Chapter 8 - THE BOX ON MY PORCH
The snake in the box wasn’t venomous.
That didn’t make the message less terrifying.
Animal control identified it as a juvenile corn snake.
Harmless.
Legal.
Deliberate.
Inside the container was a folded piece of paper.
Only four words.
CONTROL YOUR DOG NEXT TIME.
Rachel read the message once.
Then handed it back to Detective Ortiz.
Caleb sat silently at the kitchen table.
I wanted to tell him everything would be okay.
I couldn’t.
Harris pulled me aside.
“You and your family are going somewhere else tonight.”
“I’m staying here.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion.”
“This is my house.”
“And someone just delivered a reptile to it.”
I looked toward Rachel.
She was trying to act calm for Caleb.
I hated Vale for making her do that.
“Where?”
“Department-arranged hotel.”
“No.”
“Jack.”
“He already knows my routines.”
“Then don’t give him another predictable one.”
Ortiz approached holding an evidence bag.
“Jack.”
“What?”
“The handwriting doesn’t match Vale’s samples.”
“Could be disguised.”
“Could be.”
Her expression told me there was more.
“What?”
“We traced the viral video.”
I waited.
“The account was created two days before the incident.”
“So it was planned.”
“Yes.”
“Vale?”
“No.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then who?”
Ortiz held up her phone.
“The recovery email belongs to a freelance videographer named Lucas Bennett.”
“Never heard of him.”
“He works for local news outlets. Accident footage, protests, police incidents.”
Marcus frowned.
“A stringer?”
“Basically.”
“Connection to Vale?”
“We’re looking.”
I stepped closer.
“Did Bennett record the park video?”
“We believe so.”
“Where is he?”
Ortiz looked at Harris.
Harris answered.
“Missing.”
Nobody spoke.
Ortiz continued.
“His girlfriend says he left yesterday afternoon to meet someone. Never came home.”
“What someone?”
“She doesn’t know.”
I looked toward the evidence bag.
“You think Vale killed him?”
“We don’t know anything yet.”
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered without thinking.
“Mercer.”
Static.
Then a man’s voice.
“You should have let the dog die.”
My body went rigid.
“Vale?”
A soft laugh.
“You ruined everything.”
“Where are you?”
“You remember my van?”
I looked at Ortiz.
She was already tracing the call.
“You remember what your dog found?”
“You were moving illegal animals and drugs.”
“You took my business.”
“You did that yourself.”
His breathing changed.
Angrier.
“You took my wife.”
“I never met your wife.”
“You took my son.”
I said nothing.
“You stood there while they put me in handcuffs.”
“Because you broke the law.”
“And that animal sat beside you wagging his tail.”
Titan.
This had never been abstract for Vale.
He hated my dog.
“Emily Carter could have died.”
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
That sentence hit me.
“What was supposed to happen?”
Silence.
Then Vale said, “Your dog was supposed to bite her.”
My eyes met Ortiz’s.
She was writing rapidly.
“You released the snake to trigger Titan.”
“I knew he’d smell it.”
“You wanted him to run.”
“I wanted everyone to see what he really is.”
“He saved her.”
“That stupid dog always ruins everything.”
I heard something in the background.
A metallic bang.
Then a muffled voice.
Someone else was there.
“Who’s with you?”
Vale went silent.
I heard the muffled sound again.
A man.
Trying to shout.
My pulse jumped.
“Vale.”
The line crackled.
“You looking for your cameraman?”
Then the call ended.
Ortiz stared at the trace information.
“We got him.”
“Where?”
She looked up.
“An abandoned warehouse near Harbor Island.”
I grabbed my vest.
Harris stepped in front of me.
“No.”
“He has a hostage.”
“You are under administrative restriction.”
“He called me.”
“That makes you emotionally compromised.”
I moved closer.
“He wants Titan.”
Harris stared at me.
Then my phone received a text.
A photograph.
Lucas Bennett tied to a chair.
Blood on his forehead.
Beside him was another clear plastic container.
This one held a rattlesnake.
And underneath the photo was a message.
May you like
BRING THE DOG.
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