Chapter 7 - THE MAN IN THE GARAGE
Nicholas insisted on going to the parking garage.
Hannah insisted he had lost his mind.
“You can barely transfer without help.”
“I’m going.”
“They took Ethan because of me.”
“They took Ethan because of me.”
“That doesn’t make this better.”
“It means I’m ending it.”
Hannah stared at him.
“With what? Angry eye contact?”
His jaw tightened.
“I have people.”
“Which people? Hector, who Rebecca suspected? Walter, who lied to you for months? Claire, who hit you? Dr. Burke, who may have signed off on poison?”
Nicholas said nothing.
“That’s the problem,” Hannah continued. “You don’t know who your people are.”
At 11:42 p.m., they left anyway.
Walter drove.
Hannah sat beside Nicholas in the back.
The red notebook lay inside a black envelope.
A second car followed at a distance.
Nicholas had chosen two security men he believed were clean.
Believed.
That word bothered Hannah.
St. Vincent had closed years earlier.
Its parking garage smelled of wet concrete and rust.
They reached the fourth level.
No one.
Nicholas rolled forward.
Hannah stayed beside him.
“Ethan!”
Her voice echoed.
Nothing.
Then headlights appeared.
An SUV rolled up the ramp.
Stopped.
The rear door opened.
Ethan stepped out.
“Hannah!”
She ran.
“Stay there!”
A masked man pulled Ethan backward.
Hannah froze.
Nicholas wheeled forward.
“The notebook is here.”
“Put it down.”
“Send the boy first.”
The masked man laughed.
“You’re not negotiating.”
Nicholas held up the envelope.
“Then shoot me.”
Hannah looked at him.
“Nicholas—”
“If I die, the notebook burns with me.”
The masked man stopped laughing.
“Throw it.”
Nicholas did.
The envelope slid across the concrete.
The man pushed Ethan forward.
“Go.”
Ethan ran.
Hannah dropped to her knees and caught him.
He was crying.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything.”
“They said you were hurt.”
“I’m okay.”
Behind them, Nicholas watched the masked man pick up the envelope.
Then another voice came from the SUV.
“Check it.”
Hannah froze.
Nicholas did too.
That voice was not distorted.
Male.
Familiar to Nicholas.
The man inside the SUV stepped out.
Tall.
Dark hair streaked with gray.
A scar along his jaw.
Nicholas stared.
His entire body seemed to stop.
“Daniel.”
The man smiled.
“Hello, little brother.”
Hannah held Ethan tighter.
Daniel Valenti removed his gloves.
“You look terrible.”
Nicholas’s face remained frozen.
“You’re dead.”
“So people keep telling me.”
“You caused the crash.”
Daniel laughed.
“Still making everything about yourself.”
Nicholas moved forward.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you take Ethan?”
“Yes.”
Hannah stood.
“You son of a—”
Daniel lifted one hand.
“I didn’t hurt him.”
“You kidnapped an eight-year-old!”
“And now he’s back.”
“You think that fixes it?”
“No.”
Daniel turned toward Nicholas.
“But maybe keeping him alive will convince you I’m not the person poisoning you.”
Nicholas looked at him.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
Daniel opened the envelope.
Pulled out the notebook.
Then tossed it to the masked man.
“I don’t care.”
“Then why take it?”
“Because Rebecca wrote down something I need.”
“What?”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“The name of the person who paid to have your brakes cut.”
Nicholas leaned forward.
“You said it wasn’t you.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Then who?”
Daniel glanced toward Hannah.
Then toward Ethan.
“Get the kid out of here.”
Hannah didn’t move.
“Tell him.”
Daniel looked at Nicholas.
“Your crash wasn’t supposed to leave you paralyzed.”
Nicholas’s eyes narrowed.
“What was it supposed to do?”
May you like
Daniel answered:
“It was supposed to kill Claire.”
