Chương 7
“Detective.”
“Yes?”
“You should get here before he does.”
Morales arrived twelve minutes later with another detective and a uniformed officer who stayed outside Daniel’s room.
Arthur watched them through the glass while Daniel ate half a banana in slow, suspicious bites.
The doctor had said his body needed food introduced carefully.
Daniel had rolled his eyes at the word carefully.
Arthur had nearly smiled again.
Morales came in alone.
Daniel stopped chewing.
She noticed.
“I’m not here to ask you anything.”
Daniel looked at Arthur.
Arthur said, “She means it.”
Morales nodded.
“For now.”
Daniel returned to the banana.
Morales moved closer to Arthur and kept her voice low.
“Michael’s vehicle entered the hospital garage six minutes ago.”
Arthur glanced toward the door.
“Where is he?”
“Being watched.”
“You’re letting him walk in?”
“If he comes in, yes.”
Arthur stared at her.
“He held my son prisoner.”
“We don’t know yet exactly what Michael did.”
Daniel’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth.
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
Morales saw it.
“That distinction matters.”
“It matters to you.”
“It needs to matter to you too.”
Arthur looked at Daniel.
The boy had lowered the banana.
Morales followed his gaze and immediately changed tone.
“We can talk outside.”
Daniel said, “No.”
Both adults looked at him.
“I want to hear.”
Arthur sat beside him.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
Daniel placed the banana on the tray.
“I want to.”
Morales pulled the second chair closer.
“We recovered the hidden phone.”
Daniel’s eyes sharpened.
“It was there?”
“Yes.”
“Did she lock it?”
“It’s locked.”
Daniel looked disappointed.
Morales added, “That’s normal.”
Arthur watched him absorb the word.
Normal.
Again.
Daniel asked, “Can you open it?”
“Probably, eventually.”
“Michael can erase it.”
“We took precautions against that.”
Daniel glanced at Arthur.
Arthur could see that Daniel wanted to believe her and did not know how.
Morales continued.
“We also found wiring running from the hidden room into the service closet.”
Arthur frowned.
“For what?”
“We’re not sure.”
Daniel said, “Camera.”
Arthur turned toward him.
Daniel pointed vaguely at the ceiling.
“There was one before.”
Morales leaned forward.
“Inside the room?”
Daniel nodded.
“Where?”
“He moved it.”
“Michael?”
Daniel stared at the blanket.
Victoria’s name had come easily.
Michael’s did not.
Arthur waited.
Morales waited longer.
Daniel finally said, “Sometimes.”
Arthur felt anger rise again, then forced it down before it could reach his face.
Morales said, “That’s enough.”
Daniel looked surprised.
“You don’t need more?”
“I always need more.”
She gave him a small, tired smile.
“But not all at once.”
The boy picked up the banana again.
Arthur looked at Morales.
“What else?”
“We found a keypad on the interior service door behind the chamber.”
Arthur stared at her.
“There was another door?”
“Concealed behind built-in cabinetry in the adjoining pantry.”
He pictured the pantry.
He had walked through it dozens of times.
“Who knew?”
Morales said, “We’re working on that.”
Arthur looked toward Daniel.
The boy was peeling a string from the banana and laying it carefully on the napkin.
Arthur recognized the gesture.
He used to do the same thing with oranges when he was small.
The familiarity hit so quietly that Arthur had to look away.
Morales lowered her voice.
“We also found medication in a locked cabinet.”
Arthur turned back.
“What medication?”
“Nothing I’m going to characterize until lab and medical review.”
Daniel said, “For sleeping.”
Arthur went still.
Morales looked at him.
“Did someone give it to you?”
Daniel nodded.
“Who?”
He stared at the banana again.
Arthur said, “Detective.”
Morales stopped.
Daniel’s thumb pressed into the fruit until it bruised.
Arthur touched his wrist.
“You can answer another day.”
Daniel let go.
The banana bent slightly where his fingers had crushed it.
“I hate bananas.”
Arthur blinked.
Daniel looked at him.
“Victoria said I liked them.”
Arthur glanced at the tray.
“Do you?”
“No.”
Arthur took the banana from his hand.
Daniel looked almost offended by how quickly he did it.
“What do you like?”
“Toast.”
“Okay.”
“With too much butter.”
Arthur nodded.
“That sounds medically irresponsible.”
Daniel stared at him.
Then a small laugh escaped.
It surprised them both.
The sound was brief and strange in the room.
Morales stood.
“I’m going to give you a minute.”
She reached the door before Arthur said, “Detective.”
She turned.
“What happens when Michael gets upstairs?”
“If he attempts contact, we control it.”
Arthur looked at Daniel.
“He doesn’t come in here.”
“He won’t.”
Daniel said, “He’ll try.”
Morales met his eyes.
“I know.”
She left.
Arthur sat quietly until Daniel said, “You really don’t like bananas either.”
Arthur looked at him.
“No.”
“How do I know?”
Arthur almost answered that Daniel had known him once.
He stopped.
Instead he said, “Because they’re terrible.”
Daniel considered that.
“Victoria likes them.”
“That seems like evidence against her.”
Daniel laughed again.
This time it lasted two seconds.
Arthur felt relief so sharp it bordered on pain.
Then voices rose outside.
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
Arthur stood.
Michael appeared at the far end of the hallway.
He wore a navy suit without a tie and moved quickly, one hand holding his phone, his face arranged in concern.
Arthur had seen him wear that face at funerals.
At layoffs.
Once beside their mother’s hospital bed.
Michael saw Arthur through the glass.
He stopped.
The brothers looked at each other.
Michael’s expression changed.
Not much.
Just enough.
Arthur saw calculation begin.
Morales stepped into his path before he reached the room.
Michael said something.
Arthur could not hear through the glass.
Morales answered.
Michael looked past her.
At Arthur.
Then at Daniel.
The color drained from his face.
Daniel moved closer to Arthur without seeming to know he had done it.
Arthur stepped in front of him.
Michael raised both hands.
He spoke louder.
Arthur heard this time.
“I just want to see him.”
Morales said, “You can see him from there.”
“He’s my nephew.”
Daniel whispered, “No.”
May you like
Arthur looked back.
Daniel’s face had gone pale.
