Chapter 13 - The Man in the Snow
Noah was cold and terrified, but unharmed.
The gunshot had come from Carlo firing through the back door after Grant ran.
Police arrested Carlo inside the cabin.
He claimed he was trying to stop Grant.
No one believed him.
Isabella rode with Noah to the hospital.
Massimo stayed behind with Torres.
“You should go with them,” she said.
“I will when Grant is found.”
“This isn’t your search.”
“No.” Massimo looked into the dark trees. “But I know how men like him think when they lose control.”
Torres studied him. “Because you knew men like him?”
“Because I used to be one in different clothes.”
That honesty bought him thirty seconds.
Massimo pointed toward the service road.
“He won’t walk toward town. Too many cameras. He’ll look for a vehicle from someone who won’t ask questions.”
A mile away stood a closed repair garage formerly used by Bellandi drivers.
Police reached it first.
The owner had been forced into a back room.
A truck was missing.
Grant’s destination became clear when an officer found a printed route on the garage floor.
LaGuardia.
Evelyn waited at an airport hotel with passports.
She was arrested before Grant arrived.
Grant saw police at the entrance and kept driving.
Traffic cameras tracked him west.
Toward Manhattan.
Toward Bellandi Hall.
Massimo’s phone rang.
Grant.
“Put Isabella on.”
“No.”
“I’ll turn myself in if she comes alone.”
“No.”
“You think you can tell me no?”
Massimo’s voice went quiet.
“Yes.”
Grant laughed breathlessly. “You ruined her. She was afraid of you long before she was afraid of me.”
The words struck hard because part of them was true.
Massimo did not defend himself.
Grant continued. “Meet me at Bellandi Hall. One hour. Bring Isabella or I burn everything Carlo kept on your family.”
“What everything?”
“Ask Carlo.”
The call ended.
Torres immediately began tracing it.
Massimo looked toward the road.
Grant was running out of places to hide.
So he was heading toward the one place where all of this had begun.
May you like
The hall where Noah pulled down Isabella’s sleeve.
And this time Grant was going there with nothing left to lose.
