Chapter 8 - THE PERSON WATCHING FROM THE STREET
Emily did not call the police immediately.
Later, she would question that decision.
At the time, she was thinking about Noah.
About Daniel being less than twenty-four hours from returning.
About the fact that Rachel still legally had access to her son.
And about a burner phone that proved someone was watching.
She photographed the message.
Backed it up.
Placed the phone in a plastic bag.
Then she looked outside.
A quiet suburban street.
Mailboxes.
Trimmed lawns.
A woman walking a golden retriever.
Nothing unusual.
That was what frightened her.
Robert wanted to throw the phone away.
Emily refused.
“You’re making this worse,” he said.
“How?”
“By escalating.”
Emily stared at him.
“Someone delivered a threat.”
“It wasn’t a threat.”
“What would you call it?”
“A warning.”
Emily almost laughed.
“Do you hear yourself?”
Robert paced.
“Steven is unstable.”
“You think it was him.”
“I think you should stop digging.”
“That means you think it was him.”
Robert rubbed his forehead.
“If Steven has involved himself with dangerous people, we don’t know what they’re capable of.”
Emily looked toward Noah, who was upstairs.
“Then why are we still here?”
Robert stopped pacing.
Emily continued.
“We should leave.”
“And go where?”
“A hotel.”
“With your leg? With Noah?”
“Yes.”
“Rachel will report you for kidnapping.”
Emily hated that he was right.
Rachel had legal custody.
Without Daniel present, taking Noah could create complications.
“Then we call Daniel.”
Robert shook his head.
“He lands tomorrow.”
“I’m done waiting.”
Emily picked up her phone.
Before she could dial, it rang.
Rachel.
Emily answered on speaker.
“What?”
Rachel’s voice was pleasant.
“I’m checking on Noah.”
“He’s fine.”
“Put him on.”
“No.”
Silence.
Then Rachel said, “Excuse me?”
“He’s upstairs.”
“Then get him.”
Emily looked at Robert.
“No.”
Rachel’s tone sharpened.
“You have no right to keep my son from me.”
“You have no right to hurt him.”
Robert whispered, “Emily.”
Rachel went silent.
Then she laughed softly.
“You really think Daniel is going to believe you?”
“He doesn’t need to believe me.”
Emily looked at the laptop.
“He can watch.”
Another silence.
Rachel’s voice lowered.
“You restored the archive.”
Emily felt a chill.
There it was.
Confirmation.
“How did you know?”
“You’re not as clever as you think.”
“Did you send the phone?”
Rachel laughed.
“What phone?”
Emily watched Robert’s face.
Rachel continued.
“Bring Noah home.”
“No.”
“Then I’m coming to get him.”
“Try it.”
Rachel hung up.
Robert stared at Emily.
“You just challenged her.”
“She challenged herself when she abused him.”
“She’s his mother.”
Emily snapped.
“And Daniel is his father. Why do you keep acting like Rachel has some sacred right to do anything she wants?”
Robert said nothing.
Then Emily noticed a vehicle through the front window.
A dark gray SUV.
Parked across the street.
Engine running.
She had seen it earlier.
Hadn’t she?
Near the delivery van.
Emily moved closer to the window.
The SUV pulled away.
“Dad.”
Robert looked.
“Did you recognize that car?”
“No.”
Emily wasn’t sure she believed him.
She took a photo before it disappeared.
The license plate was partly visible.
She enlarged the image.
Virginia plate.
The first three characters.
J4R.
Robert stared.
Then his face changed.
Emily saw it immediately.
“You know it.”
“No.”
“Dad.”
Robert sat down.
“That looks like Steven’s old plate.”
Emily’s blood turned cold.
“You told me he moved to Arizona.”
“He did.”
“Then why does he still have Virginia plates?”
“I don’t know.”
Emily took her phone.
This time, she dialed Daniel.
He answered immediately.
“Hey.”
“Where are you?”
“In the hotel.”
“I need you to listen to me.”
Her tone changed his immediately.
“What happened?”
“Can you change your flight?”
“Why?”
“Get home tonight.”
Silence.
“Emily.”
“Please.”
“What happened to Noah?”
She closed her eyes.
Daniel always knew.
Even from hundreds of miles away.
“Something.”
“What something?”
“I don’t want to tell you over the phone.”
“Is he hurt?”
“He’s safe with me.”
“Is he hurt?”
Emily looked at the bruise.
“Yes.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
“Who?”
Emily hesitated.
“Rachel is part of it.”
Silence.
Then Daniel said, “I’m getting on the next flight.”
“Don’t tell her.”
“Why?”
“Because she knows I found something.”
“What?”
“Videos.”
Another silence.
Daniel’s voice changed.
Not louder.
Colder.
“What videos?”
Emily looked at Robert.
“Come home.”
Daniel hung up.
Robert whispered, “You’ve started it now.”
Emily looked at him.
“No.”
She turned toward the stairs.
“Rachel started it.”
Upstairs, a floorboard creaked.
Emily looked toward the hallway.
Noah was standing at the top of the stairs.
His face was pale.
“Aunt Emily?”
May you like
“Yes?”
“Someone’s in the backyard.”
