Chapter 9 - Saturday Scene
The document contained twelve bullet points.
Daniel could not believe what he was reading.
1. Tell Daniel meeting is still on.
Megan read the list in Aaron's office and whispered, "This is insane."
Aaron shook his head.
"No. It's organized."
Daniel hated that answer more.
The police traced the file to Kyle's laptop.
But Kyle was still missing.
His apartment had been emptied.
His truck was gone.
His company office was locked.
Vanessa insisted she did not know where he was.
No one believed her.
That evening Daniel made grilled cheese for Lily.
It was the first normal thing he had seen in days.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I still have a birthday?"
Daniel turned.
Her question hurt.
"Of course."
"Not a big one."
"No big one."
"Just Aunt Megan."
"Okay."
"And pizza."
"Done."
"And no pool."
Daniel put the spatula down.
"No pool."
She studied him.
"Are you mad when you look at me?"
His chest tightened.
"Never."
"You look mad a lot now."
"I'm mad about things that happened. I'm not mad at you."
"At Vanessa?"
Daniel chose his words.
"At choices she made."
Lily nodded as if that made sense.
Then she drew another line.
"Kyle told her you would yell."
Daniel froze.
"When?"
"The party."
"Before I came home?"
She nodded.
"What did he say exactly?"
Lily looked at the paper.
"He said, 'Don't worry. He always takes the bait.'"
Daniel felt sick.
"Did Kyle say anything to you?"
Lily's pencil stopped.
"He said if I cried loud enough, you would come faster."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then the doorbell rang.
Megan checked the camera before opening it.
A teenage boy stood outside holding an envelope.
"I was paid to drop this off."
"By who?" Daniel asked.
The boy shrugged.
"Some guy at a gas station. Gave me fifty bucks."
Inside the envelope was a hotel key card.
And a note.
ASK VANESSA ABOUT ROOM 614.
Aaron called the hotel.
Room 614 had been booked three times in the past month.
Always under fake names.
But the parking garage cameras were real.
They showed Vanessa.
They showed Kyle.
And on the final visit, they showed a third person.
A man Daniel recognized immediately.
May you like
His company's chief financial officer.
Thomas Bell.
