Chapter 13 - THE LOCKED HOUSE
They reached the house in nine minutes.
It felt like ninety.
Police vehicles surrounded the property.
Ethan jumped out before the car fully stopped.
An officer grabbed him.
“Sir, stay back!”
“My son is inside!”
“We have officers entering from the rear.”
Sarah looked at the front door.
Closed.
Then the lights inside flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Darkness.
Detective Brooks cursed.
“He killed the power.”
Ethan tried to push past the officer.
Sarah grabbed his arm.
“You running inside blind won’t help Leo.”
He stared at her.
“He’s my son.”
“I know.”
His face broke.
“I can’t lose him too.”
Sarah swallowed hard.
“You won’t.”
A crash came from the side of the house.
Police shouted.
“Rear entrance breached!”
Sarah’s phone buzzed.
A video call.
Daniel.
She stared at the name.
Detective Brooks immediately said, “Answer.”
Sarah did.
Daniel appeared on screen.
His face was sweaty.
Behind him was the nursery.
Leo cried somewhere off camera.
Sarah’s stomach dropped.
“Daniel.”
“Come inside.”
Ethan moved toward the phone.
“Where is my son?”
Daniel laughed.
“You finally sound like a father.”
Ethan went pale.
Sarah kept her voice steady.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“Because this whole thing started when you decided to play hero.”
Sarah frowned.
“I didn’t even know you when I started working here.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel’s face twisted.
“You walked in and ruined years of work without even knowing it.”
Detective Brooks signaled officers to move around the side of the property.
Sarah kept him talking.
“Renee hired me.”
“Yes.”
“You helped her?”
Daniel smiled.
“Renee was good at finding useful people.”
“And Victoria?”
“A rich woman with anger problems and no patience. Very useful.”
Sarah felt sick.
“What was the plan?”
“Simple. Make Victoria feel threatened by you. Make you look unstable. Let Ethan destroy both of you.”
“What do you get?”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“Justice.”
Ethan whispered, “For what?”
Daniel heard him.
“For Claire.”
Everything stopped.
Ethan stepped closer.
“You knew Claire?”
Daniel’s face changed.
“She knew everyone.”
Sarah looked at Brooks.
Daniel continued.
“She found out Renee was stealing from the foundation years ago.”
“Stealing?” Ethan asked.
“She was going to expose her. Renee panicked.”
Sarah whispered, “Claire’s death.”
Ethan’s face drained.
“No.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You still think it was just bad luck?”
Ethan grabbed the phone.
“What did Renee do?”
Daniel’s eyes filled with something close to hatred.
“Ask her.”
“Where is she?”
Daniel turned the camera.
Renee sat tied to a chair in the nursery.
Blood ran from her eyebrow.
Sarah gasped.
Daniel turned the phone back.
“She used everyone. Victoria. Me. You. Even Claire.”
“Daniel,” Sarah said, “Leo has nothing to do with this.”
“I know.”
“Then bring him outside.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Renee won’t tell me where she put the original evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“The medication records from the night Claire died.”
Ethan stumbled backward.
Sarah stared at Daniel.
“You think Renee killed Claire.”
“I know she did.”
Renee shouted in the background.
“You don’t know anything!”
Daniel turned.
“Shut up!”
Leo began screaming.
Sarah’s heart twisted.
“Daniel.”
He looked back at the phone.
“Give me ten minutes alone with her.”
“No.”
“Then I burn everything.”
Sarah’s blood froze.
Daniel moved the camera.
A gasoline can sat beside the nursery door.
Ethan looked ready to collapse.
Daniel whispered, “Ten minutes.”
May you like
Then the call ended.
Smoke appeared behind the upstairs window.
