Chapter 4 - The Empty Schoolyard
Lucas was in his car before Rebecca finished speaking.
Emma called.
Her voice shook.
"The school says my father picked them up."
"Did he?"
"No. Dad's in Providence."
"Call the police."
"I already did."
"Security cameras?"
"They're checking."
Lucas drove toward Arlington while Rebecca coordinated with police.
His mind kept returning to Charles's smile.
But kidnapping children would be reckless.
Too reckless.
Unless somebody was desperate.
Emma was waiting outside the school when Lucas arrived.
He took her shoulders.
"Tell me everything."
"A man came with authorization."
"What authorization?"
"A signed pickup form."
"Signed by you?"
"Apparently."
She looked sick.
"I never signed it."
Lucas's anger sharpened.
More forged documents.
The principal emerged.
"We have video."
Inside the office, they watched security footage.
At 2:14 p.m., Noah and Eli walked toward a silver SUV with a man.
Lucas leaned toward the screen.
He knew him.
"That's Daniel Ross."
Emma looked at him.
"Who?"
"Charles's driver."
Police issued an alert.
Lucas called Charles.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Margaret called.
"Lucas, what's happening?"
"Where is Charles?"
"I don't know."
"My sons were taken by his driver."
Silence.
Margaret whispered, "Oh, God."
"If you know anything, tell me now."
"I don't."
"Mother."
"I swear."
For the first time, Lucas believed her fear.
Then she said, "There's a house."
"What house?"
"Charles has a property in Concord. He uses it privately."
"Address."
Margaret gave it.
Lucas relayed it to police.
They told him not to go.
He went anyway.
Emma refused to stay behind.
Police arrived first.
The silver SUV stood outside.
Lucas's heart nearly stopped.
Officers entered.
Two minutes felt like two hours.
Then the front door opened.
Noah emerged holding a policeman's hand.
Eli followed.
Emma ran.
She dropped to her knees and pulled both children against her.
Lucas stopped several feet away.
He wanted to hold them.
But he didn't know whether he had that right yet.
Noah solved it.
He broke from Emma and ran straight into Lucas.
Lucas caught him.
Eli followed.
For the first time, Lucas held both sons.
He closed his eyes.
They were warm.
Real.
Safe.
Daniel Ross was arrested inside.
Charles wasn't there.
Ross claimed Charles had instructed him to bring the boys to the property because Margaret had authorized a "family meeting."
Margaret denied it.
Police found no evidence Charles had personally ordered an abduction.
But Rebecca found something better.
Ross's phone contained messages.
Not enough for kidnapping.
Enough to establish communication.
The scandal could destroy Carter Holdings.
Lucas didn't care.
That night, Emma allowed him to stay.
The twins refused to sleep alone.
Lucas sat on the floor beside their beds while Emma read a story.
Noah fell asleep first.
Eli fought it.
"Lucas?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you our dad?"
Emma stopped reading.
Lucas looked at her.
She nodded.
He moved closer to Eli's bed.
"Yes."
Eli stared at him.
"Where were you?"
The question nearly destroyed him.
Lucas chose the simplest truth.
"I didn't know where you were."
"Why?"
"Some grown-ups made some very bad choices."
"Did Mom?"
"No."
Emma looked down.
Lucas continued.
"And I made mistakes too. But none of it was because of you."
Eli thought.
"Are you leaving?"
"Not tonight."
"Tomorrow?"
Lucas swallowed.
"I'll come back whenever your mom says it's okay."
Eli nodded.
"Okay."
Within minutes, he slept.
Lucas and Emma went downstairs.
She stood at the kitchen sink.
"You handled that well."
"I've had six years to imagine what I'd say to children I thought I'd never have."
Emma turned.
"Lucas."
He looked at her.
"I'm angry at you too."
He nodded.
"You should be."
"You left."
"I did."
"You decided what my future should be without asking me."
"I know."
"You thought leaving me was noble."
"I thought you deserved children."
"I deserved a husband who trusted me enough to let me decide."
Lucas absorbed it.
"You're right."
Emma's eyes filled.
"I hated you for years."
"I hated myself."
"I don't hate you anymore."
Something shifted.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But possibility.
The doorbell rang.
Lucas checked the camera.
Margaret.
Emma stiffened.
"You don't have to let her in."
"I want to."
Margaret entered carrying nothing.
No lawyers.
No excuses.
She looked smaller than Lucas remembered.
"I came to tell the truth."
They sat.
Margaret admitted intercepting Emma's first call.
She admitted instructing Rachel to block communication.
She admitted confronting Emma.
But she denied knowing Vale's diagnosis was fraudulent.
"Charles told me Emma had manipulated you," she said. "He said protecting the company meant protecting you."
Lucas stared at her.
"You chose the company."
"I chose control."
Margaret's voice cracked.
"And I called it love."
Emma said nothing.
Margaret looked toward the stairs.
"May I see them?"
"No," Lucas said.
Margaret nodded.
She didn't argue.
"Someday?"
"That's their mother's decision. And eventually theirs."
Margaret accepted it.
Before leaving, she handed Lucas a key.
"Your father had a private archive."
Lucas frowned.
"What?"
"Charles wanted me to destroy it after your father died. I lied and said I did."
"Where?"
"Safe-deposit box. Commonwealth Federal."
"What is inside?"
"I don't know."
Lucas looked at the key.
The next morning, he and Rebecca opened the box.
Inside were corporate records, letters and an old digital recorder.
One envelope bore Lucas's name.
In his father's handwriting.
Lucas opened it.
Son,
If you're reading this, then I was right not to trust Charles.
Lucas looked at Rebecca.
She inserted the recorder's memory card into her laptop.
One audio file appeared.
Date: three days before his father's fatal car accident.
Rebecca pressed play.
Lucas's father began speaking.
Then another man's voice answered.
Charles Mercer.
May you like
And the first sentence made Lucas reach for the pause button.
"You can't let Lucas have children."
