Chapter 15 - Daniel's Bad Idea
"Absolutely not," Emily said.
Daniel stood in the kitchen, already pulling on his jacket.
"I'm not actually going alone. Ramirez will know where I am."
"That's not what the message says."
"Marcus thinks I have the original recording. I don't. Police have it. We can use that."
Emily stepped in front of the door.
"You are not a detective. You are not bait. You are Noah's father."
Daniel's anger collapsed into something quieter.
"That's exactly why I need this to stop."
"Then let the police stop it."
Noah appeared in the hallway.
"Daddy going?"
Daniel looked at him.
The little boy still wore the dinosaur T-shirt from the playground. His red sneakers were muddy. One lace was untied.
Daniel knelt and tied it.
"Daddy's staying."
Emily exhaled.
Together, they handed the phone to Ramirez and followed his instructions.
Police replied to Marcus from Daniel's phone and arranged a meeting at an abandoned hardware store parking lot.
Daniel was nowhere near it.
Officers waited instead.
Marcus never showed.
At 9:05 p.m., a message arrived.
SMART.
At 9:06:
CHECK YOUR ATTIC.
Daniel's face changed.
He grabbed the baseball bat by the coat closet.
Ramirez, who was still in the house, drew his weapon.
"Emily, take Noah next door."
This time she moved immediately.
Daniel and Ramirez climbed the attic stairs.
The light was on.
They had left it off.
The wooden train sat in the middle of the floor.
Beside it lay another envelope.
No person.
No open window.
No sound.
Ramirez checked every corner.
Then Daniel opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Thomas Walker in his hospital bed.
Marcus stood beside him.
On the back, someone had written:
ASK WHO TOOK THE PHOTO.
Daniel stared.
"What does that mean?"
Emily returned after the all-clear and studied the picture.
"Someone else was in the room."
Ruth saw it and immediately covered her mouth.
"I know who took this."
Everyone turned.
Ruth's voice shook.
"Elaine Porter. Your father's office manager."
Daniel frowned. "I haven't seen Elaine since the funeral."
Ruth looked terrified.
"Because she left town two days after your father died."
"Why?"
Ruth swallowed.
May you like
"She told me she saw Marcus make your father sign something."
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