Chapter 6
I sat beside the hotel window long after the detective ended the call.
Outside, the storm had finally passed.
The streets were wet.
The sky was gray.
People hurried along the sidewalks carrying coffee and briefcases.
Life continued as though nothing had happened.
But my world had changed completely.
Somewhere, my daughter might be fighting for her life.
And I had no idea how to reach her.
I looked down at the photograph of Emily on my phone.
She was twenty-four in the picture.
Smiling.
Holding baby Jack.
Daniel stood beside her.
For years, I had avoided looking at that photograph.
It hurt too much.
Now I studied every detail.
Daniel's hand rested on Emily's shoulder.
His smile looked confident.
Possessive.
I wondered how many warning signs I'd missed.
Emily had married him when she was twenty-three.
At first, I liked him.
He was charming.
Ambitious.
Polite.
He seemed devoted to her.
But after the wedding, things changed.
Emily stopped visiting.
She canceled family dinners.
She stopped calling on Sundays.
Whenever I asked why, Daniel answered for her.
"She's tired."
"She's busy."
"She needs space."
I believed him.
When I tried to visit, he told me she was traveling.
When I sent gifts for the boys, they were returned.
Eventually, I stopped trying.
Not because I stopped loving her.
Because I convinced myself she wanted distance.
That mistake would haunt me for the rest of my life.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Ethan stood in the doorway.
"Mr. Harrison?"
I turned.
"Yes?"
"The boys are asking for you."
I stood immediately.
"Are they okay?"
He smiled gently.
"They're making something."
I followed him into the adjoining suite.
Jack and Ben sat at a small table covered in paper, crayons, and glue.
When they saw me, Ben jumped up.
"Grandpa!"
I smiled.
"What's going on?"
Jack looked proud.
"We made a map."
I sat beside them.
"A map?"
He nodded.
"Of where we ran."
My heart tightened.
I looked at the drawing.
It showed a house.
Trees.
A road.
A river.
And a small building marked with a crooked red square.
I leaned closer.
"What's this?"
Jack pointed.
"The old train station."
I frowned.
"Did you go there?"
He nodded.
"We hid there for two nights."
My chest ached.
"Alone?"
Jack looked down.
"Yes."
Ben added, "Jack found blankets."
I looked at my older grandson.
His face was serious.
Too serious for an eleven-year-old.
I wondered how many times he'd been forced to act like an adult.
"Jack, you don't have to protect everyone anymore."
He stared at me.
"But Mommy said—"
I gently touched his shoulder.
"Your mommy asked you to protect Ben because she knew you were brave."
His eyes filled.
"But now there are grown-ups who can help."
He swallowed.
"Can I still take care of him?"
I smiled sadly.
"Of course."
I looked at Ben.
"But you get to be a little boy too."
Jack stared at me for a long time.
Then he nodded.
Something in his shoulders relaxed.
Just a little.
But I noticed.
That afternoon, Samuel arrived with another update.
The financial documents from the vault had revealed payments to several companies connected to Daniel and Victor.
Investigators were tracing the money.
But the most disturbing discovery involved a trust account.
A large amount had been moved using documents bearing Emily's signature.
Samuel believed the signatures had been forged.
I stared at him.
"How much?"
He hesitated.
"Nearly twelve million dollars."
I felt sick.
"Daniel stole from her?"
"That's what the evidence suggests."
I clenched my fists.
Emily had inherited substantial assets from her mother.
I had always told her that money belonged to her.
Daniel apparently saw it as something he could take.
Samuel continued.
"The transactions also link to a property company controlled by Victor Shaw."
I leaned forward.
"Where?"
He opened a folder.
"One of the properties is an isolated estate about two hours north of the city."
My pulse quickened.
"Could Emily be there?"
"We don't know."
I immediately called Detective Bennett.
She listened carefully.
Then asked Samuel to forward the documents through the established evidence channel.
I wanted to drive to the property myself.
But she was firm.
"Richard, please don't approach it."
I closed my eyes.
"I know."
"If someone is being held there, an unplanned visit could put them in greater danger."
She was right.
I hated it.
But she was right.
That evening, I sat beside the boys while they watched an animated movie.
Ben leaned against my shoulder.
Jack sat on the other side of the couch.
For a moment, I almost felt peaceful.
Then Jack looked up.
"Grandpa?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have a house?"
I smiled.
"I do."
"Is it big?"
"Pretty big."
He thought about that.
"Does it have a garden?"
"Yes."
Ben sat up.
"With trees?"
"Lots of trees."
Jack looked at him.
Then back at me.
"Can we see it?"
My throat tightened.
"Of course."
He hesitated.
"Will Mommy come there too?"
I swallowed.
"That's what we're hoping for."
Jack looked away.
I could see him fighting tears.
I put my arm around him.
"You're not alone anymore."
He leaned against me.
For the first time, he didn't try to hide his sadness.
He simply let me hold him.
Later that night, Detective Bennett called.
Her voice was urgent.
"Richard, we located Daniel Walker."
I stood so quickly that my chair tipped backward.
"Where?"
"At a private airport."
My heart pounded.
"Did you arrest him?"
"He's being detained for questioning in connection with the financial investigation."
I closed my eyes.
"Does he know where Emily is?"
"We're working to establish that."
Then she paused.
"Richard, there's something else."
I gripped the phone.
"What?"
"He was preparing to leave the country."
My stomach twisted.
"Of course he was."
The detective continued.
"And he had documents with him."
I held my breath.
"What documents?"
"Passports."
I frowned.
"Whose?"
May you like
Her answer made my blood run cold.
"Two passports bearing the names of Jack and Benjamin Walker."
