Chapter 6 - THE CORRUPT BADGE
The warehouse became a crime scene.
Daniel Voss was arrested.
Mom was taken to the hospital.
She had bruises.
Dehydration.
But no serious injuries.
I sat beside her hospital bed.
She held my hand.
“Who took you?”
“I don't know his name.”
“What did he look like?”
“Gray hair. Police jacket.”
I felt cold.
“Police jacket?”
“He told me he was taking me somewhere safe.”
“Did you recognize him?”
Mom shook her head.
“But he knew your name.”
I stood.
“What did he say?”
“He said you were dangerous.”
I clenched my fists.
“Did he mention Abigail?”
Mom looked away.
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He said your wife was trying to protect herself.”
I sat back down.
“Protect herself from what?”
Mom's eyes met mine.
“From you.”
I said nothing.
Detective Hayes entered the room.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Daniel had a police access card.”
“Was it real?”
“Yes.”
“Whose?”
Hayes placed a photograph on the table.
I recognized the face.
Captain Robert Lane.
My former commanding officer's brother.
A man I had met several times.
“He works in internal security,” Hayes said.
I stared at the photograph.
“Is he involved?”
“We don't know.”
“His card was used to access the security system at your house.”
I felt sick.
Someone inside law enforcement had helped erase evidence.
Someone had taken Mom.
Someone had protected Abigail.
Then my phone rang.
It was Abigail.
I answered.
“Samuel.”
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“Why?”
She began crying.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of you.”
I closed my eyes.
She continued.
“Daniel contacted me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said you had become unstable.”
“Did he threaten you?”
Silence.
“Abigail.”
“He said if I didn't cooperate, he would hurt me.”
I believed she was afraid.
But fear didn't explain everything.
“Did you know he was taking Mom?”
“No.”
“Did you know he wanted the account?”
She didn't answer.
That was enough.
I returned home.
Abigail was sitting in the living room.
Her face was pale.
I placed the phone recorder on the table.
“Tell me the truth.”
She stared at it.
“I am.”
“No.”
I played the recording.
Her voice filled the room.
Nobody is ever going to believe that old woman.
Abigail closed her eyes.
I played another.
Once the doctor confirms she's incompetent, everything becomes simple.
She began crying.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“Daniel threatened me.”
“Before or after you planned to take Mom's money?”
She said nothing.
I placed the financial records on the table.
“Where did the $80,000 go?”
“I didn't take it.”
“Where did it go?”
She looked at me.
“Ethan.”
“Your brother?”
She nodded.
“Daniel was forcing him.”
I stared at her.
“And you?”
“I was trying to stop it.”
I almost laughed.
“You locked my mother in a bedroom.”
“I was trying to keep her safe.”
“You erased security footage.”
“I was afraid.”
“You arranged a psychiatric evaluation.”
“Because she was being threatened.”
“By whom?”
Abigail began crying harder.
“Daniel.”
I stared at her.
“Then why did you tell everyone she had dementia?”
She covered her face.
Because she had no answer.
The next morning, Detective Hayes arrived.
“Captain Lane has disappeared.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“He left his home last night.”
“Where is he?”
“We don't know.”
Then Hayes placed a file in front of me.
Inside was a photograph of Captain Lane standing beside Daniel Voss.
And beside them…
Was Abigail's father.
The photograph had been taken twenty-two years earlier.
I looked at Abigail.
She had seen it.
Her face went white.
“I didn't know,” she whispered.
But I no longer knew what to believe.
Then Detective Hayes said:
“There's one more thing.”
“What?”
“Your father didn't die in an accident.”
I looked up.
Hayes opened the file.
“His car was tampered with.”
The room went silent.
May you like
And suddenly, every lie surrounding my mother…
Led back to the night my father died.
