Chapter 4 - the garage light at midnight)
Tyler did not return home for almost two hours.
He drove past the house twice.
Rick's truck was in the driveway.
On the second pass, Tyler saw Rick standing near the front window.
Watching the street.
Tyler kept driving.
He stopped at a gas station and called Jack.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then Laura called.
"Where are you?"
"At Ben's."
"You said you were going to the police."
Tyler looked at Maya's backpack on the passenger seat.
"I changed my mind."
"Tyler."
"I'll bring the bag later."
There was a pause.
Then Laura lowered her voice.
"Rick is furious."
"About what?"
"He says Maya wasn't supposed to be in the garage area yesterday and thinks she may have taken one of his tools."
Tyler almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because the lie was so ridiculous.
"Maya's missing and he's worried about a wrench?"
"I didn't say it made sense."
"Mom, why did Rick come home?"
"He forgot something."
"What?"
"I don't know."
Tyler stared through the gas station windshield.
"Where's Jack?"
"In his room."
"Can I talk to him?"
"Tyler, what is going on?"
He wanted to tell her.
But Jack had been terrified.
And Maya's video showed Rick moving somebody into the garage.
Until Tyler knew what he was dealing with, confronting Rick seemed dangerous.
"Nothing."
"Do not lie to me."
"I'm not."
"You're terrible at it."
Despite everything, Tyler almost smiled.
"Can you just tell Jack I'll call later?"
Laura sighed.
"Fine."
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Don't go in the garage."
Silence.
"What?"
"Just don't."
"Why?"
"I'll explain later."
"Tyler Bennett."
He ended the call.
That evening, he went to the police station with Maya's phone.
He almost walked inside.
Almost.
Then he saw Rick's truck parked across the street.
Tyler froze.
Rick was not in it.
A police cruiser pulled away from the station entrance.
Tyler watched.
Rick emerged from a coffee shop beside the station and spoke briefly to a man in a sheriff's department jacket.
They shook hands.
Tyler recognized the man.
Gary Mallory.
Rick's older brother.
Tyler knew Gary worked in county administration, but he had never known exactly where.
Apparently the sheriff's department was close enough.
Tyler drove away.
Paranoia, he told himself.
That was all.
Police were police.
If Maya was in danger, he should hand over the phone immediately.
But what if Rick knew before officers even searched the garage?
What if he moved whatever he was hiding?
Tyler decided to make a copy first.
He uploaded Maya's video to a private cloud folder.
Then sent it to an email address Rick did not know about.
Only after that did he return home.
Rick was waiting in the kitchen.
"Where's the backpack?"
Tyler dropped his keys on the counter.
"With the police."
It was the second lie he told that day.
Rick's eyes narrowed.
"You gave it to them?"
"Yeah."
"What did they say?"
"Why do you care?"
Rick stepped closer.
Laura stood by the sink.
"Rick."
He ignored her.
"What was in it?"
"Normal stuff."
"The phone?"
Tyler's pulse jumped.
"What phone?"
Rick looked at him for a long time.
Then smiled.
It was worse than anger.
"You're a smart kid, Tyler."
"Thanks."
"But smart kids sometimes mistake curiosity for courage."
Laura turned.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
"It didn't sound like nothing."
Rick walked toward the garage entrance.
"Ask your son."
Tyler saw Jack at the top of the stairs.
He had heard everything.
Rick disappeared through the door leading toward the backyard.
Tyler waited ten minutes.
Then went upstairs.
Jack was sitting on his bed.
"He asked you about the phone?" Jack said.
"Yeah."
Jack's eyes widened.
"You found it?"
Tyler closed the bedroom door.
"Was Maya filming Rick?"
Jack nodded.
"You saw?"
"I saw part of it."
"What was Rick moving?"
Jack swallowed.
"I don't know who it was."
Tyler stared.
"Who?"
"I didn't see the face."
"So there was a person?"
Jack began trembling again.
"Jack, what happened Tuesday?"
This time Jack did not tell him to stop.
Maybe because Tyler had found the video.
Maybe because hiding the truth had become heavier than speaking it.
Jack looked toward the window.
"Maya came back after dinner."
"Why?"
"She forgot her backpack."
"Then what?"
"She saw the garage light."
Tyler waited.
"Rick told us never to go in there when he was working."
"Did you?"
Jack nodded.
"We heard someone."
"Inside?"
Jack's eyes filled.
"Someone was crying."
Tyler felt cold.
"Maya started recording. She said we should call the police. Rick saw us."
"What did he do?"
"We ran."
"Together?"
Jack shook his head.
"Maya went toward the Collins house. I ran around the pool."
"What happened to your knee?"
"I slipped behind the garage."
Tyler looked at the thick bandage.
"That's not a slip."
Jack whispered, "Rick caught me."
Tyler's jaw clenched.
"He pushed you?"
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"He grabbed me. I tried to get away. I fell against the metal steps."
"Did Mom see?"
"No."
"And Maya?"
"I thought she got away."
"You thought?"
Jack nodded.
"Later Rick came inside. He said Maya had gone home. Then her mom came looking for her."
Tyler felt sick.
"What happened after everyone started searching?"
Jack's voice dropped.
"I went downstairs because I wanted water. Rick was coming in from outside."
"At two in the morning."
Jack nodded.
"He had Maya's bracelet in his hand."
Tyler remembered the bracelets covering Maya's wrists.
"Did he say where she was?"
"No."
"What did he say?"
Jack's expression changed.
"He told me if I said anything about the garage, Mom would lose this house, you'd lose college, and he'd make sure everyone thought I had something to do with Maya disappearing."
Tyler stared at him.
"Why would anyone believe that?"
"Because Maya's backpack was in my room."
Tyler understood.
Rick had found it first.
He had placed it there.
"He framed you."
Jack started crying.
"He said Maya told people we fought last week."
"Everyone fights."
"He said police would believe an eleven-year-old boy could get angry."
Tyler moved closer.
"Jack, nobody is going to believe you kidnapped Maya."
"You don't know that."
"No. But I know Rick wants you to think that."
Jack looked at him.
Tyler pulled out Maya's phone.
"I have the video."
Jack stared.
"Rick doesn't know I have it."
"He knows you took the backpack."
"That's different."
Jack shook his head.
"You have to get rid of it."
"No."
"Tyler."
"No. This is evidence."
Jack looked toward the bedroom door.
Then whispered something Tyler would remember for the rest of his life.
"Evidence doesn't matter if he moves her before anyone gets there."
Tyler froze.
"You think Maya is in the garage."
Jack shook his head slowly.
"I think she was."
"Why?"
"Because last night I heard her."
Tyler's heart pounded.
"From where?"
Jack pointed toward his window.
May you like
The garage roof was barely visible beyond the backyard.
"She called my name."
