Chương 2
His grip tightened around the key fob.
He still did not answer.
Sophie spoke instead.
“Mom, he told me never to tell you where we really went.”
The world did not become silent. Claire would remember that later. People always said things like that after terrible moments, as though nature itself understood when to stop. But the lake kept moving. A cicada buzzed from somewhere near the woodpile. The SUV’s rear hatch motor gave a faint mechanical click because Evan had left it open too long.
Claire crouched in front of Sophie.
“Okay.”
Sophie’s lower lip trembled.
“Am I in trouble?”
“No.”
“You said camp was expensive.”
Claire’s chest tightened.
“You are not in trouble.”
“I didn’t ask to leave.”
“I know.”
Ryan took a step toward them.
“Claire—”
She stood so fast he stopped.
“Do not come closer to her.”
“I didn’t hurt her.”
“You don’t get points for that.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Evan came around the SUV.
“We need to get everybody inside.”
Claire looked at him.
He had shifted into the voice he used when flights got canceled or pipes burst or a waiter brought the wrong check. Calm. Efficient. A problem could be reduced by assigning tasks.
“Why?”
“Because Sophie shouldn’t be standing in the driveway while everyone tears into Ryan.”
Ryan laughed once.
It was not amusement.
Claire stared at Evan.
“What’s in the envelope?”
“I have no idea.”
“Deputy Hale said your name is on it.”
“I heard him.”
“Then why do you look like you know exactly what he means?”
“I don’t.”
Evan’s answer came too quickly.
Claire raised her phone again.
“Deputy?”
“I’m here.”
“Can you tell me what the envelope is from?”
“We can tell you what is visible without disturbing the contents. There’s a return label from a residential property management company in Cedar Junction.”
Claire felt something move behind her ribs.
Evan looked away.
Only for a second.
She saw it.
“So you do know.”
“No.”
“Evan.”
“I said I don’t know what’s in the envelope.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Robert muttered something under his breath.
Linda still had the tan folder pressed against her body. Claire noticed her mother looking at Evan differently now—not accusingly, not yet, but with the expression she used when balancing a bank statement that would not reconcile.
Deputy Hale asked if Claire could bring Sophie to the sheriff’s office to speak with an investigator trained to interview children. Claire said yes before anybody else could answer. Hale told her there was no immediate indication Sophie had been physically harmed, but he advised her not to question the child aggressively before the interview.
Claire almost laughed.
Aggressively.
As though she had any idea how to ask her daughter where she had spent two missing days without turning every word into something sharp.
Hale gave her the address and asked her to arrive within the hour if possible.
When the call ended, Claire looked at Sophie.
“You’re coming with me.”
Sophie nodded.
“I’ll drive,” Evan said.
“No.”
His eyes met hers.
“Claire.”
“No.”
“Why?”
She stared at him.
He seemed genuinely offended by the answer he had already received.
“Because your name is in the abandoned car.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Maybe not.”
“Then don’t act like it does.”
Ryan said quietly, “It means something.”
Evan turned toward him.
Ryan’s face had gone almost gray.
Claire watched the two brothers look at each other.
There it was.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
She had known Ryan for twelve years, almost as long as she had known Evan. He was the younger Morgan brother, the one who arrived late to Christmas and brought better wine than he could afford. He had spent most of his twenties bouncing between construction crews, personal-training jobs, a failed paddleboard rental business, and one serious relationship he had destroyed by borrowing money from the woman and lying about why he needed it.
Evan had always cleaned up after him.
That was the family story.
Evan responsible.
Ryan unreliable.
Claire had repeated it herself often enough that she felt ashamed remembering it now.
“Tell me,” she said.
Ryan rubbed the key fob against his palm.
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“Today.”
“We’ve been here three days.”
“I know.”
“You slept in the room across from my daughter for three nights.”
“Two.”
Robert snapped, “That’s your correction?”
Ryan flinched.
Linda put one hand on Robert’s forearm.
Claire did not raise her voice.
“Where did you take Sophie?”
Ryan looked toward the lake.
“Cedar Junction.”
The motel receipt.
Claire felt the driveway tilt.
“Why?”
“I can’t give you the short version.”
“Try.”
Ryan opened his mouth.
Evan cut in.
“Not in front of Sophie.”
Ryan looked at him.
For the first time, something like anger appeared on Ryan’s face.
“You really want to play concerned parent right now?”
Evan went still.
Claire saw Sophie watching them.
She crouched again.
“Go inside with Grandma.”
“No.”
“Sophie.”
“No.”
The word was small but firm.
Claire touched her daughter’s arm.
“I need to talk to them.”
“You’re going to make Uncle Ryan leave.”
Claire almost said maybe.
Instead she asked, “Do you want him to stay?”
Sophie stared at Ryan.
“I don’t know.”
That answer landed harder than fear would have.
Linda set the tan folder on the porch bench and came down the steps.
“Come with me, sweetheart. We’ll get dressed before we go see the deputy.”
Sophie looked at Claire.
“Are you coming?”
“In a minute.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Linda held out her hand.
After a pause, Sophie took it.
Claire watched them go inside.
Only when the screen door closed did she turn around.
“Now.”
Ryan wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist.
“Evan called me Sunday night.”
Evan’s face tightened.
“Be careful.”
Ryan looked at him.
“That’s funny.”
“Don’t make this worse because you’re scared.”
“I am scared.”
“Then don’t lie.”
Ryan’s shoulders dropped slightly.
“I’m done lying.”
Claire folded her arms.
“Sunday night.”
May you like
Ryan nodded.
“He asked if I could take Sophie to camp Monday because he had that client thing in Milwaukee and you needed to meet your parents here.”
