Chapter 2 - THE BACK OF THE SUV
Daniel pointed Max’s collar directly at Evelyn.
“Then explain this.”
Her smug smile flickered.
Only for a second.
Lauren looked between them.
“Where did you find that?”
“My porch.”
Lauren frowned.
Evelyn answered before she could.
“He’s trying to scare you.”
Daniel looked at Lauren.
“Did you come to my cabin?”
“No.”
“Did she?”
Lauren turned to Evelyn.
Evelyn laughed.
“Seriously?”
Daniel noticed mud on her right boot.
Red clay.
The road beside his cabin had red clay.
Could be anywhere.
Still.
Then he saw keys on the side table.
Evelyn’s SUV key fob.
Daniel turned.
Walked out.
Lauren followed.
“Daniel, stop.”
Evelyn followed faster.
“What are you doing?”
Her SUV was parked along the curb.
Daniel opened the rear passenger door.
A faded yellow tennis ball rolled out.
Max’s.
Not one like Max’s.
His.
Daniel had written WALKER in black marker across it after losing too many at the dog park.
He froze.
“Lauren… come look at this.”
Lauren walked closer.
Saw the ball.
Then a folded dog blanket on the floor.
Blue.
Hair-covered.
Familiar.
Her face drained.
“Evelyn… why is that in your car?”
Evelyn lunged forward.
“DON’T OPEN IT!”
Daniel turned toward the rear cargo door.
Max barked.
Loud.
Alive.
Daniel’s entire body changed.
Relief first.
Then rage.
Evelyn went completely pale.
Daniel gripped the handle.
“You lying psycho.”
He opened the cargo area.
Max was inside a large travel crate.
Unhurt.
Alert.
Tail slamming against the plastic as soon as he saw Daniel.
Daniel dropped to his knees.
“Hey, buddy.”
Max whined and pushed his nose through the crate door.
Daniel checked him quickly.
No visible injury.
Water bowl clipped inside.
Blanket.
A bag of food.
Not abandonment.
Kidnapping.
Lauren stood behind him, shaking.
“Evelyn.”
Evelyn recovered.
“He was loose.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“I found him near your road.”
“So you put him in your SUV and drove here?”
“Yes.”
“Without calling me?”
“I was bringing him to Lauren.”
Lauren stared.
“Why?”
Evelyn’s face hardened.
“Because Daniel doesn’t take care of him.”
Daniel almost laughed.
Then he saw something else inside the SUV.
A grocery bag.
Inside:
raw steak packaging.
Same brand as the steak on Lauren’s table.
Then a small plastic container labeled with Max’s name.
Vet prescription.
Not dangerous medication.
A mild sedative prescribed months earlier for thunderstorm anxiety.
Daniel’s stomach dropped.
“Why do you have his medication?”
Lauren looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn said:
“It was in the crate.”
Daniel knew that was false.
He kept the medication in a locked cabinet.
At his cabin.
Then he stood.
Calm now.
“You went inside my house.”
“No.”
“You have medication from inside my house.”
Evelyn looked at Lauren.
Not Daniel.
“He’s escalating.”
There it was.
Narrative.
Daniel took out his phone.
Called police.
Evelyn’s eyes widened.
“Are you kidding?”
“No.”
Lauren whispered:
“Daniel…”
He looked at her.
“She took Max. She went into my house. And she has his medication.”
Lauren still looked torn.
That hurt.
Then Max barked again.
Lauren looked at him.
May you like
Then at Evelyn.
For the first time, the story she had been told and the facts in front of her were no longer the same thing.
