Chapter 14: The Family Member Nobody Questioned
Rebecca Lawson read the final line again.
Her uncle.
Thomas Lawson.
A retired federal prosecutor.
A respected community figure.
A man who had attended her father's memorial service and held her hand when she was twelve years old.
A man who had spent twenty-three years telling her that Peter had died because he trusted the wrong people.
Rebecca stepped away from the cabinet.
"That can't be right.""
Travis looked at the letter.
"Who is Thomas Lawson?""
"My father's younger brother.""
"Was he involved in the investigation?""
Rebecca nodded slowly.
"He was a prosecutor in Mississippi at the time. He handled several cases involving Franklin Pierce's timber company.""
Darnell frowned.
"Could he have been protecting them?""
Rebecca shook her head.
"He helped me get into law enforcement. He paid for my college education. He was the person who taught me that evidence mattered more than reputation.""
Travis looked at her.
"Maybe that's why your father named him.""
Rebecca turned sharply.
"What?""
"Maybe he knew exactly how convincing your uncle could be.""
The words landed harder than Travis intended.
Rebecca folded the letter.
"Let's examine the notebook.""
The black notebook contained dozens of handwritten entries.
Dates.
Account numbers.
Names.
Vehicle registrations.
Payment amounts.
And repeated references to something called Project Lantern.
Michael Grant photographed every page.
"These look like financial records," he said.
Rebecca pointed to one entry.
"Read that.""
Michael leaned closer.
"Emergency search contract. County allocation, eighty-five thousand dollars.""
Another entry showed a payment to Franklin Pierce Timber Services.
A third listed a company named Lantern Recovery Group.
Travis frowned.
"What's Lantern Recovery?""
Rebecca examined the page.
"I don't know.""
Michael searched the state business database.
After a few moments, he looked up.
"Lantern Recovery was incorporated twenty-four years ago.""
"Who owns it?""
"Thomas Lawson.""
Rebecca stopped breathing.
Michael turned the laptop toward her.
The corporate filing showed Thomas's signature.
The registered address was an office building in Jackson.
And the company had received more than two million dollars in county emergency contracts over twelve years.
Darnell slowly shook his head.
"That's not a small operation.""
"No," Rebecca replied.
She looked through the remaining pages.
"These payments started before my father's disappearance.""
Travis leaned over her shoulder.
"How much money?""
Michael calculated the amounts.
"Approximately 4.7 million dollars across the documented contracts.""
Rebecca closed her eyes.
"My uncle was involved.""
Michael hesitated.
"Possibly.""
She looked at him.
"Don't soften it. The documents are in front of us.""
Michael nodded.
"We'll establish the full chain of evidence.""
Rebecca picked up the three photographs.
The first showed Franklin Pierce standing beside Wade Mercer.
The second showed Thomas Lawson shaking hands with Franklin.
The third was different.
It showed a small concrete building with a metal door.
A sign above the entrance read:
*MILLER FARM — BUILDING C.*
Rebecca turned it over.
Her father had written:
They keep the original records here. If I don't come back, look beneath the floor.
Travis pointed at the photograph.
"That's where the message came from.""
Rebecca nodded.
"We need to go there.""
Michael checked his phone.
"Agent, there's a problem.""
"What?""
"Thomas Lawson just filed an emergency motion to have you removed from the investigation.""
Rebecca stared.
"On what grounds?""
"Conflict of interest. He claims you're emotionally compromised because of your father's disappearance.""
Travis gave a humorless laugh.
"That's convenient.""
Rebecca's phone rang.
The screen displayed an unfamiliar number.
She answered.
"Lawson.""
A familiar male voice came through.
"Rebecca, sweetheart.""
She closed her eyes.
Uncle Thomas.
"I heard you've been asking questions.""
Rebecca looked at the notebook.
"Then you know why.""
A quiet sigh.
"Your father always had a talent for making ordinary things complicated.""
"Was he alive when you last saw him?""
Silence.
Then Thomas replied:
"Where did you get that idea?""
"Answer me.""
"Rebecca, listen. I know you're upset. But you need to stop this investigation.""
"Why?""
"Because some people will do anything to protect what they built.""
Rebecca's voice hardened.
"Are you threatening me?""
"I'm trying to protect you.""
She looked at Travis.
"Did you know Peter was being held at Miller Farm?""
Another pause.
Thomas spoke softly.
"Go home, Rebecca.""
The call ended.
Rebecca lowered the phone.
Travis stared at her.
"He knows.""
"Yes.""
"Then we go to Miller Farm.""
The facility was surrounded by rusted fencing and overgrown weeds.
A faded sign warned against trespassing.
State police secured the perimeter before Rebecca, Travis, and Darnell entered the main building.
The interior smelled of dust, old oil, and damp wood.
A broken forklift stood near the loading dock.
Several empty storage containers lined the walls.
Rebecca held the photograph.
"This is the building.""
Darnell pointed toward a narrow hallway.
"There's another room behind that wall.""
They approached.
A heavy metal door stood slightly open.
Travis pushed it.
Inside was a small office.
There were no windows.
A desk stood against the far wall.
On it lay a stack of documents.
Rebecca picked up the first sheet.
It was a county emergency contract.
Signed by Thomas Lawson.
The second document carried Wade Mercer's signature.
The third contained a list of names.
Several belonged to county employees who had been paid to alter search records.
Michael called from the hallway.
"Agent Lawson!""
Rebecca stepped outside.
"What?""
"We found something beneath the concrete floor.""
A section of flooring had been removed.
Underneath was a metal storage compartment.
Inside sat several boxes of files.
Darnell opened one.
Photographs spilled across the floor.
Travis picked one up.
It showed Peter Lawson sitting in a chair.
His hands were tied.
His face was bruised.
But he was alive.
The photograph had been taken three years earlier.
Travis turned it over.
There was a handwritten date.
The same date Emily was found.
Rebecca picked up another photograph.
This one showed a younger Thomas Lawson standing beside Peter.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
"He was here.""
Michael opened a folder.
"Agent, there's something you need to see.""
He handed her a medical report.
It identified Peter Lawson as a patient at a private medical facility.
The date was two days after the photograph.
The patient's status was listed as:
*TRANSFERRED — UNKNOWN DESTINATION.*
Rebecca's eyes filled.
"My father survived.""
Travis looked at the report.
"Then where is he now?""
A sound came from the hallway.
A door slammed.
Michael turned.
"State police! Identify yourself!""
No answer.
Rebecca moved toward the entrance.
A shadow crossed the doorway.
Then a gunshot exploded.
The bullet struck the metal cabinet beside Travis.
Darnell threw himself against him.
"DOWN!""
Another shot shattered the office window.
The troopers returned fire.
"Get behind the wall!"" Rebecca shouted.
Travis pulled Darnell into the storage room.
Rebecca reached for her radio.
"Shots fired! Shots fired! Suspect moving toward the east entrance!""
The shooting stopped.
Boots thundered through the hallway.
Then silence.
Michael appeared at the doorway.
"He's gone.""
Rebecca stood.
"Did you see him?""
Michael shook his head.
"But he dropped something.""
He held up a small black wallet.
Inside was an identification card.
Thomas Lawson.
Rebecca stared at it.
Then she noticed something else.
A folded piece of paper had been tucked behind the card.
She opened it.
The message was brief.
Your father is alive. But if you find him, he won't forgive you for what your mother did.
Rebecca looked up.
"My mother?""
Travis frowned.
"Why would your mother be involved?""
Rebecca read the sentence again.
And suddenly remembered something.
Her mother had never allowed anyone to discuss the night Peter disappeared.
Not even at home.
Not even in private.
Back at the command center, Rebecca called her mother.
The call went to voicemail.
She tried again.
No answer.
Travis approached.
"Maybe she's asleep.""
"It's barely six.""
"Then maybe she's busy.""
Rebecca looked at the photograph of Peter.
"I need to hear her voice.""
A state trooper entered.
"Agent Lawson, we've got a problem.""
Rebecca turned.
"What now?""
"Thomas Lawson has contacted the district attorney.""
"And?""
"He claims the evidence from Miller Farm was planted.""
Rebecca's expression hardened.
"Of course he does.""
The trooper hesitated.
"There's something else. Your mother just left her house.""
Rebecca stared.
"Where did she go?""
"We don't know.""
Michael looked at the surveillance screen.
A vehicle was heading south on the highway.
The license plate matched Rebecca's mother's car.
Rebecca grabbed her coat.
"Track it.""
Travis followed her.
"Where do you think she's going?""
Rebecca looked at him.
"Somewhere she believes nobody can find her.""
Her phone vibrated.
A text had arrived.
It was from her mother.
Rebecca, I'm sorry. Your father made me promise never to tell you what happened that night.
A second message appeared.
But Thomas knows where Peter is.
May you like
Then a third.
And he's going to kill him before sunrise.
