Chapter 13 - Someone Close
Emily did not sleep.
Every familiar face became suspicious.
Mrs. Chen? Impossible.
Ruth? Careless, yes. Cruel, no.
A babysitter? A neighbor? A repairman?
Daniel sat beside her at three in the morning, scrolling through old camera footage from the doorbell system they had installed after the brick.
"Shane said someone who's been inside many times," Emily whispered.
"That could mean family."
"Or someone Marcus is trying to make us distrust."
At breakfast, Noah pushed cereal around his bowl.
"Mommy, Grandma sad."
"She is."
"Because Uncle Marcus bad?"
Emily hesitated. "Uncle Marcus has made some bad choices."
Noah thought about that.
"Can he choose good now?"
Daniel looked away.
"I hope so," Emily said.
The answer felt more generous than she felt.
At noon, Ramirez called them to the station.
Shane had identified the person Marcus claimed would set the fire: Vince Harper, a former clerk at the county records office.
"Vince had access to property files and notarization records," Ramirez said. "He was fired last year for unauthorized document searches."
Emily's eyes narrowed.
"So he could help create the fake will."
"That's one theory."
"Has he been in our house?" Daniel asked.
Ramirez nodded.
"According to your mother, yes. He came to your father's memorial gathering."
Daniel remembered a thin man in a brown coat carrying a casserole from Marcus.
He had forgotten him completely.
Police searched Vince's apartment that evening.
They found blank legal forms, a county stamp, and copies of Thomas Walker's signature.
They did not find Vince.
They did find a printed map of Daniel's neighborhood.
A red circle had been drawn around the preschool Noah attended three mornings a week.
Emily's blood turned cold.
"Why would he have Noah's school?"
Ramirez immediately contacted the preschool and arranged extra patrols.
Daniel wanted to pull Noah out indefinitely.
Emily agreed for the next few days.
When they got home, Noah climbed onto the couch between them.
"No school?"
"Not tomorrow," Daniel said.
Noah brightened. "Pajama day?"
"Sure, buddy. Pajama day."
He smiled.
Then his face changed as he looked toward the front window.
A dark sedan had stopped across the street.
Noah pointed.
"That man was at my school."
Daniel turned.
The driver saw him looking.
May you like
The sedan sped away.
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