Chapter 10 - THE UNCLE WHO NEVER LEFT
Daniel felt betrayed before Grant even answered the phone.
For three years, Grant Holloway had been the helpful uncle.
He sent Lily birthday gifts.
He took Daniel to dinner on the anniversary of Sarah’s death.
He called Claire “the second chance Sarah would have wanted for you.”
Now Daniel understood why that sentence had always sounded rehearsed.
Grant answered cheerfully.
“Hey, Dan.”
“Where are you?”
“Office.”
“Stay there.”
A pause.
“What happened?”
“You already know.”
Grant hung up.
Daniel arrived twelve minutes later.
The office was empty.
A side door swung open in the wind.
On Grant’s desk sat a framed photograph of Sarah and Grant as teenagers.
Behind it was a sticky note with Daniel’s home address.
Under the address were three words.
FIND THE RED BIRD.
Daniel’s phone rang.
Claire again.
This time he answered immediately.
“Where is Grant?”
“I don’t know.”
“You worked for him.”
Silence.
“Claire.”
“Yes.”
The admission made Daniel grip the phone tighter.
“He sent you into my life?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To find what Sarah hid.”
“And you married me to do it.”
Claire began crying.
“At first.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“At first?”
“I didn’t plan to care about you.”
“You tied my daughter to a tree.”
Claire stopped crying.
There was nothing she could say to that.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“What is the red bird?”
“I don’t know.”
“You punished Lily because you thought she did.”
Another silence.
“Grant said Sarah taught Lily where she hid it.”
“She was three when Sarah died.”
“Grant believed she remembered.”
Daniel’s stomach turned.
“So you terrified a child for a memory she might not even have?”
Claire whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel heard another voice in the background.
A man.
Then Claire screamed.
The phone hit something hard.
May you like
Before the call disconnected, Grant’s voice came through clearly.
“Bring me Lily, Daniel, or Claire dies first.”
