Chapter 8 - The Empty Bedroom
Jake did not leave the halfway house.
It was the hardest good decision he had ever made.
Instead, he called Dana. Dana called police for a welfare check. Jake sat in the common room staring at the clock while every minute felt like betrayal.
At 8:22, Dana called back.
“Ben is safe.”
Jake exhaled so hard his chest hurt.
“But there’s a problem.”
“What?”
“Todd says Ben was making up stories because he’s upset about your release. The officers saw the missing doorknob. Todd claimed it broke today.”
“Ben said last month.”
“I know.”
“Take him out of there.”
“I need enough to support emergency removal.”
“You need more?”
“I need facts that survive court.”
The next day, Jake worked ten straight hours at Ray’s garage.
He swept floors, changed oil, rotated tires, and kept his mouth shut when two customers recognized him from an old local news story.
At five-thirty, Ray handed him an envelope.
“Advance.”
“I haven’t earned this.”
“You earned today. Keep earning tomorrow.”
Inside were eighty dollars.
Jake bought a cheap prepaid phone, a bus pass, and a new red hoodie in Ben’s size.
When he reached Maple Ridge the next afternoon for a supervised meeting, Ms. Alvarez met him alone.
“Ben isn’t here.”
Jake’s pulse jumped.
“Why?”
“Todd withdrew him this morning.”
“To another school?”
“He didn’t say.”
Jake called Todd.
The number was disconnected.
He called Dana.
She answered on the first ring.
“I’m already on my way to the house.”
“Tell me where.”
“Jake, no.”
“Dana—”
“No. Go to your job. Keep your record clean. I will call you.”
He hated her voice because it sounded exactly like reason.
Two hours later, she called.
“The house is almost empty.”
Jake stopped working.
“What do you mean?”
“Mattresses gone. Clothes gone. Refrigerator unplugged. A neighbor says Todd loaded a trailer before sunrise.”
Jake’s hand tightened around the phone.
“Where’s Ben?”
“We don’t know yet.”
The garage blurred around him.
Ray took the wrench from his hand.
“Go sit down.”
Jake barely heard him.
Dana continued, “There’s more. We found a real estate lockbox on the front door.”
“That house belongs to Rachel’s estate. It’s supposed to go to Ben.”
“I know.”
Jake remembered Ben’s question to his teacher.
What happens if his guardian sells the house and leaves town?
Then Ray came back from the office holding Jake’s prepaid phone.
“It’s ringing.”
Jake snatched it.
Unknown number.
He answered.
May you like
For three seconds, there was only road noise.
Then Ben whispered, “Dad, I’m in the truck.”
