Chapter 10 - Robert’s Second Family
Robert denied owning the truck.
Then Nolan showed him the title.
His signature was on it.
The room changed.
Robert sat at the Carter dining table where the blood had dried between the floorboards, his face gray.
Lauren stood across from him.
Margaret refused to sit.
“Tell them,” she said.
Robert looked at his wife.
“Margaret.”
“Tell them now.”
Lauren laughed without humor.
“Apparently that’s the family motto.”
Robert rubbed both hands over his face.
“The truck belonged to Aaron Blake.”
Hannah’s name seemed to hang in the room even though she was still at the hospital.
Nolan asked, “Then why is it registered to you?”
Robert hesitated.
“Because Aaron was my son.”
Margaret turned away.
Lauren stared.
“What?”
Robert’s voice broke.
“Before Margaret and I married, I had a relationship with a woman named Linda Blake. I didn’t know she was pregnant until years later.”
Michael looked stunned.
Daniel, watching through video from the county jail, would hear it soon enough.
“Aaron contacted me about fifteen years ago,” Robert said. “We met quietly. I helped him with money sometimes. A truck. Rent.”
Margaret looked at Lauren.
“I knew.”
Lauren almost laughed again.
Of course she did.
Everyone in this family knew everything except her.
Nolan asked, “Did Aaron tell you about Hannah?”
Robert’s eyes dropped.
“Yes.”
Lauren slammed both palms on the table.
“You knew she was alive too?”
“Not at first.”
“When?”
“About eight years ago.”
Lauren felt dizzy.
“Aaron came to me terrified. He said Daniel was holding a woman. He didn’t tell me who at first. Then he said it was Hannah.”
“And what did you do?”
“I confronted Daniel.”
“You confronted him?” Lauren shouted. “You didn’t call police?”
Robert’s face twisted with shame.
“Daniel showed me video of Emily walking home from school. He said if anyone talked, she would disappear too.”
Lauren stared at him.
“You all sacrificed my daughters to protect yourselves.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Her voice dropped.
“You protected your fear. That’s all.”
Nolan said, “What happened to Aaron?”
Robert swallowed.
“He disappeared a week later.”
“You believed Daniel killed him?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is Aaron’s blood fresh?”
Robert looked toward the dark window.
“Because Daniel lied to all of us.”
Lauren frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Robert stood.
“There’s another property.”
Nolan straightened.
“Where?”
“A hunting lodge north of Mill Creek. It was owned under a shell company Daniel used for construction equipment.”
Margaret whispered, “Robert…”
He ignored her.
“Aaron once told me if he ever disappeared, that’s where I should look.”
Nolan grabbed her radio.
Then Robert added, “There’s one more thing.”
Lauren stared at him.
“What?”
Robert’s voice cracked.
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“Last night, someone called me from Aaron’s old number.”
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