Chapter 8 - THE DRIVE
Victor was moving before anyone finished speaking.
Clara ran behind him.
“Where’s Theo?”
“Grant said he was taking him for ice cream,” Mrs. Whitaker shouted from the foyer. “I didn’t know—”
Victor grabbed his keys.
Clara followed.
“You’re not coming.”
“Yes, I am.”
“This could be dangerous.”
“That is my job.”
“Your job is childcare.”
“Exactly!”
She got into the passenger seat.
Victor drove.
Fast.
Too fast.
Rain hit the windshield.
“Call Grant.”
Victor did.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Detective Ruiz followed in an unmarked police vehicle.
Ryder had tracked Theo’s smartwatch before Grant disabled it.
Last signal: Interstate 94.
Northbound.
“What does Grant want?” Clara asked.
Victor’s hands tightened around the wheel.
“If Elena’s phone proves financial crimes, he’s finished.”
“Does he know you found it?”
“He must.”
“How?”
Victor went silent.
Clara realized it.
“Someone inside the house told him.”
“Yes.”
“Security?”
“Possibly.”
His phone rang.
Grant.
Victor answered on speaker.
“Where is my son?”
Grant sighed.
“You always were dramatic.”
“Put Theo on.”
“He’s fine.”
“PUT HIM ON.”
A small voice came through.
“Dad?”
Victor’s face changed instantly.
“Theo. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you?”
Grant took the phone.
“Don’t.”
Victor’s voice dropped.
“If you hurt him—”
“I’m not hurting anyone.”
“You threatened him for two years!”
“That was damage control.”
Clara stared at the phone.
Grant continued.
“Elena was going to destroy the company.”
“She was exposing you.”
“She was exposing all of us!”
“For what?”
“You think your hands are clean because you didn’t read every contract? Dad taught us both how the company worked.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“You stole.”
“I protected the family.”
“There it is.”
Grant laughed bitterly.
“You always got to be the good son.”
“You took my child.”
“I took my nephew for a drive.”
“Against my permission.”
“To talk.”
Clara leaned toward the phone.
“Theo is six years old, Grant.”
Silence.
Then Grant said, “The nanny.”
“Hi.”
“You really should’ve run when the other one did.”
“Why did she run?”
“Because she knew when to stop asking questions.”
Victor looked at Clara.
Grant continued.
“Unlike you.”
The call ended.
Ruiz’s car pulled alongside and signaled.
Victor’s phone buzzed.
A message.
A location.
Lake Forest marina.
They reached it twelve minutes later.
Grant’s car sat near the water.
Empty.
Theo’s red jacket lay on the ground.
Victor ran toward the docks.
“Theo!”
Nothing.
“Theo!”
Clara saw footprints.
Small ones.
Leading toward an old boathouse.
She pointed.
“There!”
They ran.
Inside, darkness swallowed them.
Victor switched on his phone light.
“Theo?”
A weak voice answered.
“Dad?”
Victor rushed forward.
Theo sat tied to a chair.
Clara’s stomach turned.
Victor dropped to his knees and freed him.
“Did he hurt you?”
Theo shook his head.
“He said I had to sit.”
“Where did he go?”
Theo pointed toward the back door.
“He took Mom’s phone.”
Clara’s heart stopped.
Victor looked at her.
She checked her bag.
Empty.
Grant had taken it from the car somehow.
Then a powerful engine roared outside.
Ruiz shouted from the dock.
“He’s got a boat!”
Victor ran.
A speedboat was already cutting across the dark lake.
Grant stood behind the wheel.
In his hand was Elena’s phone.
May you like
Then he lifted it high.
And threw it into Lake Michigan.
