The investigator photographed the calendar again.<\/p>\n
August 18.<\/p>\n
My name.<\/p>\n
September 2.<\/p>\n
M.H.<\/p>\n
Two dates.<\/p>\n
Two women.<\/p>\n
And, suddenly, the possibility that Vaughn had not been planning only one death became impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind her,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
The investigator nodded toward Detective Ruiz.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I mean now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found photographs of my brakes, sedatives connected to my name, my work schedule, and a letter explaining my death before it happened. If September second belongs to another woman, we don't have time to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz stepped forward.<\/p>\n
She had been standing near the doorway, listening.<\/p>\n
\u201cRun every M.H. connected to Vaughn Mercer, Brielle Hale, Mercer-Hale Logistics, Marla Keene, and the financial accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI already am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle stood against the wall, arms wrapped around herself.<\/p>\n
I turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said Vaughn and Marla talked about needing one more.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was about three months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the insurance change?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere they arguing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer frightened me more than an argument would have.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were they doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDrinking wine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaughing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Vaughn say?\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you were almost ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Marla?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said, \u2018After Celia, we only need one more.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI walked into the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey stopped talking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Vaughn tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat they were discussing business clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you believed him?\u201d<\/p>\n
She gave a small, ashamed nod.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n
I understood that.<\/p>\n
For eleven years, I had wanted to believe Vaughn.<\/p>\n
Trust was not always a gift.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it was the thing someone learned to use against you.<\/p>\n
Ruiz returned with a tablet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have eleven possible M.H. connections.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEleven?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome may be unrelated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNames.\u201d<\/p>\n
She read through the list.<\/p>\n
Monica Hayes.<\/p>\n
Melissa Hart.<\/p>\n
Michelle Holloway.<\/p>\n
Miriam Hargrove.<\/p>\n
Megan Holt.<\/p>\n
Denise suddenly went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle Holloway?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise's face had lost its color.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle is my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room changed.<\/p>\n
Ruiz immediately asked whether Michelle knew Vaughn.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarla?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer-Hale Logistics?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny connection to the credit union?\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise rubbed her forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe refinanced her car there last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz began typing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does her husband do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric. Commercial real estate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he know Vaughn?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise called Michelle.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
A third time.<\/p>\n
Voicemail.<\/p>\n
Denise stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz asked for Michelle's address.<\/p>\n
Denise gave it.<\/p>\n
Officers were dispatched.<\/p>\n
Then Denise called Eric.<\/p>\n
He answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDenise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Michelle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt work, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI left early.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat's happening?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall your wife now.\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes the name Vaughn Mercer mean anything to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came too quickly.<\/p>\n
Denise noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not lie to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Marla Keene mean anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
Then Eric said, \u201cWhy are you asking me about Marla?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Denise's voice became quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did some paperwork together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA loan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat loan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Holloway, this is Detective Ruiz. Where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The call disconnected.<\/p>\n
Denise stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn't normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz was already giving instructions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend a unit to his office.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the calendar.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeptember second.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be Michelle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was the first time I had seen Denise afraid.<\/p>\n
Not professionally concerned.<\/p>\n
Personally afraid.<\/p>\n
I touched her arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe'll find her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her phone rang.<\/p>\n
Michelle.<\/p>\n
Denise answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy have you called me eight times?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you alone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is wrong with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in my office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLock the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDenise\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLock it now.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a click.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. It's locked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know Vaughn Mercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarla Keene?\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe helped Eric with financing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat financing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething involving an investment property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you sign anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few forms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you read them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric said it was routine.\u201d<\/p>\n
That word hit me.<\/p>\n
Routine.<\/p>\n
The same word Vaughn had used.<\/p>\n
Insurance.<\/p>\n
Paperwork.<\/p>\n
Trust me.<\/p>\n
Denise asked carefully, \u201cHas Eric changed anything about your life insurance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy insurance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLife insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that I know of.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas he asked you to work late? Drive somewhere? Changed your route? Given you drinks or medication?\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle laughed nervously.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of question is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Michelle said, \u201cHe's been making me tea.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince when?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout a month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he normally do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I haven't been sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't drink anything he gives you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice are coming to your office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle's voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStay behind the locked door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're scaring me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Eric do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise looked at the calendar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don't know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then a knock sounded through Michelle's phone.<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't open it,\u201d Denise whispered.<\/p>\n
Another knock.<\/p>\n
A man's voice followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric.<\/p>\n
Denise stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not open that door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle whispered, \u201cThat's my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is he here?\u201d<\/p>\n
No one answered.<\/p>\n
Eric knocked again.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle, open up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The handle moved.<\/p>\n
Michelle's breathing became audible.<\/p>\n
Denise told her police were almost there.<\/p>\n
Eric knocked harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you're in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he said something that made my stomach turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour sister has been putting stupid ideas in your head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise looked at Ruiz.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow does he know I called?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eric continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen the door. We need to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle said nothing.<\/p>\n
Then his voice hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeptember is coming. We don't have time for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz spoke into her radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnits expedite. Possible immediate threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle began crying.<\/p>\n
Eric hit the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cOPEN IT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise shouted into the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet away from the door!\u201d<\/p>\n
A crash followed.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
Screaming.<\/p>\n
The call went dead.<\/p>\n
Denise moved toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
Ruiz stopped her.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficers are going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou'll slow them down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise stopped.<\/p>\n
We waited.<\/p>\n
Thirty seconds felt endless.<\/p>\n
Then Ruiz's radio came alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuspect detained.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Another voice followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFemale located. Conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nearly collapsed.<\/p>\n
I caught her arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichelle is alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz kept listening.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She raised a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossible evidence recovered from suspect vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhotographs of victim's vehicle. Work calendar. Medication.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach sank.<\/p>\n
Same pattern.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cPrinted insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The calendar sat on the desk between us.<\/p>\n
September 2.<\/p>\n
M.H.<\/p>\n
Michelle Holloway.<\/p>\n
It was her.<\/p>\n
Ruiz turned toward the investigators.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have two connected cases.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cTwo that we know about.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
That distinction mattered.<\/p>\n
This was no longer about an unfaithful husband.<\/p>\n
It was organized.<\/p>\n
Ruiz searched Eric Holloway's records.<\/p>\n
Then she found something.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric and Vaughn incorporated a company together seven years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthgate Asset Recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've never heard of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt dissolved after fourteen months.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did it do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate asset consulting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another investigator asked her to run the principals.<\/p>\n
Four names appeared.<\/p>\n
Vaughn Mercer.<\/p>\n
Eric Holloway.<\/p>\n
Marla Keene.<\/p>\n
And a fourth person.<\/p>\n
Thomas Hale.<\/p>\n
Brielle gasped.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe died eight years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz studied the record.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas Hale was listed as managing partner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can't be right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did your father do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe owned a small trucking company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he know Vaughn?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Brielle remembered something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was nineteen, my father had a business partner who came to our house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you remember his name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould it have been Vaughn?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Vaughn would have been too young.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz searched Thomas Hale's death record.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father died in 2018?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cCar accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe drove off an overpass.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlcohol?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMechanical failure?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle's face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report said his brakes failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Ruiz asked who received the life insurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe half a million.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz searched again.<\/p>\n
Then asked for Patricia Hale's name.<\/p>\n
She found another record.<\/p>\n
Patricia had died four years later.<\/p>\n
\u201cCause?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHeart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there an autopsy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLife insurance?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
She whispered, \u201cNine hundred thousand dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho helped you file the claim?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brielle stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cVaughn.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you meet him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter my mother died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did he contact you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said my mother had worked with his company. He wanted to help me with the insurance paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pattern was becoming harder to deny.<\/p>\n
Then Brielle remembered something else.<\/p>\n
After her mother died, Vaughn had asked for her leftover medication.<\/p>\n
He claimed he knew a pharmacy that disposed of medicines safely.<\/p>\n
She had given him an entire box.<\/p>\n
\u201cSedatives?\u201d Denise asked.<\/p>\n
Brielle started crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz immediately ordered investigators to pull the death records and insurance files for Thomas and Patricia Hale.<\/p>\n
Another detective entered carrying a phone sealed inside an evidence bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe accessed the secondary device.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaughn's hidden phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d Ruiz asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn encrypted messaging app. Most conversations were deleted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything recoverable?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne active group.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it called?\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at us.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarvest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word seemed to change the temperature in the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMembers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour active accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
He read the initials.<\/p>\n
V.M.<\/p>\n
E.H.<\/p>\n
M.K.<\/p>\n
R.S.<\/p>\n
Vaughn.<\/p>\n
Eric.<\/p>\n
Marla.<\/p>\n
And an unknown fourth person.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are they discussing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolicy payouts. Debt. Transfers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd people?\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do they describe the people?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cTargets.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe've recovered six visible targets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six.<\/p>\n
Not two.<\/p>\n
Six women.<\/p>\n
He read their initials.<\/p>\n
C.M.<\/p>\n
M.H.<\/p>\n
L.P.<\/p>\n
S.R.<\/p>\n
D.K.<\/p>\n
J.B.<\/p>\n
C.M. was me.<\/p>\n
M.H. was Michelle.<\/p>\n
The others were women we had never heard of.<\/p>\n
Dates were listed beside each target.<\/p>\n
August 18.<\/p>\n
September 2.<\/p>\n
September 27.<\/p>\n
October 11.<\/p>\n
November 5.<\/p>\n
December 1.<\/p>\n
The dates were arranged like appointments.<\/p>\n
The detective read the notes attached to each.<\/p>\n
Mine said:<\/p>\n
Night driver. Sleep narrative established. Vehicle option.<\/p>\n
Michelle's said:<\/p>\n
Tea protocol. Insurance active. Husband ready.<\/p>\n
Another target was connected to a swimming pool.<\/p>\n
Another to a staircase.<\/p>\n
Another to a medication interaction.<\/p>\n
Another to a home invasion.<\/p>\n
Every plan was designed to resemble an ordinary tragedy.<\/p>\n
An accident.<\/p>\n
A fall.<\/p>\n
A medical event.<\/p>\n
A robbery.<\/p>\n
Then the insurance money.<\/p>\n
The detective said the phone only held about sixteen months of history.<\/p>\n
There could be older victims.<\/p>\n
Brielle whispered, \u201cMy parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the detective stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA message from this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cR.S.\u201d<\/p>\n
The unknown member.<\/p>\n
The message said:<\/p>\n
Vaughn is compromised. Eric may be too. Shut down the schedule.<\/p>\n
For one second, relief almost reached me.<\/p>\n
Then another message appeared.<\/p>\n
Clean remaining files before police identify Harvest.<\/p>\n
Timestamped forty-two minutes earlier.<\/p>\n
Ruiz immediately ordered the cyber unit to trace the account.<\/p>\n
Then the detective's phone chimed again.<\/p>\n
Another message.<\/p>\n
If Celia talks, everything dies with her.<\/p>\n
Ruiz ordered protection.<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at it.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
Ruiz put on gloves before opening the message.<\/p>\n
A photograph appeared.<\/p>\n
My apartment building.<\/p>\n
Taken from across the street.<\/p>\n
Timestamped four minutes earlier.<\/p>\n
Underneath:<\/p>\n
You should have brought Vaughn the spare key.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz was already calling units.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossible active threat at Mercer residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
I called Mrs. Weaver.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
I called Emmett's tablet.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
My whole body began shaking.<\/p>\n
Denise grabbed my shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice are going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're going.\u201d<\/p>\n
We raced downstairs.<\/p>\n
Police vehicles were already moving ahead of us.<\/p>\n
I called Mrs. Weaver again.<\/p>\n
Fourteen times.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
On the fifteenth call, someone answered.<\/p>\n
No one spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Weaver?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cJune?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Then I heard faint breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmmett?\u201d<\/p>\n
A whisper came through.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart almost stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby, where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the closet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere's June?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere's Mrs. Weaver?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmmett?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told her to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Dad there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan he hear you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
I heard June crying quietly beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to me. Stay hidden. Don't come out. Police are coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
My eyes closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you caused a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz was listening through the open line.<\/p>\n
Then Emmett whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked where you keep the insurance papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Mrs. Weaver tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is he now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
A door creaked.<\/p>\n
Emmett stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Footsteps moved through the apartment.<\/p>\n
Closer.<\/p>\n
Then a man's voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you're hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n
June whimpered.<\/p>\n
The footsteps moved toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmmett.\u201d<\/p>\n
My son gasped.<\/p>\n
The man knew his name.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emmett didn't answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't want Mrs. Weaver to get hurt, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I covered my mouth.<\/p>\n
Denise gripped my arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay quiet. Police are almost there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The closet handle rattled.<\/p>\n
June began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom,\u201d Emmett whispered.<\/p>\n
Then shouting exploded through the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cPOLICE!\u201d<\/p>\n
A crash.<\/p>\n
More voices.<\/p>\n
\u201cGET DOWN!\u201d<\/p>\n
The phone fell.<\/p>\n
June screamed.<\/p>\n
Then static.<\/p>\n
I dropped my own phone.<\/p>\n
Denise picked it up.<\/p>\n
A police officer spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Mercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour children are safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I collapsed against the seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey're safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Mrs. Weaver?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s conscious. Minor injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
I began crying.<\/p>\n
Not quietly.<\/p>\n
Not carefully.<\/p>\n
I cried because my children were alive.<\/p>\n
Then I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was the man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have him in custody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don't know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the officer paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found identification.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard Sloan.\u201d<\/p>\n
R.S.<\/p>\n
The fourth member of Harvest.<\/p>\n
For a moment, it felt like we had found the person behind the threat.<\/p>\n
Vaughn.<\/p>\n
Eric.<\/p>\n
Richard.<\/p>\n
Marla.<\/p>\n
Then my phone buzzed again.<\/p>\n
Not a text.<\/p>\n
An email.<\/p>\n
The subject line read:<\/p>\n
YOU FOUND THE WRONG R.S.<\/p>\n
I stared at it.<\/p>\n
Denise leaned closer.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
Richard Sloan was disposable.<\/p>\n
The next sentence was worse.<\/p>\n
He never knew who ran Harvest.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
Neither did Vaughn.<\/p>\n
An attachment loaded.<\/p>\n
A photograph.<\/p>\n
Marla Keene stood beside an older woman with gray hair, pearl earrings, and an elegant coat.<\/p>\n
I knew her.<\/p>\n
I had seen her dozens of times.<\/p>\n
At school events.<\/p>\n
Birthday parties.<\/p>\n
Christmas dinners.<\/p>\n
Eleven years of family photographs.<\/p>\n
My hands went numb.<\/p>\n
I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Denise looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n
And for the first time since this nightmare began, I realized the person controlling Harvest had been standing much closer to my family than I had ever imagined.<\/p>\n
The investigator photographed the calendar again. August 18. My name. September 2. M.H. Two dates. Two women. And, suddenly, the possibility that Vaughn had not been planning only one death … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8051","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\/8051","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=8051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8071,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8051\/revisions\/8071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}