need to see this.”
We entered Mom’s office.
On her computer screen was a recently opened browser page.
A storage facility.
Unit 214.
And beside the keyboard was a sticky note.
MASON — RIDGE ROAD — 214.
I turned toward Ramirez.
“That’s where they took her.”
He grabbed his radio.
“We’re checking it.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“That’s my mother.”
“You’re staying with your son.”
I stepped closer.
“If my mother is alive in that unit—”
“You walking into a possible hostage situation will not help her.”
He was right.
I hated him for being right.
Then my phone buzzed.
A video message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
My mother sat tied to a chair.
Blood ran from her forehead.
Someone stood behind the camera.
Mason’s voice said,
“Bring me the phone from the garage.”
I stopped breathing.
Then Vanessa stepped into frame.
She looked directly into the camera.
May you like
And said,
“Come alone, Ethan.”
