Chapter 6 - Locker 214
Ethan waited until the house went quiet.
At 2:08 a.m., someone tapped twice on his window.
He almost screamed.
Then Lily's face appeared outside.
She had climbed across the porch roof in pink unicorn pajamas.
Ethan opened the window.
“You're crazy.”
“You said that already.”
She crawled inside carrying her backpack.
“I packed crackers.”
“Why?”
“For running away.”
“We're not running away.”
“Then why did Daddy give you a bus-station key?”
She had a point.
They waited another hour.
At three fifteen, Amanda's bedroom light finally went dark.
Ethan unlocked his window, and together they retraced the roof route to the garage.
Dad kept an old mountain bike behind the lawn tools. Lily rode on the rear cargo rack, arms around Ethan's waist.
Northwood Bus Station was three miles away.
The streets felt enormous at night.
Every passing car made Ethan think Amanda had found them.
They reached the terminal just before four.
A sleepy security guard glanced at them.
“Where are your parents?”
Ethan pointed toward the restroom. “Mom's inside.”
The lie made his stomach hurt.
Locker 214 was along the back wall.
The brass key fit.
Inside sat a gray metal cash box, a cheap prepaid phone, and a thick envelope marked CLAIRE.
Lily whispered, “Open the box.”
The brass key did not fit that lock.
But taped beneath the lid was a sticky note.
Ethan's birthday.
He tried 0-4-1-8.
Click.
Inside were copies of bank statements, photographs, a flash drive, and a sealed letter marked FOR MY ATTORNEY IF I DON'T COME HOME.
Ethan stared at the words.
Lily's voice became small.
“Daddy thought he might not come home?”
“I don't know.”
The prepaid phone had one saved contact.
CLAIRE.
Ethan pressed call.
She answered on the second ring.
“Daniel?”
“Aunt Claire?”
Silence.
Then, “Ethan?”
He almost cried from relief.
“We're at the bus station.”
“What?”
“With Lily.”
“Why are you—Ethan, are you safe?”
“I think so.”
“Do not move. I am coming.”
She arrived eighteen minutes later wearing sweatpants, a winter coat over pajamas, and no makeup.
She ran across the terminal and dropped to her knees, wrapping both children in her arms.
“What happened?”
Ethan handed her Daniel's envelope.
Claire saw his brother's handwriting.
Her face changed.
“Where did you get this?”
“Dad left it.”
Claire opened it.
She read the first page.
Then the second.
Her hand began to shake.
“What?” Ethan asked.
Claire looked toward the terminal entrance.
“We need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because your dad didn't just suspect Amanda was mistreating you.”
She shoved the papers back into the envelope.
“He believed she was stealing from both of you.”
The automatic doors opened.
Amanda walked in with two police officers.
And beside her stood a tall man Ethan had never seen before.
May you like
Amanda pointed straight at Claire.
“There she is. She kidnapped my daughter.”
