Nolan\u2019s face tightened.
\n\u201cA bad one?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAbout Wesley?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nHe thought for a moment.
\n\u201cThen we should ask him.\u201d
\nSometimes children make complicated things sound painfully simple.
\nBy nine, I had made a decision.
\nI called Officer Ramirez\u2019s precinct and left a message asking her to contact me.
\nThen I called the homeless shelter Wesley had mentioned outside the grocery store.
\nThe woman who answered was cautious.
\nI explained that I was looking for someone named Wesley Grant.
\nThere was a pause.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t give out information about guests.\u201d
\n\u201cI understand.\u201d
\n\u201cIf he\u2019s here, I can take a message.\u201d
\nMy heart jumped.
\n\u201cIf he\u2019s there?\u201d
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t say he was.\u201d
\nOf course.
\n\u201cTell him Audrey called.\u201d
\nAnother pause.
\nThen the woman asked, \u201cAudrey Carter?\u201d
\nI froze.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nThe line became quiet.
\n\u201cHold on.\u201d
\nI sat up straighter.
\nAfter nearly a minute, someone picked up.
\n\u201cAudrey?\u201d
\nWesley.
\nRelief hit me so hard it surprised me.
\n\u201cWhere are you?\u201d
\n\u201cAt the shelter.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you okay?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d
\n\u201cYou disappeared.\u201d
\n\u201cYou went to your sister\u2019s.\u201d
\n\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d
\n\u201cOfficer Ramirez told me you had a safe place.\u201d
\nI took a breath.
\n\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d
\nSilence.
\nThen he said, \u201cWhat happened?\u201d
\n\u201cSomeone called me last night.\u201d
\nAnother silence.
\nLonger this time.
\n\u201cWhat did they say?\u201d
\nI repeated the words.
\nAsk Wesley what really happened to the last tenant who tried to expose Westbridge.
\nWesley didn\u2019t respond.
\nMy stomach sank.
\n\u201cYou know who they mean.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nMy hand tightened around the phone.
\n\u201cWho?\u201d
\n\u201cA woman named Margaret Ellis.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d
\n\u201cI can\u2019t explain this over the phone.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause I don\u2019t know who could be listening.\u201d
\n\u201cWesley, I have my son with me.\u201d
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\n\u201cI deserve answers.\u201d
\n\u201cYou do.\u201d
\n\u201cThen give them to me.\u201d
\nHe exhaled.
\n\u201cMeet me somewhere public.\u201d
\n\u201cWhere?\u201d
\nHe named a diner near the police station.
\nI agreed.
\nMelissa tried to stop me.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re seriously going?\u201d
\n\u201cIn public.\u201d
\n\u201cWith me,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t want you involved.\u201d
\nShe stared at me.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re already sleeping in my apartment. I\u2019m involved.\u201d
\nSo an hour later, Melissa and I sat in the back corner of the diner.
\nNolan was at school.
\nI almost kept him home, but I needed one normal thing that morning.
\nWesley arrived ten minutes late.
\nHe looked exhausted.
\nHis clothes were the same.
\nHis knee looked worse.
\nHe slid into the booth across from us.
\nMelissa studied him like she was trying to decide whether to trust him.
\nI didn\u2019t waste time.
\n\u201cMargaret Ellis.\u201d
\nWesley closed his eyes briefly.
\n\u201cShe lived in Unit 5C.\u201d
\nMy heart skipped.
\n\u201cIn my building?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow long ago?\u201d
\n\u201cAbout eighteen months.\u201d
\nI searched my memory.
\nUnit 5C.
\nI barely knew the people upstairs.
\nThen something clicked.
\n\u201cWas she the older woman with the little white dog?\u201d
\nWesley looked surprised.
\n\u201cYou knew her?\u201d
\n\u201cNot really. I saw her in the elevator.\u201d
\nI remembered her now.
\nGray hair.
\nAlways carrying groceries in reusable bags.
\nShe used to smile at Nolan.
\nThen one day she was gone.
\nI assumed she moved.
\n\u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d
\nWesley put both hands on the table.
\n\u201cMargaret started complaining about headaches and breathing problems.\u201d
\nThe knot in my stomach tightened.
\n\u201cShe believed something in her apartment was making her sick.\u201d
\n\u201cMold?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cDid she report it?\u201d
\n\u201cRepeatedly.\u201d
\n\u201cTo Bell?\u201d
\n\u201cAnd Westbridge.\u201d
\nMelissa leaned forward.
\n\u201cWhat did they do?\u201d
\n\u201cSent maintenance.\u201d
\nI almost laughed.
\nOf course.
\nWesley continued.
\n\u201cThey painted over several walls and replaced part of the carpet.\u201d
\n\u201cThey didn\u2019t fix the leak.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did Margaret do?\u201d
\n\u201cShe started documenting everything.\u201d
\nPhotos.
\nEmails.
\nMedical bills.
\nMaintenance requests.
\nThen she contacted the city.
\nWesley looked at me.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s how I met her.\u201d
\n\u201cYou inspected her apartment?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d
\n\u201cMoisture inside two walls. Mold behind the bathroom vanity. Water damage above the bedroom ceiling.\u201d
\nHe paused.
\n\u201cAnd electrical wiring that had been installed improperly during renovation.\u201d
\nMy throat tightened.
\n\u201cWas it dangerous?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow dangerous?\u201d
\n\u201cFire dangerous.\u201d
\nMelissa whispered, \u201cJesus.\u201d
\nI stared at Wesley.
\n\u201cSo she tried to expose them.\u201d
\n\u201cShe tried to force repairs.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd then?\u201d
\nHis jaw tightened.
\n\u201cShe disappeared.\u201d
\nI felt cold.
\n\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d
\n\u201cOne week before the city review, she stopped answering calls.\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe she moved.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s what Bell told everyone.\u201d
\n\u201cDid she?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cHow do you know?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause she left everything.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cEverything?\u201d
\n\u201cFurniture. Clothes. Her dog\u2019s food. Medication.\u201d
\nMy skin prickled.
\n\u201cWhat about the dog?\u201d
\n\u201cA neighbor found it inside.\u201d
\nI covered my mouth.
\n\u201cThat doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cDid anyone call police?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cBell told them she had mentioned moving closer to family.\u201d
\n\u201cDid she have family?\u201d
\n\u201cA daughter in Oregon.\u201d
\n\u201cDid they contact her?\u201d
\nWesley nodded.
\n\u201cShe hadn\u2019t heard from Margaret.\u201d
\nMelissa looked at me.
\n\u201cThis is insane.\u201d
\nI leaned closer to Wesley.
\n\u201cWas she ever found?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nThe diner suddenly felt too loud.
\nForks hitting plates.
\nCoffee machines.
\nPeople laughing.
\nAll while we sat talking about a woman who had vanished.
\n\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t know if it was connected.\u201d
\n\u201cYou knew she lived in my building.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cYou knew the company was hiding safety problems.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd you still gave me those files without telling me someone disappeared.\u201d
\nHis voice rose slightly.
\n\u201cI was trying to protect you.\u201d
\n\u201cBy giving me evidence people are threatening you over?\u201d
\nHis face tightened.
\n\u201cI needed someone else to have copies.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\nThere it was.
\nThe truth.
\n\u201cYou used me.\u201d
\nMelissa immediately looked at Wesley.
\nHe lowered his eyes.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t intend to.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you did.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nThat answer hurt more because he didn\u2019t deny it.
\nI pushed the coffee away.
\n\u201cYou put my son at risk.\u201d
\nWesley looked at me.
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\n\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think you do.\u201d
\nMy voice shook.
\n\u201cI invited you into my home because Nolan saw someone suffering and wanted to help. I gave you food. Clothes. A place to sleep.\u201d
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd you turned my apartment into a hiding place for your files.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cThen what was it?\u201d
\nHe stared at me.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t know your address until we got there.\u201d
\nThat stopped me.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cLast night, when you told me where you lived, I didn\u2019t recognize it.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you said you recognized the building.\u201d
\n\u201cThis morning.\u201d
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\n\u201cI saw the maintenance label inside your kitchen cabinet.\u201d
\nI frowned.
\n\u201cWhat label?\u201d
\n\u201cWestbridge renovation code.\u201d
\nHe leaned closer.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s when I checked my files.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd realized?\u201d
\n\u201cThat your building was one of the projects.\u201d
\nI watched him carefully.
\n\u201cYou could have left.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cYou stayed.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\nHis eyes moved toward the window.
\n\u201cBecause I saw Unit 3B.\u201d
\nI swallowed.
\n\u201cMy apartment.\u201d
\n\u201cI remembered it.\u201d
\n\u201cFrom eighteen months ago?\u201d
\n\u201cFrom Margaret.\u201d
\nMy pulse jumped.
\n\u201cWhat does Margaret have to do with Unit 3B?\u201d
\nWesley looked back at me.
\n\u201cShe photographed it.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cDuring the renovation.\u201d
\n\u201cThat doesn\u2019t make sense. She lived upstairs.\u201d
\n\u201cShe believed the water damage wasn\u2019t limited to her unit.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cShe found access records.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat access records?\u201d
\n\u201cMaintenance logs.\u201d
\nWesley lowered his voice.
\n\u201cThey showed repeated entries into Unit 3B.\u201d
\nI suddenly felt sick.
\n\u201cBefore I lived there?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat were they doing?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cWesley.\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nHe reached into his backpack.
\nMelissa immediately stiffened.
\n\u201cEasy.\u201d
\nWesley removed a folded photocopy.
\nThen slid it across the table.
\nI opened it.
\nIt was a building maintenance log.
\nUnit numbers.
\nDates.
\nInitials.
\nI found 3B.
\nMy apartment appeared again and again.
\nAccess.
\nInspection.
\nAccess.
\nRepair.
\nAccess.
\nNo tenant signature.
\nThen one entry caught my eye.
\nUNIT 3B \u2014 SEALED.
\n\u201cWhat does sealed mean?\u201d
\nWesley shook his head.
\n\u201cI never found out.\u201d
\nThe date was three months before I moved in.
\nAnother entry appeared two days later.
\nUNIT 3B \u2014 CLEARED FOR OCCUPANCY.
\nSigned by someone named C. VANE.
\nMy chest tightened.
\n\u201cCharles.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nThe man who had stood outside my door.
\nI read the page again.
\n\u201cWhat happened between sealed and cleared?\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s the question Margaret was asking before she disappeared.\u201d
\nI looked up.
\n\u201cWhy would she care about my apartment?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause she found something there.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cShe never told me.\u201d
\n\u201cNothing?\u201d
\n\u201cShe sent me one message.\u201d
\nWesley reached into his bag again.
\nThis time he pulled out an old cracked phone.
\n\u201cI kept it after my service was disconnected.\u201d
\nHe powered it on.
\nThe screen took a long time to light.
\nThen he opened a message thread.
\nMargaret Ellis.
\nThe last message was dated eighteen months earlier.
\nWesley turned the phone toward me.
\nThe message read:
\nI FOUND OUT WHAT THEY SEALED IN 3B.
\nI NEED TO SHOW YOU IN PERSON.
\nDON\u2019T CALL ME.
\nI read it twice.
\nThen a third time.
\n\u201cDid you meet her?\u201d
\nWesley shook his head.
\n\u201cShe disappeared the next day.\u201d
\nMy mouth went dry.
\nMelissa whispered, \u201cAudrey, you cannot go back to that apartment.\u201d
\nI barely heard her.
\nI was staring at the date.
\nSomething about it bothered me.
\nThen I remembered something.
\nMy lease.
\nI had moved into Unit 3B shortly after Margaret vanished.
\n\u201cHow soon after this did I move in?\u201d
\nWesley didn\u2019t know.
\nI did.
\nI pulled up an old email on my phone.
\nLEASE APPROVED.
\nI checked the date.
\nMy hand started shaking.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nMelissa asked.
\nI showed them.
\nMy lease had been approved nine days after Margaret\u2019s final message.
\nNine days.
\nThey had cleared the apartment.
\nMargaret disappeared.
\nThen they rented it to me.
\nI looked at Wesley.
\n\u201cDo you think something happened inside Unit 3B?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cBut Margaret found something.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd Charles knows.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nA terrible thought entered my head.
\n\u201cWhat if the mold isn\u2019t the worst thing behind that wall?\u201d
\nWesley said nothing.
\nThat silence told me enough.
\nThen my phone vibrated.
\nA message from Officer Ramirez.
\nCALL ME NOW.
\nI immediately called.
\nShe answered on the first ring.
\n\u201cMs. Carter, where are you?\u201d
\n\u201cAt a diner near the station.\u201d
\n\u201cIs Wesley Grant with you?\u201d
\nI looked across the table.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cStay there.\u201d
\nMy heart started pounding.
\n\u201cWhat happened?\u201d
\n\u201cWe ran Charles Vane\u2019s name.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cThere\u2019s something you need to know.\u201d
\nI waited.
\nOfficer Ramirez lowered her voice.
\n\u201cCharles Vane was questioned eighteen months ago in connection with Margaret Ellis\u2019s disappearance.\u201d
\nI looked at Wesley.
\n\u201cAnd you\u2019re just telling me this?\u201d
\n\u201cThere\u2019s more.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cMargaret\u2019s car was found abandoned two counties away.\u201d
\nMy stomach turned.
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cThere was evidence inside.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat evidence?\u201d
\nA pause.
\nThen Officer Ramirez said, \u201cBlood.\u201d
\nMelissa covered her mouth when I repeated it.
\nWesley\u2019s face went completely white.
\n\u201cWhose?\u201d
\nI asked.
\n\u201cThe DNA testing was inconclusive at the time.\u201d
\n\u201cBut now?\u201d
\nAnother pause.
\n\u201cThe sample was retested this morning.\u201d
\nI gripped the phone.
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez said five words that made Wesley slowly stand from the booth.
\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t Margaret\u2019s blood.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cThen whose was it?\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez answered.
\n\u201cWesley Grant\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
PART 5 \u2014 THE BLOOD IN MARGARET\u2019S CAR<\/h1>\n
Wesley didn\u2019t sit back down.
\nFor several seconds, he just stood beside the booth staring at my phone.
\nOfficer Ramirez\u2019s words hung between us.
\nThe blood in Margaret Ellis\u2019s abandoned car belonged to Wesley Grant.
\nMelissa was the first to speak.
\n\u201cWhat the hell does that mean?\u201d
\nWesley looked at me.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nI stood too.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t know how your blood got inside a missing woman\u2019s car?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cWesley.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m telling you the truth.\u201d
\nHis voice was low, but something had changed in it.
\nFear.
\nReal fear.
\nOfficer Ramirez was still on the line.
\n\u201cMs. Carter?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d
\n\u201cDo not leave the diner.\u201d
\nI looked toward the windows.
\nTwo police cruisers were turning into the parking lot.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re already here.\u201d
\n\u201cGood.\u201d
\nThe call ended.
\nWesley stared toward the entrance.
\nThen he picked up his backpack.
\nMelissa immediately stepped between him and the aisle.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m not running.\u201d
\n\u201cThat bag says otherwise.\u201d
\nWesley slowly put it back down.
\nTwo officers entered.
\nOfficer Ramirez was with them.
\nThe moment she saw Wesley, her face became serious.
\n\u201cMr. Grant, I need you to come with us.\u201d
\nWesley nodded once.
\n\u201cAm I under arrest?\u201d
\n\u201cNot at this moment.\u201d
\n\u201cAt this moment?\u201d
\n\u201cWe need to ask questions.\u201d
\nWesley glanced at me.
\nI hated that I was suddenly wondering whether everything I knew about him was a lie.
\nThe kind man outside the grocery store.
\nThe broken knee.
\nThe repairs.
\nThe bread.
\nThe files.
\nMaybe all of it was true.
\nMaybe none of it was.
\nOfficer Ramirez noticed my expression.
\n\u201cMs. Carter, we\u2019ll speak afterward.\u201d
\nOne of the officers reached for Wesley\u2019s backpack.
\nWesley stopped him.
\n\u201cCareful.\u201d
\nThe officer frowned.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s inside?\u201d
\n\u201cDocuments.\u201d
\n\u201cAnything dangerous?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nThe officer opened it anyway.
\nClothes.
\nMedication.
\nThe old phone.
\nMore copied inspection records.
\nThen he found something else.
\nA small brass key.
\nWesley stared at it.
\nOfficer Ramirez held it up.
\n\u201cWhat does this open?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nI watched Wesley\u2019s face.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve never seen that.\u201d
\nMelissa whispered, \u201cOh, come on.\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez placed the key inside an evidence bag.
\nWesley looked genuinely confused.
\n\u201cThat wasn\u2019t in there yesterday.\u201d
\nMy stomach tightened.
\n\u201cYou had the backpack with you all night.\u201d
\n\u201cAt the shelter.\u201d
\n\u201cDid anyone touch it?\u201d
\n\u201cIt was beside my cot.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s not an answer.\u201d
\n\u201cI was asleep.\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez asked, \u201cDoes the key look familiar?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nThen Nolan\u2019s voice appeared in my head.
\nHe had been fascinated by Wesley\u2019s backpack the first night.
\nHe had asked what was inside.
\nI had told him not to touch it.
\nAnother thought hit me.
\n\u201cThe men outside my apartment.\u201d
\nEveryone looked at me.
\n\u201cWhat about them?\u201d Ramirez asked.
\n\u201cThey knew Wesley had the files.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat if they put something in his bag?\u201d
\nWesley looked at me sharply.
\nMelissa shook her head.
\n\u201cAudrey, don\u2019t start defending him.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m not defending anyone.\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez slipped the evidence bag into her pocket.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll determine where it came from.\u201d
\nWesley was led outside.
\nHe turned once before entering the cruiser.
\nOur eyes met.
\nHe didn\u2019t say anything.
\nNeither did I.
\nFor the first time since I found him outside the grocery store, I was relieved to see him leave.
\nAnd I hated myself for feeling that way.
\nOfficer Ramirez stayed behind.
\nWe sat at the table again.
\nShe opened a notebook.
\n\u201cTell me exactly what Wesley told you about Margaret.\u201d
\nI repeated everything.
\nThe mold complaints.
\nThe city review.
\nMargaret\u2019s message about Unit 3B.
\nHer disappearance.
\nThe abandoned car.
\nRamirez wrote quickly.
\nThen she asked, \u201cDid he ever mention being inside Margaret\u2019s vehicle?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cDid he ever tell you he met with her immediately before she disappeared?\u201d
\nI froze.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nRamirez looked up.
\n\u201cAccording to old phone records, Margaret called Wesley seven times the night before she vanished.\u201d
\nMy skin prickled.
\n\u201cHe told me they never met.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s what he told investigators eighteen months ago too.\u201d
\n\u201cSo maybe they didn\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe.\u201d
\nI hated that word.
\nMaybe.
\nIt meant nothing.
\nIt meant everything.
\n\u201cWhat does Wesley say about his blood?\u201d
\n\u201cHe says he doesn\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cDo you believe him?\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez closed her notebook.
\n\u201cThat isn\u2019t my job.\u201d
\nI understood.
\nBut I wanted someone to tell me what to think.
\nSomeone to separate the truth from the lies.
\nNobody could.
\nRamirez continued.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s another reason I came personally.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cThe blood isn\u2019t the only new result.\u201d
\nMelissa leaned forward.
\n\u201cWhat else?\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez hesitated.
\n\u201cThe laboratory also recovered a partial fingerprint from a plastic folder that was found under the passenger seat.\u201d
\nMy heart jumped.
\n\u201cA folder?\u201d
\n\u201cSimilar to the ones Wesley has been carrying.\u201d
\n\u201cWhose fingerprint?\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019re still confirming.\u201d
\nSomething in her tone bothered me.
\n\u201cYou already know.\u201d
\nShe looked at me.
\n\u201cWe have a preliminary match.\u201d
\n\u201cTo Charles?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cBell?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nMy mouth went dry.
\n\u201cThen who?\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez slid a photograph across the table.
\nIt showed the inside of Margaret\u2019s car.
\nThe passenger seat.
\nA red folder on the floor.
\nA small dark stain near the center console.
\nI stared at it.
\nThen she placed a second photograph beside it.
\nA close-up of the folder.
\nThere was handwriting across the front.
\nUNIT 3B.
\nMy stomach dropped.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nMelissa asked.
\nI pointed.
\n\u201cMy apartment.\u201d
\nOfficer Ramirez nodded.
\n\u201cMargaret appears to have been carrying material related to your unit when she disappeared.\u201d
\nI stared at the photograph.
\n\u201cWhose fingerprint was on it?\u201d
\nRamirez answered carefully.
\n\u201cThe preliminary match belongs to your landlord.\u201d
\n\u201cMr. Bell?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nI felt suddenly dizzy.
\n\u201cBut he said Margaret moved.\u201d
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\n\u201cDid he tell police he had ever been inside her car?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cDid anyone ask him?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cHe denied it.\u201d
\nMelissa whispered, \u201cSo he lied.\u201d
\nRamirez didn\u2019t answer.
\nShe didn\u2019t need to.
\nI looked through the diner window.
\nCars passed normally.
\nPeople walked into shops.
\nEverything outside looked ordinary.
\nMy world no longer did.
\n\u201cWhat happens now?\u201d
\n\u201cWe question Wesley again.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd Bell?\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019re locating him.\u201d
\n\u201cLocating?\u201d
\n\u201cHe isn\u2019t at the building.\u201d
\nI remembered his angry face outside my door.
\n\u201cHow long has he been gone?\u201d
\n\u201cSince last night.\u201d
\nAnother chill.
\n\u201cAnd Charles?\u201d
\n\u201cWe have officers trying to contact him.\u201d
\n\u201cTrying?\u201d
\n\u201cHis attorney says he\u2019s unavailable.\u201d
\nOf course he was.
\nI rubbed my forehead.
\n\u201cI need to get Nolan from school.\u201d
\nRamirez shook her head.
\n\u201cI\u2019d recommend someone else pick him up.\u201d
\nMy heart tightened.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cUntil we know who sent those messages, I don\u2019t want your routine to be predictable.\u201d
\nMelissa immediately said, \u201cI\u2019ll get him.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cAudrey.\u201d
\n\u201cHe\u2019s my son.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd you\u2019re the one receiving threats.\u201d
\nShe was right.
\nI hated it.
\nBut she was right.
\nMelissa left.
\nI stayed with Officer Ramirez.
\nBefore she went, she gave me one instruction.
\n\u201cDo not return to Unit 3B.\u201d
\n\u201cI need clothes.\u201d
\n\u201cWe can arrange an escort later.\u201d
\n\u201cI have work tomorrow.\u201d
\n\u201cYou may want to call in.\u201d
\n\u201cI can\u2019t afford to call in.\u201d
\n\u201cI understand.\u201d
\nNo, she didn\u2019t.
\nMissing one shift mattered to people like me.
\nIt meant groceries.
\nGas.
\nElectricity.
\nBut I didn\u2019t argue.
\nAfter she left, I sat alone in the diner.
\nMy coffee was cold.
\nI opened the photographs she had allowed me to keep copies of.
\nMargaret\u2019s car.
\nThe folder.
\nUNIT 3B.
\nThen I zoomed in.
\nThere was something underneath the handwriting.
\nA number.
\nI enlarged the image.
\n2147.
\nI stared at it.
\nIt looked familiar.
\nBut I couldn\u2019t remember why.
\nThen my phone buzzed.
\nA message from Melissa.
\nGOT NOLAN. WE\u2019RE HEADING HOME.
\nI exhaled.
\nThen another message appeared.
\nUnknown number.
\nYou\u2019re looking at the wrong man.
\nI froze.
\nAnother message.
\nWesley didn\u2019t hurt Margaret.
\nI looked around the diner.
\nNobody seemed to be watching me.
\nThen a third message.
\nIf you want to know what happened, check 2147.
\nMy heart stopped.
\nThe same number on Margaret\u2019s folder.
\nI typed before I could stop myself.
\nWHAT IS 2147?
\nThe answer came instantly.
\nYour basement.
\nI stared at the screen.
\nOur building had a basement.
\nTenants weren\u2019t allowed inside.
\nMr. Bell always said it contained boilers, pipes, and electrical equipment.
\nThen I remembered something.
\nA faded metal door near the laundry room.
\nA keypad beside it.
\nI had seen Bell entering numbers there before.
\nFour digits.
\n2147.
\nMy hands began shaking.
\nI called Officer Ramirez.
\nNo answer.
\nI left a voicemail.
\nThen I called again.
\nStill nothing.
\nI should have waited.
\nI knew that.
\nInstead, one thought kept repeating.
\nMargaret found something connected to Unit 3B.
\nShe disappeared.
\nShe left the number 2147 behind.
\nWhatever was hidden in that basement might explain everything.
\nI stood.
\nThen stopped.
\nNolan.
\nI couldn\u2019t drag him into this.
\nI texted Melissa.
\nKEEP NOLAN WITH YOU. I HAVE TO HANDLE SOMETHING.
\nHer reply came immediately.
\nAUDREY NO.
\nI ignored it.
\nTwenty minutes later, I was standing across the street from my apartment building.
\nI told myself I was only going to look.
\nNothing more.
\nNo one was near the entrance.
\nMr. Bell\u2019s office window was dark.
\nI crossed the street.
\nMy hands trembled as I entered.
\nThe hallway smelled exactly as it always had.
\nOld carpet.
\nCleaning chemicals.
\nSomething damp underneath.
\nThe basement stairs were beside the laundry room.
\nI descended slowly.
\nOne step.
\nThen another.
\nAt the bottom, I saw the metal door.
\nThe keypad glowed green.
\nI entered:
\n2.
\n1.
\n4.
\n7.
\nA click.
\nThe door unlocked.
\nI almost turned around.
\nAlmost.
\nThen I pulled it open.
\nThe room beyond was dark.
\nI used my phone flashlight.
\nPipes ran along the ceiling.
\nBoxes lined one wall.
\nOld maintenance equipment sat in a corner.
\nNothing unusual.
\nThen I noticed another door at the back.
\nNo keypad.
\nJust a heavy latch.
\nI approached.
\nOn the door was a faded piece of masking tape.
\nSomeone had written:
\n3B.
\nMy breath caught.
\nI lifted the latch.
\nThe door creaked open.
\nThe smell hit me first.
\nMold.
\nDust.
\nSomething metallic.
\nMy flashlight swept across the room.
\nAnd then I stopped breathing.
\nPieces of drywall were stacked against one wall.
\nOld flooring.
\nA broken bathroom vanity.
\nA kitchen cabinet.
\nAll labeled with the same thing.
\nUNIT 3B.
\nThey hadn\u2019t repaired my apartment.
\nThey had removed parts of it.
\nHidden them.
\nWhy?
\nThen my light fell on a cardboard box.
\nMARGARET ELLIS.
\nI whispered her name.
\nInside were photographs.
\nMaintenance reports.
\nMedical records.
\nAnd dozens of handwritten notes.
\nI pulled out the first photograph.
\nIt showed my apartment during renovation.
\nThe kitchen wall had been completely opened.
\nInside the wall was something I didn\u2019t understand.
\nA narrow metal compartment.
\nAlmost like a safe.
\nIn the next photograph, the compartment door was open.
\nSomeone had written:
\nFOUND 11:42 PM.
\nDO NOT REPORT UNTIL VANE ARRIVES.
\nAnother photo.
\nThis one showed several plastic bags inside the compartment.
\nI looked closer.
\nCash.
\nBundles of cash.
\nAnd documents.
\nMy stomach turned.
\nSo that was it.
\nThe mold was real.
\nThe dangerous wiring was real.
\nBut something else had been hidden inside Unit 3B.
\nI reached deeper into Margaret\u2019s box.
\nAt the bottom was a small digital recorder.
\nI pressed play.
\nStatic.
\nThen Margaret\u2019s voice.
\n\u201cIf anyone finds this, my name is Margaret Ellis. I\u2019ve been documenting Westbridge Development and Robert Bell for six months.\u201d
\nMy pulse raced.
\nShe continued.
\n\u201cWhat they found inside Unit 3B is not renovation money.\u201d
\nA pause.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s payoff money.\u201d
\nMy grip tightened.
\nThen another voice appeared on the recording.
\nA man.
\nCharles.
\n\u201cYou should have left this alone, Margaret.\u201d
\nI stopped breathing.
\nMargaret replied, \u201cPeople are sick because of you.\u201d
\nThen Bell\u2019s voice.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t understand what you found.\u201d
\n\u201cI understand enough.\u201d
\nThere was movement.
\nThen Margaret shouted.
\nThe recording became chaotic.
\nA crash.
\nA man swearing.
\nThen Margaret yelled one name.
\n\u201cWesley!\u201d
\nMy blood froze.
\nA struggle followed.
\nSomething heavy struck metal.
\nThen Wesley\u2019s voice.
\n\u201cRun!\u201d
\nI nearly dropped the recorder.
\nThat was how his blood got inside Margaret\u2019s car.
\nHe had been there.
\nHe had lied.
\nBut maybe not for the reason everyone thought.
\nThe recording continued.
\nMargaret was breathing hard.
\nA car door slammed.
\nThen silence.
\nSeveral seconds later, a final voice spoke.
\nQuiet.
\nClose to the recorder.
\nCharles.
\n\u201cFind them both.\u201d
\nThe audio ended.
\nI stood frozen in the basement.
\nThen I heard something upstairs.
\nA door closing.
\nFootsteps.
\nSlow.
\nDescending the basement stairs.
\nI switched off my flashlight.
\nMy heart hammered so hard I was sure whoever was coming could hear it.
\nOne step.
\nTwo.
\nThree.
\nThen a man\u2019s voice echoed through the darkness.
\n\u201cAudrey?\u201d
\nI knew that voice.
\nCharles Vane.
\nHe was inside the building.
\nAnd he knew exactly where I was.<\/p>\n
![\"\ud83d\udc49\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f449.svg\")
PART 6 \u2014 WHAT CHARLES WANTED BURIED<\/a><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"