Dad said yes.<\/p>\n
I hated him for it for almost three seconds.<\/p>\n
Then I understood why.<\/p>\n
If he refused, Eric might disappear again.<\/p>\n
If he agreed, maybe investigators could finally reach him.<\/p>\n
Dad ended the call.<\/p>\n
Mom immediately said, \u201cYou\u2019re not going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard him. He said alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what he\u2019ll do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall Morales.\u201d<\/p>\n
I already was.<\/p>\n
The detective answered.<\/p>\n
I told him everything.<\/p>\n
His response was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not leave yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Eric I would.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can still go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you want me to meet him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to control the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales asked for the exact wording.<\/p>\n
Dad repeated the call.<\/p>\n
When he finished, Morales said, \u201cEric may be testing whether police are involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLocation changes. Instructions. Asking you to turn off your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at the device in his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat should I do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFollow our instructions first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Within thirty minutes, two plainclothes officers arrived.<\/p>\n
Mom stared at them like their presence made the family\u2019s collapse official.<\/p>\n
One officer fitted Dad with a small audio transmitter.<\/p>\n
Dad looked down at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is legal?\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are consenting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if Eric searches me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t expect him to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody laughed.<\/p>\n
Morales arrived himself.<\/p>\n
He took Dad aside, then included me when Dad asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Eric tells you to go somewhere isolated, do not get out of the car unless we approve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he becomes threatening, leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if he tries to run?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do not stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if he confesses?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet him talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
I knew what he was thinking.<\/p>\n
Samuel.<\/p>\n
Morales saw it too.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not accuse him of murder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we do not know that a murder occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took a wrench.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know he may have taken a wrench.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was at the rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have one witness saying he saw him nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lied about being there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales\u2019s voice hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of that gives you permission to decide the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked away.<\/p>\n
I said quietly, \u201cListen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
At 3:14, Eric called again.<\/p>\n
Everyone went silent.<\/p>\n
Dad answered normally.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDrive north.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at Morales.<\/p>\n
The detective nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric hung up.<\/p>\n
Dad drove his truck.<\/p>\n
Police followed at a distance.<\/p>\n
I stayed with Morales in an unmarked car two vehicles behind.<\/p>\n
Mom remained at the house with an officer.<\/p>\n
I did not like leaving her alone, even with protection.<\/p>\n
But she insisted.<\/p>\n
For twenty minutes, Dad drove north.<\/p>\n
Then Eric called.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake Route 23.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad followed.<\/p>\n
Another ten minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cExit at Powell Road.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales looked at a tablet displaying Dad\u2019s location.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric called again.<\/p>\n
\u201cTurn off your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said, \u201cThen how do you call me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUse the burner under your seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
Dad glanced downward.<\/p>\n
Morales\u2019s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n
There was a phone under Dad\u2019s driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
Eric had planted it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
Morales did not answer.<\/p>\n
Dad pulled into a gas station under instruction from police.<\/p>\n
An officer discreetly retrieved the device.<\/p>\n
Prepaid.<\/p>\n
Already powered on.<\/p>\n
One saved number.<\/p>\n
Eric.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had access to Dad\u2019s truck,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily dinners. House. Anytime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was planned.\u201d<\/p>\n
The burner rang.<\/p>\n
Dad answered.<\/p>\n
Eric said, \u201cGood. Leave your phone in the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad did.<\/p>\n
Police had already attached their own tracking device and transmitter.<\/p>\n
He moved the burner into his coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrive to the old farm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat farm?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did.<\/p>\n
So did I.<\/p>\n
Grandpa Whitman\u2019s old property.<\/p>\n
Thirty acres outside Delaware.<\/p>\n
Sold twelve years ago.<\/p>\n
Mostly abandoned since the current owner left after a foreclosure dispute.<\/p>\n
Why would Eric choose it?<\/p>\n
Then I remembered.<\/p>\n
We used to go there as children.<\/p>\n
Eric knew every barn, trail, and access road.<\/p>\n
He knew Dad did too.<\/p>\n
The place was isolated.<\/p>\n
Morales said quietly, \u201cWe move closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad drove.<\/p>\n
The property appeared twenty minutes later.<\/p>\n
Gray barn.<\/p>\n
Collapsed fence.<\/p>\n
Tall winter grass.<\/p>\n
No other cars visible.<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s burner rang.<\/p>\n
\u201cPull behind the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad hesitated.<\/p>\n
Morales spoke through the transmitter.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said into the phone, \u201cRoad\u2019s muddy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not getting stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
Then Eric said, \u201cPark by the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad did.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales looked at another officer.<\/p>\n
They exchanged signals.<\/p>\n
Dad got out.<\/p>\n
Wind moved through dead grass.<\/p>\n
For almost a minute, nothing happened.<\/p>\n
Then Eric stepped from behind the barn.<\/p>\n
Even from our distance, I recognized him.<\/p>\n
No coat hood.<\/p>\n
Baseball cap.<\/p>\n
Duffel bag.<\/p>\n
He looked thinner.<\/p>\n
Tired.<\/p>\n
But not broken.<\/p>\n
Dad stood near the truck.<\/p>\n
Eric approached.<\/p>\n
Police remained hidden.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you bring anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou swear?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked me to come. I came.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked toward the road.<\/p>\n
Then back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always were terrible at lying.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse spiked.<\/p>\n
Morales stayed still.<\/p>\n
Dad said, \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric stopped ten feet away.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t even ask how much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not giving you money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric laughed quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cRachel got to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound like her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s shoulders stiffened.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor once, maybe that\u2019s not an insult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen turn yourself in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really think they\u2019ll treat me fairly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad did not answer.<\/p>\n
Eric continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want someone to blame for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forged Rachel\u2019s signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The admission came without hesitation.<\/p>\n
I felt Morales glance at the recording equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole from my company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took Samuel\u2019s settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t supposed to stay missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that even mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat deal?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt fell through.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything falls through with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
Dad stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened at Jackson Street?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s eyes changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you\u2019d tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I\u2019d tell you what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked toward the barn.<\/p>\n
For a moment I thought he might run.<\/p>\n
Instead he said, \u201cSamuel found the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know everything now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I pushed him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad did not answer.<\/p>\n
Eric laughed without humor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word came cleanly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you loosen the rail?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
Morales whispered, \u201cCareful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad ignored him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you take my wrench?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heartbeat jumped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe case lock jammed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe laser case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used the wrench on the case?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had documents inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDocuments you were hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel found them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he was telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad flinched.<\/p>\n
Eric continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brushed him off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, Eric looked almost satisfied.<\/p>\n
He had found the wound.<\/p>\n
Then Dad steadied himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after you argued?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him the invoices were temporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTemporary fraud?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric ignored that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he copied some pages.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat pages?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTransfers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took the case back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe left it in storage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted to talk to you first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you go near the floor opening?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDarnell saw you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something changed in Eric\u2019s expression.<\/p>\n
Real surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDarnell Price.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked toward the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat he saw you crouching near the rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric laughed suddenly.<\/p>\n
Not nervously.<\/p>\n
Almost relieved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what this is?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPicking up my phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI dropped it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNear the rail?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you touch the rail?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was the wrench gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you. The case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face showed doubt.<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want me to say I killed Samuel because that makes your guilt easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want one villain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric pointed toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that rail had been wrong for days.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers saw it secure that morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers lie when OSHA shows up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad shook his head.<\/p>\n
Eric continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel complained about that opening two days earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told the site foreman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRick Palmer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick said nobody complained.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Rick lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales immediately signaled an officer to note the name.<\/p>\n
Dad asked, \u201cWhy would he lie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Rick removed the rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything inside me stopped.<\/p>\n
Dad stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric said it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick removed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo move ductwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he put it back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProperly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s breathing changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say this four years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Samuel had just accused me of stealing from you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer landed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I told investigators I\u2019d been standing near the rail, they would ask why I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you let them blame the company generally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were already being cited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew Rick put it back wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew he rushed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you said nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think Samuel was going to lean on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad shouted, \u201cHe fell through it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see him fall?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere were you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDownstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s hands shook.<\/p>\n
For the first time, Eric\u2019s story offered an alternative explanation that fit some evidence.<\/p>\n
Maybe he did not loosen the rail.<\/p>\n
Maybe Rick Palmer did.<\/p>\n
Maybe negligence, lies, and Eric\u2019s separate fraud collided on the same morning.<\/p>\n
Reality did not owe us a clean villain.<\/p>\n
Dad said, \u201cWhy did you message Melissa that you were fixing the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was moving the records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTom had his chance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI meant you had your chance to handle Samuel because he tried to call you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Melissa saying not to do anything stupid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe thought I was going to threaten him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at him.<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to scare him.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him if he accused me, I\u2019d say he stole company information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threatened a man who found you stealing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd hours later he died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you didn\u2019t touch the rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at him.<\/p>\n
I did too, from the car.<\/p>\n
I did not know whether to believe him.<\/p>\n
Morales did not move.<\/p>\n
Then Eric said something none of us expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cRick knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnows what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat he installed it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he called me after Samuel fell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018Don\u2019t tell Tom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales immediately whispered instructions to another team.<\/p>\n
Dad asked, \u201cWhy would he call you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pieces shifted.<\/p>\n
Rick knew Eric had witnessed the rushed reinstallation.<\/p>\n
Eric knew Rick had created the hazard.<\/p>\n
Neither told investigators.<\/p>\n
For different reasons.<\/p>\n
Both hid truth.<\/p>\n
Samuel\u2019s death may have been preventable in several different ways.<\/p>\n
Dad said, \u201cWhere is Rick now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales did.<\/p>\n
Or at least his team would soon.<\/p>\n
Dad lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you really here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric looked at the duffel bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to get to Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said nothing.<\/p>\n
Eric looked toward the road.<\/p>\n
Then toward the trees.<\/p>\n
His posture changed.<\/p>\n
Morales spoke quietly into his radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cMove.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police emerged from two directions.<\/p>\n
Eric ran.<\/p>\n
Not toward Dad.<\/p>\n
Toward the barn.<\/p>\n
Officers shouted.<\/p>\n
He dropped the duffel.<\/p>\n
Dad stood frozen.<\/p>\n
Eric made it twenty yards.<\/p>\n
Then slipped in mud.<\/p>\n
An officer reached him first.<\/p>\n
Eric struggled.<\/p>\n
Not long.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
Enough.<\/p>\n
Within seconds, he was on the ground with his hands behind his back.<\/p>\n
Dad did not move.<\/p>\n
I got out only when Morales told me it was safe.<\/p>\n
Eric saw me.<\/p>\n
His face twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped several yards away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t leave it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His breathing was hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou started looking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my brother on the ground.<\/p>\n
At the man who still believed discovery was the betrayal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes met mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou started this years before I knew there was anything to find.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said yes. I hated him for it for almost three seconds. Then I understood why. If he refused, Eric might disappear again. If he agreed, maybe investigators could finally … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23569,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23534\/revisions\/23569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}