Chapter 7 - The Message That Changed the Case
Detective Ortiz read the three messages without changing expression.
Thomas watched her carefully because he had begun measuring danger by how quiet she became.
She photographed the screen, collected network information from the hospital, and told Thomas not to reply.
"You understand what this means, right?" he asked.
"It means someone wants you frightened."
"It means someone knows exactly what happened in my kitchen."
"Possibly."
"There is no possibly."
Thomas pointed at the last message.
"They mentioned Eli's hand."
"That wasn't on the news."
Ortiz nodded once.
"That's why we're taking it seriously."
"Then arrest Judith."
"For receiving a text you don't like?"
"For being at the house, lying about the timeline, questioning my son, knowing about the flour canister, and being recorded in a financial scheme."
Ortiz remained calm.
"Suspicion isn't enough."
Thomas walked away before frustration made him say something useless.
He returned to Megan's room.
She was sitting up for the first time, pale but alert.
He showed her the messages.
Her face drained of color.
"Nathan."
"You think it's him?"
"He used that phrase once."
"What phrase?"
"Stop looking."
Megan swallowed.
"When I asked about Harbor Ridge, he said, 'Megan, stop looking for problems in paperwork you don't understand.'"
Thomas sat beside her.
"Ortiz thinks we need more proof."
"She's right."
He stared at Megan.
"You almost died."
"Eli almost died."
"And you're telling me to be patient?"
"I'm telling you Nathan survives by making other people look reckless."
"If you charge at him, he'll use it."
Thomas hated hearing the same logic from her that Ortiz had given him.
Megan reached for his hand.
"That's why I didn't tell you at first."
"You act when you're angry."
"Sometimes that's good."
"Right now it could destroy us."
Before Thomas could answer, Judith appeared in the doorway with flowers.
A security officer immediately moved toward her.
Megan stiffened.
"I don't want her here."
Judith stopped.
"Megan."
"Leave."
Judith's face crumpled.
"Please."
"I said leave."
Thomas had never heard Megan speak to her mother that way.
Judith looked at him as though he had engineered it.
"What has he told you?"
Megan laughed weakly.
"This isn't about Thomas."
"Everything is about Thomas with you lately."
Judith's voice sharpened.
"You were fine until his business began failing."
Thomas stepped forward.
Megan stopped him with one look.
"Did you put something in the lemonade?" Megan asked.
The hallway went silent.
Judith stared at her daughter.
"You are confused."
"Answer me."
"You're recovering from a medical emergency."
"Answer me."
Judith's eyes filled with tears.
"I would never hurt you."
Megan did not blink.
"That's not an answer."
Security escorted Judith away.
Two hours later, police received a call from Judith's attorney.
From that point forward, Judith would answer no questions without counsel.
Thomas took that as confirmation.
Ortiz did not.
"People get lawyers for many reasons," she said.
"Including guilt."
"Including having a son-in-law shouting accusations in a hospital."
Thomas stopped arguing.
That evening, Ortiz finally reached Marissa by phone.
Marissa was staying with her sister two counties away.
She had left because the same unknown man had returned to her property after midnight.
Her security camera had caught only his back.
He wore a dark jacket and baseball cap.
He never knocked.
He simply stood at the end of her driveway for nearly five minutes, then left.
Marissa told Ortiz she still had the recording Megan had given her.
She refused to send it electronically.
"Why?" Thomas asked when Ortiz relayed the news.
"She says she doesn't trust the file not to disappear."
"Smart."
"She wants to hand it directly to me tomorrow."
Thomas exhaled.
"Finally."
Ortiz's eyes remained serious.
"Don't celebrate yet."
The next morning, Thomas was in Eli's room when a nurse brought breakfast.
Eli looked stronger.
His color had returned.
He was drawing a picture of their kitchen with hospital crayons.
Thomas smiled for the first time in hours.
"Is that our house?"
Eli nodded.
"That's Mom."
A blonde stick figure stood beside the island.
"That's me."
A smaller figure was drawn by the stairs.
Thomas pointed to a third figure near the sink.
"Grandma?"
Eli nodded.
Then Thomas saw a fourth figure outside the back door.
It was colored dark green.
"Who's that?"
Eli's hand stopped.
"I don't know."
"You drew him."
"He was looking through the glass."
Thomas felt the air leave his chest.
"When?"
"Before Grandma told me to go upstairs."
"Did he come inside?"
Eli looked frightened.
"I wasn't supposed to see him."
Thomas called Ortiz.
Before she arrived, an announcement sounded over the hospital speakers asking Detective Lena Ortiz to contact the front desk.
Five minutes later, she entered the room with a grim expression.
"Marissa never made it to our meeting."
Thomas stood.
"What happened?"
"Her car was found abandoned at a gas station."
"Where is she?"
May you like
Ortiz looked at Eli before answering.
"We don't know."
