Chapter 7 - My Brother Took My Son
I called Michael six times.
No answer.
On the seventh call, he declined it.
Detective Brooks moved fast. Hospital security pulled camera footage. A black SUV had left the parking garage twelve minutes earlier.
Michael’s SUV.
My mother had been taken in for questioning the night before. Diane’s attorney had arrived before detectives finished their first interview. Neither woman had been formally arrested yet.
Michael had been free.
That mistake was costing us minutes.
“Where would he go?” Brooks asked.
“The lake house.”
“Too obvious.”
“He’s arrogant.”
“That helps.”
Amelia sat upright in bed despite the nurse telling her not to.
“There’s another place.”
I turned.
She looked sick.
“Thomas had an old construction office near Route 17. The one by the quarry.”
“That building was sold.”
“No. The sale never closed.”
“How do you know?”
“Your father told me before he died. He said if anything happened and the main office wasn’t safe, he kept copies there.”
Copies.
The word landed hard.
Michael wasn’t just taking Noah.
He might be looking for evidence.
Brooks was already radioing officers.
My phone rang.
Michael.
I answered immediately. “Where is my son?”
“Relax.”
“Put Noah on.”
“He’s fine.”
“Put him on the phone.”
A pause.
Then Noah’s small voice.
“Dad?”
“I’m here. Are you okay?”
“Uncle Mike said we’re playing a game.”
I shut my eyes.
“Listen to me. Stay calm. Do what the police say if you see them.”
Michael took the phone back.
“You always were dramatic.”
“You sound like Mom.”
That made him go quiet.
I continued, “The recording has your voice.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then he laughed.
“Then I guess we stop pretending.”
The line went dead.
Brooks looked at the location ping from the emergency trace.
“Route 17,” she said.
Amelia closed her eyes.
“The old office.”
Then Brooks’s phone buzzed again.
She read the message and looked at me.
“They found Michael’s SUV.”
“Where?”
“Abandoned.”
May you like
“And Noah?”
She didn’t answer fast enough.
