Chapter 18 - Dad’s Signature
Dad did not deny it.
When I confronted him, he closed his eyes.
“I signed it.”
The Baltimore facility had failed a safety inspection two weeks before the fire. Faulty suppression system. Overloaded electrical panel. Blocked rear exit.
Dad had signed a temporary compliance waiver to keep production running.
He insisted Evan had promised repairs would be completed within days.
They were not.
The fire was intentionally started later, but Dad’s signature meant two people had been working inside a building that should have been shut down.
“That’s why you hid?” I asked.
“No. I hid because Evan tried to kill me. But yes, I was ashamed.”
For the first time, Dad stopped being the heroic victim in my mind.
He became human again.
Flawed. Proud. Responsible for choices he wished he could erase.
“You should have told the families.”
“I know.”
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
I was so tired of hearing people say that after the damage was done.
Detective Reed entered.
“We found your mother.”
Alive.
Evan had left her tied inside a utility shed behind the house. He took the trust document she had carried as bait, then fled.
But Mom had done something smart.
She had worn a small recorder taped inside her cardigan.
The entire conversation was captured.
Evan admitted starting the Baltimore fire to destroy audit records. He also admitted ordering Travis to sabotage Dad’s boat and planning to frame Dad’s disappearance as suicide if the body was ever found.
Most importantly, he said where he was going next.
The private airfield outside Lake Mercer.
Police units were already moving.
Then Reed received another call.
He listened without speaking.
“What happened?” I asked.
He lowered the phone.
“Evan reached the airfield.”
“Did they arrest him?”
Reed looked toward the window.
“No. He has a hostage.”
May you like
My heart sank before he said the name.
“Brooke.”
