Chapter 4 - THE MAN IN THE SUV
Ryan stepped away from the window.
“Mom.”
“Is it there?”
“You knew.”
“Do not go outside.”
“You knew somebody might be following me.”
“Ryan—”
“You knew.”
The gray SUV started moving.
Ryan returned to the window just in time to see it pull away.
He couldn't read the plate.
He called the police and added the sighting to his report.
Then he drove to Linda's house.
This time, he didn't knock.
He still had the key she'd insisted he keep.
Linda was standing in the living room when he entered, as though she'd been expecting him.
Ryan held up the photograph.
“Start talking.”
Linda stared at seven-year-old Ryan and Evan Mercer.
She looked suddenly older.
“He wasn't supposed to find you.”
“So he is following me.”
“I don't know.”
“But you think he might be.”
“Yes.”
Ryan laughed bitterly.
“You tracked me because you thought my supposedly dead father might find me?”
Linda closed her eyes.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“Ryan.”
“No more instructions. Talk.”
Linda looked at him for a long moment.
Then she began.
She had met Evan Mercer at twenty-six.
Charming.
Confident.
Persistent.
At first, Linda had mistaken possessiveness for devotion.
After Ryan was born, it worsened.
Evan wanted access to every bank account.
Every password.
Every schedule.
He called Linda constantly when she was away from home.
When their marriage collapsed, custody became war.
“He never hit you?” Ryan asked.
Linda hesitated.
“That wasn't how he operated.”
“What does that mean?”
“He controlled everything around me until I couldn't breathe without asking permission.”
Ryan almost laughed at the irony.
Linda saw it.
Her expression sharpened.
“Do not compare us.”
“Why not?”
“Because I was protecting you.”
“That's exactly what controlling people say.”
Linda flinched.
Ryan immediately knew he'd hit something real.
She continued.
During their custody dispute, Evan accused Linda of keeping Ryan away from him.
Linda accused Evan of stalking them.
The court granted temporary shared custody while allegations were investigated.
Then, according to Linda, Evan told her something one night outside Ryan's school.
“He said if I ever tried to take you away from him, he'd make sure I never saw you again.”
“So you ran.”
“Yes.”
“With me.”
“Yes.”
“Even though there was a custody order.”
Linda looked away.
“Yes.”
Ryan paced across the room.
“You kidnapped me.”
“I saved you.”
“From my father.”
“Yes.”
“The man you later told me was dead.”
“Yes.”
Ryan stopped.
“Did he ever try to find me?”
Linda said nothing.
That was answer enough.
“How many times?”
“Ryan—”
“How many times?”
“For years.”
His chest tightened.
“Letters?”
Linda's silence deepened.
“Calls?”
Nothing.
“Did he try to contact me?”
“You were a child.”
Ryan turned toward the door.
Linda caught his arm.
“Listen to me. Evan Mercer is dangerous when he believes something belongs to him.”
Ryan looked down at her hand gripping his arm.
Linda followed his gaze.
She released him.
Ryan picked up the photograph.
“And you?”
Linda looked confused.
“What?”
“You put a tracker in my backpack after I told you to stop tracking me.”
“I was trying to keep you safe.”
Ryan shook his head.
“You both keep using the same sentence.”
He left.
Outside, his phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
Another message.
SHE'LL TELL YOU I WAS THE MONSTER.
May you like
Then:
ASK HER WHY THE COURT GAVE ME CUSTODY.
