Chapter 11 - MICAH’S MEMORY
They returned to the coastal house after midnight.
Belle did not speak to Owen during the drive.
There was too much to say.
Too much anger.
Too much love she did not want to admit had survived.
He rode in the rear SUV.
Renick sat beside Belle.
Neither spoke.
At the house, Micah was asleep.
Belle stood outside his room.
Owen stopped ten feet away.
His face collapsed when he saw the small shape beneath the blankets.
“That’s him.”
Belle crossed her arms.
“You know what he looks like.”
“Pictures aren’t the same.”
“No.”
He took one step.
Belle blocked the doorway.
“You don’t get to walk in there.”
Pain passed through his face.
“I’m his father.”
“You became a photograph.”
“I was protecting him.”
“You were absent.”
“If I came back—”
“You could have found a way.”
Owen looked down.
Belle lowered her voice.
“He had a school play when he was five. He played a tree because he was scared to speak. Every other kid had two parents taking pictures. He kept looking at the empty chair beside me.”
Owen closed his eyes.
“At six he asked why he couldn’t remember your voice.”
“Belle.”
“He stopped asking about you last year.”
That hurt him.
She could see it.
“I don’t know how to give you back to him.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“Good.”
Silence.
Then Owen said, “I watched the school play.”
Belle froze.
“What?”
“From across the street.”
Anger exploded.
“You were there?”
“I couldn’t go in.”
“You could have waved!”
“Patrick had someone watching you.”
“You were watching the people watching us?”
“Yes.”
“For years?”
“Yes.”
Belle leaned against the wall.
“You should have trusted me.”
“I wanted to.”
“That’s not the same.”
“No.”
Behind them, a voice said, “Mom?”
Micah stood in the doorway.
His eyes were sleepy.
Then he saw Owen.
Everything stopped.
Owen did not move.
Micah stared at him.
Belle expected tears.
Questions.
Maybe fear.
Instead Micah said, “You’re older.”
Owen laughed and cried at once.
“Yeah.”
Micah looked at Belle.
“Is that Dad?”
She nodded.
Micah returned his gaze to Owen.
“You’re not dead.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Owen’s face broke.
“That’s a hard answer.”
Micah thought about it.
“Okay.”
That was all.
Then he walked back to bed.
Belle stared.
Owen looked devastated.
“He doesn’t want me.”
Belle shook her head.
“He’s seven. Give him a minute.”
Ten minutes later Micah reappeared.
He carried a book.
He handed it to Owen.
Birds of North America.
“You wrote your name in this.”
Owen took it.
Inside the cover:
FOR MICAH. MAY YOU ALWAYS LOOK UP.
DAD.
Owen’s hand shook.
“You kept it.”
Micah shrugged.
“Mom did.”
Belle looked away.
Micah sat on the floor.
Owen slowly sat across from him.
“Do you remember me?”
“Not really.”
Owen nodded.
“That’s fair.”
“You smelled like soap.”
Belle’s chest tightened.
Owen smiled through tears.
“I used too much.”
Micah looked at his face.
“Are bad people trying to get you?”
“Yes.”
“Us too?”
“Yes.”
“Because of Brinley?”
“Partly.”
Micah became serious.
Owen leaned forward.
“Your mom said you heard a door near the balcony.”
“I did.”
“Did you see anybody?”
Micah hesitated.
Belle noticed.
“You told us no.”
“I didn’t see a face.”
Owen nodded.
“What did you see?”
“Shoes.”
Renick entered quietly behind them.
Micah pointed toward his own feet.
“Brown shoes.”
“What kind?” Owen asked.
“Shiny.”
“Anything else?”
Micah squeezed his eyes shut.
Belle watched him reconstruct the hallway.
“He walked funny.”
“How?”
Micah stood.
He dragged his right foot slightly.
Renick’s face changed.
“What?”
Belle looked at him.
Renick said, “Callum injured his right ankle in Afghanistan.”
Micah opened his eyes.
“And he had a ring.”
“What ring?”
“A black one.”
Renick pulled out his phone.
He found a photograph.
Callum Vale stood beside Renick at a charity gala.
Black onyx signet ring.
Micah pointed.
“That.”
Belle’s stomach dropped.
Renick stepped back.
“Callum locked Brinley outside.”
Owen said, “Or wanted Micah to think he did.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What?”
“If Callum knew Micah was in the corridor, he wouldn’t leave identifying details unless he wanted them noticed.”
Belle stared.
“So someone was framing him.”
“Maybe.”
Renick’s phone rang.
He answered.
Maeve.
He listened.
Then his expression changed.
“What time?”
Silence.
“Keep him alive.”
Renick ended the call.
“Sully woke up.”
Owen stood.
“And?”
“He says Declan didn’t attack him.”
Belle frowned.
“He named Declan.”
“He was drugged.”
“What does he remember?”
Renick looked at Micah.
Then at Owen.
“A black ring.”
The room went silent.
Callum.
Renick immediately called Boston.
No answer from Callum.
His hotel room was empty.
Security footage showed him leaving at 4:12 p.m.
Destination unknown.
Owen stood.
“He knows we found the trail.”
“How?”
“Because he’s always been one step ahead.”
Belle looked at Micah.
“No more.”
Everyone turned.
“No more using him as bait, witness, leverage, anything.”
Renick said, “Nobody is.”
“They already are.”
She took Micah’s hand.
“We disappear.”
Owen looked at her.
“Belle—”
“You managed it for seven years.”
“That’s different.”
“Teach me.”
Owen stared.
Renick said, “Running will not end this.”
Belle turned.
“Neither has staying.”
Before anyone could answer, Brinley screamed upstairs.
Renick ran.
They found her room empty.
The window open.
Curtains blowing in the ocean wind.
On the bed lay the green plastic dinosaur Micah had given her.
And a note.
Renick picked it up.
May you like
BRING OWEN AND THE LEDGER.
OR THIS DAUGHTER FALLS FARTHER THAN TWENTY-THREE FEET.
