Chapter 9 - The Man I Trusted

I turned so fast Owen barely had time to react.

"Explain that."

He stared at the photograph.

Then he sat down.

"I was working for your father."

"You told me you joined the family after Claire died."

"That was the story Mr. Mercer wanted you to hear."

Every person I trusted seemed to come with a second life.

Owen told me he had been assigned to watch the safe house from a distance. He said he never knew why Claire was there until months later.

"When I realized who she was, I helped her escape."

Daniel scoffed. "Convenient."

Owen ignored him.

"I gave her cash and a car. Your father would have killed me if he knew."

"Then why stay with me?"

"Because I thought if Claire ever came back, she'd need someone inside."

Marcus studied him. "Did she contact you?"

"Twice. Last year and three months ago."

My anger sharpened.

"Everyone spoke to my wife except me."

Owen looked ashamed. "She was terrified you'd be watched."

My phone rang.

Claire.

"Ethan, Vanessa found us."

I stood. "Where are you?"

A crash sounded through the line.

Sophie screamed.

Then Claire shouted, "Run!"

The call died.

Marcus was already moving. "Can we trace it?"

Owen grabbed his laptop from the car.

The prepaid phone pinged once near Point Dume.

We drove ninety miles an hour back toward Malibu.

By the time we reached the overlook, a small rental cottage stood with its door hanging open.

Inside, a lamp was broken. Blood marked the edge of a table.

No Claire.

No Sophie.

On the floor lay Sophie's bracelet.

And outside, tire tracks led toward the private cliff road.

Daniel stared at them.

"That's not Vanessa's car."

Marcus looked at the tread marks.

"No."

Then a second set appeared beside them.

Owen went pale.

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Owen took out an old photograph from his wallet. It showed Claire at a gas station years earlier, thinner and wearing a baseball cap, standing beside the car he had given her. 'I kept this because I needed to remember there was one thing I did right,' he said. I wanted to punch him and thank him at the same time.

"Those belong to one of our company SUVs."