Chapter 1 - The Belt in His Hand
The belt was already in Tyler's hand when Grant Mercer came through the front door.
For one frozen second, nobody moved.
Leah sat on the glossy white floor beside the sofa, one knee tucked under her, both hands shielding the side of her head. Tyler stood three feet away, chest heaving, a black leather belt looped around his fist like he had forgotten what it was and only remembered what he wanted it to mean.
Grant dropped his briefcase.
"Tyler."
His fifteen-year-old son spun around. His face was red, wet at the eyes, furious in the reckless way only frightened people could be.
"Stay out of this!"
Grant crossed the room before the last word finished echoing.
He did not grab Tyler. He did not shout. He crouched beside Leah and put one arm around her shoulders, placing his body between them.
"Back away from her."
Tyler laughed once, sharp and ugly. "Of course. You always take her side."
"I am taking the side of the person sitting on the floor while someone stands over her with a belt. Drop it."
"She lied!"
"Drop it."
Leah's fingers tightened around Grant's sleeve. Her breathing came in little broken pulls.
Tyler's hand shook.
For a second Grant saw the six-year-old boy who used to crawl into his bed during thunderstorms. Then Tyler's jaw hardened, and the boy disappeared behind something darker.
"Ask her what she did to Mom," Tyler said.
Grant went still.
Leah whispered, "Tyler, please."
"Don't tell me please!"
"Enough."
Grant's voice dropped so low it changed the room.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a black handheld radio.
Tyler stared at it.
Leah did too.
Grant pressed the side button and looked straight at his son.
"Come inside. Now."
Static cracked.
Then a man's voice answered from somewhere outside the house.
"We're coming."
Tyler's anger flickered into confusion.
"Who's outside?"
Grant stood slowly, keeping Leah behind him.
"The people I hoped I wouldn't need."
The front door opened.
Two men entered first. Neither wore a police uniform. Behind them came a woman in a gray suit carrying a hard black evidence case.
Tyler's face drained of color.
He knew her.
"Dad," he whispered. "Why is Mom's crash investigator here?"
Grant looked at his son, and the truth he had been hiding for three days finally came out.
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"Because your mother's car didn't fail by accident."
And Tyler dropped the belt.
