Chapter 18 - THE LAST HOUSE

Miles did not run.

He went back to the Bennett family lake house.

Ortiz knew because a patrol camera caught his stolen vehicle heading north.

Daniel knew why.

The lake house held clinic ledgers and security tapes Miles could not afford to leave behind.

Police told the family to stay put.

Mara agreed.

Ryan did not.

By sunset, he was missing.

On his bed lay a note.

I STARTED THIS. I CAN HELP END IT.

Daniel swore so loudly Claire covered Lily's ears.

Noah was already grabbing his coat.

They reached the lake house behind police.

Smoke curled from an upstairs window.

Miles had started a fire.

Daniel heard Ryan yelling inside.

He ran past Ortiz before she could stop him.

The hallway was thick with smoke.

"Ryan!"

"Here!"

Daniel found him in Conrad's old study, trying to drag a metal file box away from the flames.

"You idiot!"

"I found the tapes!"

Daniel kicked the box toward the door.

Miles stepped from the smoke holding a pistol.

"You people never learn."

Ryan froze.

Miles aimed at Daniel.

"You should've let the boy disappear."

Daniel moved in front of Ryan.

"Not happening."

Miles smiled.

Then a brick smashed through the side window.

Glass exploded.

Miles flinched.

Ryan tackled Daniel to the floor as Ortiz fired from outside.

Miles dropped the gun.

Officers rushed in.

Daniel dragged Ryan through the broken window into the cold grass.

They lay coughing beneath the trees.

Ryan started laughing.

Daniel stared at him.

"What?"

"The brick."

Daniel looked toward the shattered window.

Noah stood outside holding the broken half of a landscaping brick.

For the first time, the object that began the nightmare had saved someone instead of hurting them.

Ryan's laughter turned into sobbing.

Daniel pulled him close.

This time Ryan let him.

Miles was arrested again.

The tapes survived.

So did enough of Conrad's records to convict half a dozen people.

But when Ortiz reviewed one of the oldest recordings, she called Daniel at 2:00 a.m.

"You need to hear this."

On the tape, Conrad was speaking to Daniel's late mother, Evelyn.

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And Evelyn was not arguing with him.

She was helping him.