Part 2
I sat in the front seat of my truck, the engine idling quietly against the backdrop of the school parking lot.
My fingers hovered over the dashboard screen.
I tapped the first voicemail.
Evan’s voice blasted through the speakers, loud and demanding. "Arthur, I know you took the kids. You have exactly one hour to bring them back before I call the police for kidnapping. Don't play games with me."
I deleted it.
The second voicemail was more of the same, his tone escalating into that familiar, venomous territory where he felt his absolute control slipping away.
But it was the third voicemail that made my blood run cold.
The anger was gone. In its place was a frantic, breathless stutter that I had never heard from him before.
"Arthur... Arthur, listen to me," Evan whispered, his voice shaking violently. "The neighbors called the cops. They heard the shouting from this morning. They're at the house right now. Maya... Maya ran out. If she gets to you, don't let her say anything. You don't know what she's capable of. Please, Arthur. Just tell me where you are."
I stared at the black screen of my phone.
The man wasn't angry anymore. He was terrified.
And a man like Evan was at his most dangerous when he was cornered.
May you like
I turned off the ignition, slipped Tanner’s recorder into my heavy jacket pocket, and stepped out into the chilly afternoon air.
It was time to find my daughter.
