Chapter 1 - YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING
Solomon Cole had Theo pinned beside the bed when Audrey opened the bedroom door.
Five-year-old Theo was curled on the carpet, clutching a small red toy car against his chest.
Solomon grabbed the boy’s shoulder.
“You didn’t see anything!”
Theo raised one arm over his head.
Solomon struck the guarded upper arm.
Theo cried harder.
“Understand me?!”
Theo nodded desperately.
Solomon yanked him partly upright.
“Keep your mouth shut!”
Theo tried to crawl toward the door.
Solomon blocked him and kicked against the guarded upper shoulder, knocking him sideways onto the carpet.
“Mommy!”
Solomon froze.
The door flew open.
Audrey dropped her work bag.
For half a second she could not understand the scene.
Her husband.
Her son.
The bed half stripped.
An open suitcase on the floor.
Theo crying.
Then she moved.
She crossed the room, scooped Theo into her arms, and stepped between him and Solomon.
“What the hell is going on?!”
Theo clung to her neck.
Solomon’s chest rose and fell.
“He went through my things.”
“He is five.”
“He opened the suitcase.”
Audrey looked down.
Inside it were:
two folded suits,
a pair of shoes,
a laptop charger,
a blue folder,
and a silver key on a plastic tag.
Theo whispered into Audrey’s shoulder:
“Daddy said we’re going away.”
Audrey looked at Solomon.
“What?”
Solomon shook his head.
“Theo misunderstood.”
Theo pulled back enough to look at his mother.
“He said don’t tell Mommy until Friday.”
Audrey’s entire body went still.
Solomon stepped forward.
“Give me the boy.”
“No.”
“Audrey.”
“No.”
She backed toward the doorway.
Then Theo opened his fist.
The red toy car was not the only thing he had been holding.
A laminated card fell onto Audrey’s blouse.
She caught it.
SOLomon COLE
VISITOR ACCESS — HARTWELL LOGISTICS
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.
Audrey lived with Solomon and Theo in Ohio.
Solomon supposedly worked for Mercer Systems ten minutes from their house.
She looked at the card.
Then at him.
“Why do you have a badge for a company in North Carolina?”
Solomon did not answer.
Theo began crying again.
May you like
And Audrey realized the beating had not started because her son broke something.
It had started because he had found something.
