Chapter 13 - The Man in the HospitalRichard reached the elevator and found it too slow.
He took the stairs.
Three flights.
Then four.
Maria followed close behind while Detective Ward called hospital security.
Richard burst onto the pediatric floor.
A nurse turned.
“Mr. Cole?”
“Where's my son?”
“In his room.”
Richard ran.
The bed was empty.
For half a second, his mind refused to process it.
Blankets tossed aside.
Heart monitor disconnected.
Bathroom door open.
No Ethan.
“No.”
Maria entered behind him.
“Where is he?”
The nurse stared.
“He was here five minutes ago.”
Richard grabbed the nurse's arm, then immediately released it.
“Who took him?”
“I don't know.”
Ward arrived.
“Lock every exit.”
Security footage was checked within minutes.
At 3:16 p.m., Thomas Keller walked onto the floor wearing a physician's coat over his clothes.
At 3:19, he entered Ethan's room.
At 3:21, a fire alarm activated on the opposite wing.
At 3:23, Keller left with Ethan in a wheelchair.
A surgical mask covered the boy's face.
Richard stared at the screen.
“I'll kill him.”
Ward turned.
“No, you won't.”
“He took my son.”
“And if you interfere, you may get your son killed.”
Richard looked ready to explode.
Maria stepped between them.
“Where would Keller go?”
Ward focused.
“Good question.”
Richard forced himself to think.
Thomas Keller had represented the family for fifteen years.
He knew every property Richard owned.
Every trust.
Every company.
Every vacation home.
Then Maria said, “The old house.”
Richard turned.
“What?”
“Claire's lake house.”
He stared.
Claire's family had owned a small property near Candlewood Lake.
After her death, Richard couldn't bear to visit.
He transferred the deed into a holding company.
Keller handled it.
“No one goes there.”
Maria nodded.
“Exactly.”
Ward dispatched units.
The drive took forty minutes.
Richard made it in twenty-nine behind a police convoy.
They stopped before the final road.
Ward refused to let him approach.
Police surrounded the property.
A negotiator called Keller's phone.
No answer.
Then Richard's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Keller?”
A familiar voice.
“Richard.”
His blood turned cold.
“Where is Ethan?”
“Safe.”
“If you touch him—”
“You need to stop.”
“Stop what?”
“The investigation.”
Richard laughed.
“You kidnapped my son.”
“Because Detective Ward doesn't understand what she's uncovering.”
“Then explain.”
Keller was breathing heavily.
“Nathan dragged all of us into this.”
“All of you?”
Silence.
Richard looked at Ward.
She was signaling officers to trace the call.
Keller continued.
“Claire wouldn't stop.”
Richard's hand tightened around the phone.
“Finish that sentence.”
“She discovered financial irregularities.”
“You helped cover them up.”
“I protected the company.”
“You protected Nathan.”
“I protected thousands of employees from a scandal.”
“You let my wife die.”
“I did not kill Claire.”
“Was Vanessa driving behind her?”
Keller said nothing.
Richard closed his eyes.
“Was she?”
“Yes.”
Maria covered her mouth.
“Did Vanessa cause the crash?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“Claire was frightened.”
“Because Vanessa chased her.”
“Nathan told Vanessa to retrieve the documents. Claire panicked.”
“She crashed because they were following her.”
“It wasn't supposed to happen.”
Richard's eyes burned.
Those words.
Always those words.
Not supposed to happen.
As if intention erased consequence.
“What about Ethan?”
Keller's breathing changed.
“That wasn't supposed to happen either.”
Ward stepped closer.
Richard whispered,
“You were in my house yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“You went downstairs.”
“Yes.”
“Did you lock Ethan in the freezer?”
Silence.
“Keller.”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“I arrived after Vanessa cornered him.”
“Then who closed the door?”
Keller began crying.
Richard had never heard him cry.
“Nathan.”
Maria's eyes widened.
Richard felt dizzy.
“Nathan was there?”
“He came through the garage.”
“But Ethan said someone smelled like smoke.”
“Nathan had been smoking.”
Richard looked at Ward.
She was already issuing orders.
Nathan was not in custody.
His attorney had arranged voluntary questioning.
He had left the station hours earlier.
“Why did Nathan put Ethan inside?”
“To scare him.”
“Bullshit.”
“He said five minutes. Just five minutes until we found the phone.”
“And then?”
“Richard came home.”
“What did you do?”
“I panicked.”
“You left him.”
“Yes.”
“You left my child to freeze.”
Keller sobbed.
“I went back.”
“When?”
“I couldn't. Maria was already downstairs.”
Richard could barely speak.
“Where is Ethan now?”
Keller's voice became quiet.
“Beside me.”
“Let me hear him.”
A pause.
Then—
“Dad?”
Richard almost collapsed.
“Ethan.”
“Dad, I'm okay.”
“I'm coming.”
Keller returned.
“Don't.”
“You're surrounded.”
“I know.”
“Then send him outside.”
“I need protection.”
“You have it.”
“From Nathan.”
Richard frowned.
“What?”
Keller whispered,
“He knows I'm talking.”
Then a gunshot exploded through the phone.
The line went dead.
Richard looked toward the lake house.
Another gunshot sounded from inside.
And through an upstairs window, a small figure appeared.
May you like
Ethan.
Pounding against the glass.
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