Chapter 1 - THAT MAN ISN'T OUR FATHER
Ethan Grant hit the glass doors of the Nashville police station so hard his shoulder hurt.
"Please lock the door!"
He was eight.
His little sister Lucy was five, barefoot on one foot because she'd lost a shoe three blocks back.
She clung to Ethan's shirt and sobbed.
Officer Emily Carter rushed over.
"What happened?"
Ethan could barely breathe.
"That man isn't our father."
The doors opened hard.
Ryan Miller stormed inside.
"There you are."
He pointed at Ethan.
"You two are in serious trouble."
Lucy hid behind Emily.
Ryan forced a smile.
"They're upset because I grounded them."
Emily did not smile back.
"What's your relationship to these children?"
"I'm their father."
"No, you're not," Ethan said.
Ryan's eyes sharpened.
Emily looked at the boy.
"What's your father's name?"
Ethan pulled a crumpled photograph from his pocket.
A man in a Titans cap stood between Ethan and Lucy, laughing.
"Daniel Grant. He died last year."
Ryan stepped forward.
"Ethan is confused."
Two officers blocked him.
Emily crouched beside Lucy.
"Where is your mother?"
Lucy cried harder.
"He locked Mommy in her bedroom."
Silence.
Ryan turned toward the exit.
Sergeant Marcus Collins caught his arm.
"You're staying."
Ryan jerked away.
"Get your hands off me."
Collins searched his jacket.
Two children's passports fell onto the desk.
CHARLOTTE BENNETT.
NOAH BENNETT.
Neither child was Ethan or Lucy.
Emily looked at Ryan.
"Who are they?"
He said nothing.
Then Ethan pointed at the silver key hanging from Ryan's belt.
"That opens the room where he keeps their pictures."
Ryan's face changed.
Lucy stared at the key.
"No, Ethan."
Her voice became tiny.
"That's the key to the room under our house."
Ryan lunged toward her.
"She was never supposed to see that!"
Officers grabbed him.
Emily stood.
"Address. Now."
Ethan whispered it.
Then he added one more thing.
"Please hurry."
"Why?"
"Because Mommy stopped answering me before we ran."
May you like
Emily looked at Collins.
And every officer in the room started moving.
