Chapter 7: Someone on the Other Side
Nobody moved.
The second knock came slower.
Three taps.
Then silence.
Deputy Hall raised one hand.
"Everyone back.""
Ray guided Noah toward Sarah.
Duke stepped between them and the door.
One deputy drew his weapon.
The other called for more officers.
Vance looked terrified.
"I didn't know about this.""
Ray looked at him.
"You expect anybody to believe that now?""
"I'm telling the truth.""
The door rattled.
Noah grabbed Sarah's hand.
"That's him.""
Ray looked at the boy.
"Curtis?""
Noah shook his head.
"No.""
He swallowed.
"It's the man he talks to.""
The officers moved into position.
The lock was old.
A pry bar finally broke it.
The steel door swung inward.
The room beyond was smaller than the others.
There was a folding chair.
A desk.
A radio.
A filing cabinet.
And on the wall, a collection of printed photographs.
No one was inside.
The knock had come from a loose metal pipe vibrating in the storm.
Ray exhaled.
Noah looked disappointed.
"Then where is he?""
Deputy Hall searched the room.
The photographs were of the truck stop.
Employees.
Customers.
Noah.
Curtis.
Sarah.
Ray.
Even Ray's biker group from that night.
Lena whispered, "He's been watching everybody.""
Ray stared at one photograph.
It showed Noah entering the truck stop six months earlier.
Another showed him sleeping on the storage-room mattress.
Another showed Curtis meeting Vance.
The last one showed Curtis handing an envelope to a man at the Silver Pines Motel.
There was a date.
Three days earlier.
Ray took a photograph of the photograph.
"That's our connection.""
Deputy Hall nodded.
She opened the filing cabinet.
Inside were copies of identification documents.
Medical cards.
Social security records.
School files.
And a stack of forged-looking letters.
One letter was addressed to the grandmother.
Another to Sarah.
Another to the insurance company.
All claimed Noah was living safely in Kansas.
All contained nearly identical language.
Deputy Hall frowned.
"This wasn't one person's work.""
Ray looked at Vance.
Vance shook his head.
"I only stored papers.""
"Who wrote them?""
"I don't know.""
The officer found a small black notebook.
Inside were initials.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Curtis.
Another name appeared beside it.
"Grady Vale.""
Vance went pale.
Deputy Hall asked, "Who is Grady Vale?""
Vance swallowed.
"Bookkeeper.""
"For the truck stop?""
Vance nodded.
Ray stared at the notebook.
"And where is he?""
Vance said nothing.
Deputy Hall repeated the question.
"Where?""
"He lives in Tulsa.""
A deputy checked the database.
No recent address.
But there was a phone number.
They called.
Straight to voicemail.
Then Ray noticed another note.
Silver Pines — 11:30 p.m.
Current date.
Tonight.
Ray looked at his watch.
11:19.
"He's there now.""
Deputy Hall grabbed the radio.
"We need a unit at Silver Pines Motel immediately.""
Noah stared at the floor.
"Why?""
Ray asked, "What?""
"Why would Curtis keep all this?""
Deputy Hall answered gently.
"Because somebody was making money.""
Noah looked at the ledger.
"From me?""
She nodded.
"Looks like it.""
His face fell.
Ray knelt.
"Listen to me.""
Noah looked at him.
"None of this is your fault.""
Noah's eyes filled.
"But everybody said I was the problem.""
Ray shook his head.
"You weren't.""
"What was I?""
Ray paused.
"A kid.""
Noah started crying.
Not loudly.
Just tears slipping down his face while he tried not to make a sound.
Ray sat beside him.
"That's all you ever had to be.""
Sarah hugged him.
Across the room, the waitress quietly began crying too.
Then a deputy rushed in.
"We've got movement from the motel.""
Ray looked up.
"What kind?""
"Green pickup.""
Vance whispered, "That's Grady.""
The officer continued.
"He's leaving.""
Ray stood.
"With who?""
The deputy hesitated.
Then said:
"A boy.""
Noah's face went white.
"That's not me.""
Ray's stomach dropped.
"How many boys?""
"One.""
Noah whispered:
"There are two kids.""
Silence.
Sarah grabbed his shoulders.
"What do you mean?""
May you like
Noah looked toward the hidden photographs.
"Curtis wasn't keeping only me.""
