Chapter 7 - THE SECOND CHILD
I held Lily tighter.
“Ethan is upstairs.”
Vanessa laughed through the speakers.
“Is he?”
I ran to the staircase.
Daniel checked the security feed.
The pantry camera showed an empty room.
My son was gone.
“You took him.”
“I rescued him from an unstable father.”
Her voice came from every screen.
“You assaulted your wife, detained household staff, and exposed two children to armed men.”
“You beat them.”
“Can you prove it?”
I looked at Lily’s bruised face.
At Maria.
At Henry kneeling in the mud upstairs.
“Yes.”
Vanessa’s smile faded.
“Bring the memory card to the old river warehouse.”
“No police.”
“You know I won’t do that.”
“Then Ethan learns what cold water feels like.”
A new video window opened.
Ethan sat in a metal chair inside a dim room.
His wrists were tied with cloth.
He was crying.
“Dad?”
I stepped toward the screen.
“I’m here, buddy.”
A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder.
Lily screamed.
Vanessa leaned close to the camera.
“One hour.”
The screens went black.
I wanted to break something.
Instead, I forced myself to breathe.
Robert examined the envelope from the metal box.
Inside was a letter from Rachel.
Michael,
If they take one child, they will use your love to control you.
Do not trade the evidence.
Make copies.
Trust Daniel.
And remember the emergency transmitter in Ethan’s blue watch.
I looked at Daniel.
He was already pulling up a tracking app.
A dot blinked beside the Hudson River.
“Rachel knew this could happen,” I said.
“She planned for it,” Daniel replied.
We copied the dashcam card onto three drives.
Robert sent one encrypted file to the district attorney.
I put the original in my coat.
Then Lily grabbed my hand.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“She’ll listen to me.”
“Absolutely not.”
Lily looked toward the blank screens.
“She told Ethan I was the reason Mommy died.”
Her voice hardened.
“I want him to hear the truth.”
Before I could answer, Daniel’s tracking screen flashed red.
May you like
The transmitter had stopped moving.
At the bottom of the Hudson River.
