Chapter 4 - THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
Police arrived twenty minutes later.
Rebecca was taken into custody for questioning.
Ethan refused to leave Vanessa and Lily.
The three of them sat together in a private hospital room while doctors examined Vanessa's bruises and Lily's cheek.
Lily eventually fell asleep.
Vanessa watched her.
“She always sleeps holding my hand.”
Ethan sat beside her.
“You don't have to protect her alone anymore.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“You don't get to say that like it's simple.”
“I know.”
“You believed Rebecca.”
“I know.”
“You called me paranoid.”
“I know.”
“You told me I was hurting our family.”
Ethan lowered his eyes.
“I was wrong.”
Vanessa looked toward the window.
“I needed you.”
The words hit him harder than anything else.
“I know.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“You don't.”
Ethan didn't argue.
Because she was right.
A detective entered the room.
“Mr. Carter?”
“Yes.”
“We found something.”
He placed a photograph on the table.
Vanessa picked it up.
Her hands began shaking.
It was Marcus.
Older.
Thinner.
But alive.
“When was this taken?” Ethan asked.
“Two days ago.”
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“Where?”
The detective hesitated.
“A warehouse outside the city.”
Ethan stood.
“Is he there now?”
“We don't know.”
Daniel entered behind the detective.
His expression was grim.
“There was a fire.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“Was Marcus inside?”
“We don't know.”
Ethan turned sharply.
“You knew he might still be alive.”
Daniel nodded.
“I received messages for three years.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the messages said you'd be killed if I did.”
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
Her face was devastated.
Then the detective placed another photograph on the table.
It showed a black SUV outside the warehouse.
Vanessa recognized it immediately.
“Rebecca's car.”
Everyone went silent.
Ethan clenched his fists.
Rebecca hadn't simply manipulated him.
She had been connected to Marcus's disappearance.
And she had been watching Vanessa for years.
The detective's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Detective?”
A pause.
“Where?”
He looked at Ethan.
“Marcus Carter has been found.”
Vanessa stood.
“Alive?”
The detective nodded.
“But there's a problem.”
May you like
“What?”
“He's asking for Ethan.”
