Chapter 8 - the key that should not exist)
State police planned to move early Saturday.
Rick moved earlier.
At 5:30 in the morning, Tyler woke to pounding on Aunt Claire's front door.
Laura was already in the hallway.
Jack limped behind her.
Claire checked the security camera.
"It's Rick."
Laura stiffened.
Tyler grabbed his phone.
"Don't open it."
Rick shouted from outside.
"Laura!"
She moved toward the door.
Tyler stepped in front of her.
"No."
"He's my husband."
"He kidnapped Maya."
Laura stared at him.
Tyler had told her pieces the night before.
Not everything.
He had been afraid the full truth about Daniel would shatter her before they knew what it meant.
Now there was no time.
"Mom, Maya is in the garage."
Laura went pale.
"What?"
"Jack heard her. I heard her. Rick has been keeping her there."
Laura looked at Jack.
"Is that true?"
Jack began crying.
"I'm sorry."
Laura crossed the hallway and wrapped both arms around him.
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"Rick said..."
"I don't care what Rick said."
The pounding continued.
"Laura!"
Claire called police.
Tyler received a message from the state investigator.
Teams were en route.
Then silence came from outside.
Rick had left.
Ten minutes later, police arrived.
Twenty minutes after that, officers reached the Bennett house.
The garage was empty.
Maya was gone.
The hidden room behind the workshop had been cleaned.
No black box.
No mattress.
No food.
No Maya.
Only one thing remained.
A streak of blood on a piece of broken wood.
Catherine nearly collapsed when detectives told her.
Rick had disappeared too.
Gary did not answer his phone.
Their vehicles were gone.
The planned barbecue was canceled.
Or should have been.
At 9:10, Laura's phone rang.
Rick.
Officers signaled for her to answer.
She put it on speaker.
"Where are you?"
Rick laughed softly.
"Good morning."
"Where is Maya?"
"Who?"
"Don't."
"You've been listening to Tyler."
"Where is she?"
A pause.
Then Rick said, "You should still have your party."
Laura stared at the phone.
"What?"
"Everyone's expecting it."
"You're insane."
"If you cancel it, things become complicated."
"Rick, the police searched the garage."
"I know."
"Where is Maya?"
"Have the party."
"Why?"
"Because if you don't, Catherine Collins might never see her daughter again."
Catherine was standing across the room.
Her face changed.
Laura gripped the phone.
"What do you want?"
"Normal. Food. Guests. Music. Five o'clock."
"And then?"
"I'll tell you."
The call ended.
Police traced it.
Burner phone.
No location.
Investigators debated whether to follow his demand.
Tyler thought it was obvious.
"It's a trap."
The lead detective, Elena Ruiz, nodded.
"Probably."
"Then why are you considering it?"
"Because traps work both ways."
By noon, a plan formed.
The barbecue would happen.
Guests would be mostly undercover officers and a few relatives who agreed to participate.
The backyard would appear normal.
Police would watch every road.
Jack would not attend.
That was the plan.
Jack refused.
"He wants me there."
Laura shook her head.
"Absolutely not."
"If I'm not there, he'll know."
"No."
"Mom."
"No."
Jack looked at Tyler.
Tyler hated that he understood.
Rick had specifically told him to bring Jack.
Maybe Jack was the leverage.
Maybe Rick believed he could control him.
Tyler crouched beside his brother.
"You don't have to prove anything."
"I know."
"Then stay here."
Jack looked toward the investigators.
"Maya stayed because I was scared."
"That's not why."
"I could have told someone Tuesday."
"Rick threatened you."
"I still could've."
"You were eleven."
"I am eleven."
Tyler closed his eyes briefly.
Jack continued.
"I want to help get her back."
Detective Ruiz listened.
Then said, "If Jack attends, he never leaves our sight."
Laura turned angrily.
"He's a child."
"Which is why you decide."
"No."
Jack said, "Mom."
Laura looked at him.
For the first time since Tyler could remember, Jack spoke to her with absolute certainty.
"I need to see this end."
At 4:50 Saturday afternoon, the Bennett backyard filled with people.
Music played.
Food cooked.
A birthday cake sat on the table.
Police hid in plain clothes.
Catherine waited inside the Collins house under protection.
Jack wore his dark red shirt.
His knee remained bandaged.
Tyler stayed beside him.
At 5:18, Rick walked through the side gate.
Alone.
Everyone went silent for half a second.
Then conversations resumed exactly as police had instructed.
Rick smiled.
He wore an olive-green T-shirt.
He looked like the same man who had grilled hamburgers in that yard dozens of times.
Laura approached.
"Where is Maya?"
"Smile."
"What?"
"Cameras could be watching."
Laura forced herself not to react.
Rick took a beer from a cooler.
Police watched from every angle.
Tyler whispered, "Why hasn't anyone grabbed him?"
Detective Ruiz, disguised as a guest, murmured, "We need Maya."
Rick walked toward Jack.
Tyler stepped between them.
Rick smiled.
"Protective big brother."
"Where is she?"
Rick looked toward the pool.
"Funny thing about accidents."
Tyler's muscles tightened.
"What did you say?"
"People see what they're prepared to see."
Jack grabbed Tyler's wrist.
"Don't."
Rick stared down at Jack.
"You learn your lesson?"
Jack said nothing.
Rick's expression sharpened.
Then he looked toward the garage.
Tyler followed his gaze.
The garage door had been open after police searched it.
Now it was closed.
Tyler frowned.
When had that happened?
Rick smiled faintly.
"Your mother always hated that door being left open."
Tyler looked at Detective Ruiz.
She saw it too.
Two officers began drifting toward the garage.
Rick suddenly grabbed Jack.
Everything exploded.
Tyler lunged.
Rick shoved Jack backward.
Jack fell into the pool.
The splash was enormous.
For a few seconds the carefully controlled police operation became chaos.
Tyler pulled Jack from the water.
Rick began shouting that Jack had jumped.
Guests turned.
Officers hesitated because Rick still had no weapon visible.
Jack trembled.
Then he looked toward the garage.
His fear returned.
Tyler tried to lead him away.
Jack whispered, "Don't go past the garage."
Rick screamed.
"SHUT UP!"
Then came the first impact from inside.
SLAM.
Everyone turned.
Tyler saw the brand-new steel padlock.
It had not been there when police searched the garage that morning.
Rick had locked the door after arriving.
But how?
He had never gone near it.
Then Tyler noticed something in Rick's left hand.
A key.
Small.
Silver.
Rick saw him looking.
He closed his fist.
Too late.
Tyler understood.
Somebody had locked the garage from the other side of the property.
Rick had not returned alone.
May you like
Gary was here.
And Maya had been brought back.
