Chapter 6 - The Call He Didn't Expect
Arthur didn't deny it. He sat in the chair beside the window and rubbed a hand over his face.
"When I was a federal marshal, I worked with people I trusted," he said. "Some of them retired. Some moved into private security. One of them may have helped Daniel find you."
"Who?" Mom asked.
"I don't know yet."
Investigator Brooks left to make calls. Arthur followed her into the hall, and I heard him say that no one was to share our location, not even with a supervisor who claimed to need it.
For the first time, I understood why Mom had kept a phone hidden beneath my mattress. It wasn't a secret toy. It was a lifeline she had been too scared to use until she had no other choice.
At noon, a social worker came to speak with me. She asked what had happened at home and whether I felt safe returning there.
I told her about the kitchen, the locked doors, and the way Dad could turn gentle the moment another adult entered the room. She listened without making me repeat details I couldn't say out loud.
When she asked what I wanted, I answered, "I want Mom to stop looking over her shoulder."
The social worker nodded. "That's a good place to start."
Across the hall, Arthur's phone rang. He listened without speaking, then asked the caller to repeat the last sentence.
His face changed.
He came back into our room and closed the door.
"Someone tried to access the evidence locker where Sarah's original files were stored," he said. "The attempt was stopped, but they knew exactly which box to request."
Mom sat up straighter. "The red ledger."
Arthur looked at her. "You said you destroyed it."
"I destroyed the copy Daniel knew about."
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She turned to me, and I saw fear sharpen her expression.
"The original isn't in the locker," she whispered. "It's been hidden somewhere Daniel would never think to look."
