Chapter 5
We didn't go home.
That was the first decision I made without arguing.
Camille closed the shop early.
She offered us her upstairs apartment, but I refused.
If Daniel knew enough to build files on us, he could probably find Camille.
Instead, we checked into a small hotel across town under her business account.
I hated hiding.
But I hated the thought of Daniel knowing where Noah slept even more.
That night, Noah lay between Nia and me in the hotel bed.
He finally fell asleep with his hand gripping my sleeve.
Nia sat beside the window.
Neither of us spoke for several minutes.
Then she whispered, "You believe me now."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
She nodded.
I knew what she deserved.
"I'm sorry."
She looked at me.
"For what part?"
"All of it."
Her eyes turned away.
I continued.
"I let Daniel get inside my head."
"You did."
"I thought you were cheating."
"I know."
"I treated you like a suspect instead of my wife."
Her face tightened.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me tonight."
"Good."
That hurt.
But I deserved it.
"I just need you to know I see it now."
She was silent for a long time.
Then she said, "I wasn't innocent either."
I looked at her.
"I hid things."
"You were scared."
"I also got angry."
"That's different."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I should have told you sooner. I should have shown you the messages before this got so far."
I glanced at Noah.
"We both failed each other."
"Maybe."
"But we don't fail him."
That finally made her look at me.
"No."
Her voice steadied.
"We don't."
The next morning, I called someone I trusted more than almost anyone outside my immediate family.
Attorney Renee Carter.
Renee had handled contracts for my construction company for six years.
She also specialized in family law before moving into corporate work.
When I told her I needed help, she didn't ask questions over the phone.
She came directly to the hotel.
We showed her everything.
She became more serious with every file.
"This isn't only a custody issue."
"What is it?"
"Potential fraud. Identity theft. Insurance fraud. Stalking."
My jaw tightened.
"And the 'final incident'?"
"I don't know."
She looked at me carefully.
"But if someone is manufacturing evidence that you're violent, you cannot confront Daniel."
Nia gave me a look.
"I already told him that."
Renee ignored us.
"Marcus, if he provokes you in public and you hit him, what happens?"
"He gets hit."
"Wrong answer."
She leaned forward.
"He gets evidence."
That silenced me.
"If he has drafted custody allegations accusing you of violence, one recorded fight could support his story."
I felt sick.
Renee continued.
"We need law enforcement."
Nia immediately shook her head.
"Not yet."
Renee looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because we don't know who else is involved."
She pointed to the spreadsheet.
"Those initials. Those payments. That company."
I nodded.
"Horizon Family Holdings."
Renee opened her laptop.
She searched public business records.
Within minutes, her face changed.
"What?"
She turned the screen toward us.
Horizon Family Holdings had been created eighteen months earlier.
Its registered agent was a lawyer named Victor Hale.
Renee stared at the name.
"You know him?" I asked.
"By reputation."
"Good reputation?"
"No."
She searched again.
Victor Hale had handled high-conflict custody cases.
Several.
One name appeared repeatedly in online records connected to him.
Dr. Malcolm Reese.
A private child-placement consultant.
I didn't like the phrase.
"What is a child-placement consultant?"
Renee frowned.
"Usually legitimate work with guardianship, foster placement, evaluations."
"Usually?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Then Noah, who had been drawing at the small hotel desk, walked toward us.
"That's him."
He pointed at Reese's photograph.
I felt cold.
"Him who?"
"The man at the red door house."
Nia grabbed the edge of the table.
"You're sure?"
Noah nodded.
"Uncle Danny said he was nice."
Renee closed the laptop halfway.
"Okay."
Her voice became calm.
"Now we go to the police."
We spent the next four hours giving statements.
Detective Howard listened without interrupting.
He copied the flash drive.
He photographed Nia's messages.
Then he asked Noah questions with a child specialist present.
I wanted to be in the room.
They wouldn't let me.
I hated every second.
When Noah finally came back out, he ran straight into my arms.
"You okay?"
He nodded.
"Can we go home now?"
My throat tightened.
"Not yet."
He looked disappointed.
Detective Howard approached us.
"We've got enough to begin looking at Daniel and the other names."
"Begin?"
My temper flared.
"He has pictures of my child."
"I understand."
"No, you don't."
Renee touched my arm.
Howard stayed calm.
"We need to move carefully."
"Why?"
"Because if this is an organized fraud scheme, warning one person can warn all of them."
I hated the logic.
"What do we do?"
"Stay somewhere Daniel doesn't know."
"We already are."
"Good."
He looked at me.
"And no contact."
I agreed.
That lasted six hours.
At 8:17 that evening, my phone rang.
Daniel.
I ignored it.
He called again.
Then again.
Finally a voicemail appeared.
I played it on speaker.
Daniel sounded relaxed.
"Marcus, Mom says she hasn't heard from you."
My stomach tightened.
He continued.
"She's worried."
Then his voice changed.
"You should call her."
A pause.
"And you should stop letting Nia fill your head with nonsense."
Nia stared at the phone.
Daniel spoke again.
"Bring Noah home."
I felt cold.
How did he know we had left?
The voicemail continued.
"We can fix this."
Then came the final sentence.
"If police get involved, things become dangerous for everybody."
The message ended.
Renee immediately called Detective Howard.
Before she could finish explaining, another call came through.
My mother's number.
I answered.
"Mom?"
A strange male voice replied.
"Marcus?"
Every hair on my arms rose.
"Who is this?"
"This is Officer Grant."
My knees weakened.
"What happened?"
"Your mother has been taken to St. Mary's."
I stood.
"Why?"
May you like
There was a pause.
Then the officer said, "Someone broke into her house."
