Chapter 5 - LUKE’S WARNING
Sophie ran so fast Marian barely caught the elevator with her.
Grant followed.
When the doors opened in the lobby, a small boy stood between two security guards.
His coat was ripped.
Mud covered his pants.
One shoe was missing.
He looked exhausted.
But alive.
“Luke!”
Sophie crashed into him.
The children clung to each other so tightly Grant had to look away.
Luke whispered something into Sophie’s ear.
Then he noticed Grant.
Fear filled his face.
“That’s him.”
Sophie shook her head.
“No.”
“He’s helping us.”
Luke stared at Grant suspiciously.
“You’re Grant Bennett.”
Grant crouched.
“How do you know my name?”
Luke reached into his coat.
He removed a folded photograph.
Grant and Claire.
Seven years younger.
Standing beside Lake Michigan.
Grant recognized it instantly.
Claire had kept it inside her bedside drawer.
Luke pointed at Grant.
“Mom said you were our dad.”
Nobody in the lobby moved.
Grant’s throat closed.
Sophie slowly looked at him.
“Our real dad?”
Grant could not answer immediately.
Luke did.
“Yes.”
“She told me.”
“She said if we ever found him, we should show him the picture.”
Grant sat down on the nearest bench.
His legs had stopped cooperating.
Sophie stared at him.
“Why didn’t you find us?”
The question nearly destroyed him.
“I didn’t know you existed.”
Luke frowned.
“Mom said you would say that.”
Grant looked up sharply.
“What else did she say?”
Luke sat beside Sophie.
“Mom said somebody made you believe she left.”
“She said it was safer if you hated her.”
Grant felt tears reach his eyes.
He did not hide them.
Luke continued.
“She said one day she would prove everything.”
“Then the crash happened.”
Grant took the photograph carefully.
“Where have you been for three days?”
Luke looked toward the glass doors.
“I found the farmhouse.”
Owen leaned forward.
“The farmhouse from the picture?”
Luke nodded.
“It’s empty.”
“But Mom left something there.”
He removed a small brass key from his pocket.
“A box.”
“What’s inside?”
“I couldn’t open it.”
“Mrs. Shaw found me before I could.”
Grant froze.
“You escaped from her?”
Luke nodded.
“I bit Mr. Rourke.”
Owen almost smiled.
“Good.”
Luke’s expression remained serious.
“He said they were going to move Mom tonight.”
Grant stood.
“Where?”
Luke shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“But he said Mr. Hale was fixing the Bennett problem forever.”
Rachel looked at Grant.
“We need police.”
Owen shook his head.
“Not local police.”
“Rourke still has friends.”
Grant understood.
“Federal.”
Rachel was already dialing.
But Luke suddenly grabbed Grant’s hand.
“There’s more.”
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.
It had been torn from a notebook.
Two lines were written in Claire’s handwriting.
Grant recognized it instantly.
IF GRANT FINDS THIS, TRUST MARIAN.
DO NOT TRUST VICTOR.
Grant looked at Marian.
She covered her mouth.
Then he read the final line.
THE PROOF IS BURIED WHERE OUR FAMILY BEGAN.
Grant knew exactly where Claire meant.
The lakeside property where he had proposed to her.
May you like
The property scheduled to be demolished the next morning.
And Victor Hale’s company had purchased it six months earlier.
