Chapter 9 - What the Police Officer Knew
Ruiz coordinated the pursuit without turning it into a reckless chase.
Pike’s vehicle disappeared into an industrial district.
Traffic cameras picked it up twenty minutes later.
Then nothing.
Caroline hated waiting.
Noah hated it more.
He paced the room until Emily finally said, “You’re making me dizzy.”
He stopped.
“Sorry.”
She handed him half a chocolate bar.
He accepted it.
Their friendship had formed in less than two days, but adversity had accelerated everything.
At 3:20 p.m., Ruiz returned.
He carried good news and bad news.
They had arrested Pike.
Lily was not with him.
Pike claimed Victor had taken her.
But Ruiz had discovered something else.
Victor had connections inside the private security company responsible for several buildings owned by the Cole family.
That explained how he intercepted letters and learned about the trust.
It also explained how he remained ahead of them.
Someone had been feeding him information.
Ethan asked the obvious question.
“Who?”
Ruiz placed a photograph on the table.
Caroline recognized the man.
Arthur Bell.
Her father’s longtime attorney.
The person who had administered the family trust.
Caroline felt betrayed.
Bell had attended Christmas dinners.
He had comforted Ethan after Lily disappeared.
He had helped organize their father’s funeral.
And all along, he had been helping Victor.
Police arrested Bell that evening.
Under questioning, he admitted enough to change the case.
Victor had not merely hidden Lily.
He had intended to have Noah declared legally abandoned, then position himself through forged guardianship documents to control the trust.
Bell had helped create the paperwork.
But after Lily collected evidence, Victor became desperate.
Bell gave police one location.
A farmhouse outside Mill Creek.
Ruiz assembled a team.
Before leaving, he looked at Caroline.
“This may be it.”
Noah heard him.
“Bring my mom home.”
Ruiz nodded.
“We’re going to try.”
Hours later, Caroline’s phone rang.
Ruiz.
She answered immediately.
“Did you find her?”
Silence.
Then:
“We found the farmhouse.”
“And Lily?”
Another pause.
“Caroline, you need to come here.”
Her heart stopped.
“Is she alive?”
Ruiz answered carefully.
“Yes.”
Caroline nearly collapsed with relief.
May you like
But his next words stole it away.
“She’s asking for Noah.”
