“There’s something else,”
Richard spoke slowly.
“Something I found during the divorce that I never understood until now.”
“What?”
Evelyn asked.
“Patricia owned a warehouse,”
Richard said.
“An old, abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. She bought it about a year before Evelyn disappeared. I always thought it was strange. Why would she buy something like that? It wasn’t an investment property. It was just sitting there, empty.”
Evelyn’s face went white.
“That’s where she took me. The warehouse where the men held me before they took me to the car.”
“She owned it?”
Nathan asked his father. Richard nodded.
“Yes. And she sold it about 6 months after Evelyn’s disappearance for much less than she paid for it. Like she was trying to get rid of evidence.”
Nathan stood up, energy coursing through him.
“We can prove this. We can prove everything. The warehouse, the money transfers, all of it.”
“But will it be enough?”
Evelyn asked, fear in her voice.
“Your mother is smart. She’ll have explanations for everything. She’ll say the warehouse was a bad investment. She’ll say the money was for something else.”
“Maybe,”
Nathan said.
“But it’s a start. And if we can raise enough doubt, enough questions, we can at least protect you and Lucas from her.”
Richard stood up too.
“I’ll go get those documents right now. It’ll take me about an hour to get to the storage unit and back.”
“Thank you, Dad,”
Nathan said. Richard put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder.
“You’re my son. And Evelyn was like a daughter to me before before all this happened. If Patricia did what you say she did, then she needs to face the consequences.”
He looked at Evelyn.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you 8 years ago. But I’m here now.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears.
“Thank you.”
Richard left, promising to return as quickly as possible. Nathan and Evelyn sat back down, the weight of everything pressing down on them.
“Do you think this will work?”
Evelyn asked quietly.
“I don’t know,”
Nathan admitted.
“But we have to try.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Evelyn said.
“Nathan, if this goes wrong, if your mother finds a way to get me arrested or take Lucas away, I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
Nathan asked.
“Promise me you’ll take care of him,”
Evelyn said, tears streaming down her face.
“Promise me you won’t let him end up in foster care or with strangers. Promise me you’ll be his father even if I can’t be his mother.”
Nathan took her hand.
“Nothing is going to happen to you. We’re going to fight this together.”
“But if it does.”
“I promise,”
Nathan said firmly.
“I promise I’ll take care of him. I’ll be the father he deserves. The father I should have been from the beginning.”
Evelyn squeezed his hand.
“Thank you.”
Before Nathan could respond, they heard sirens outside. Police sirens getting closer. Evelyn’s face went white with terror.
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