Chapter 7: The Twenty-Minute Window
Officer Harris stepped out of the cruiser with one hand resting near his holster.
Behind him, another officer shut the passenger door.
Snow fell between them and the house.
I stared through the window.
Andre stood beside me.
“That's him?”” I whispered.
Dad nodded.
“He was at the hospital the night you disappeared.””
Andre's face hardened.
“I remember him.””
Vanessa backed away from the glass.
“I told you we couldn't stay here.””
Mom gripped the edge of the table.
“Marcus…”
I turned.
“Mom, what?””
She pointed toward the kitchen.
“There's another way out.””
I followed her gaze.
A narrow door beside the pantry.
“What’s behind it?””
“The old laundry room.””
Andre moved immediately.
“Does it lead outside?””
Mom nodded.
“To the side yard.””
The front porch creaked.
Harris's footsteps approached.
Three knocks came at the door.
“Mrs. Carter?””
His voice sounded warm.
Friendly.
That made my skin crawl.
“I know you're home.””
Vanessa whispered, “Don't answer.””
Harris knocked again.
“Robert?””
Dad said nothing.
“It's Officer Harris. We need to speak with everyone about an incident reported at this address.””
Andre looked at me.
“The clock is running.””
I checked my phone.
Seventeen minutes.
My heart kicked.
“How do we get to Bellweather?””
Andre reached for a coat.
“We take the back road.””
“Your car?””
“Gone.””
“My car.””
“We can't use it.””
“Why?””
“Because Harris will follow the plates.””
A third knock.
Harder.
“Open the door.””
Andre grabbed the folder from the table.
“This comes with us.””
He started toward the laundry room.
I helped Mom stand.
Vanessa watched us.
“You're not leaving me here.””
I looked at her.
“You know another way out?””
She nodded.
“There’s a tunnel.””
Andre stopped.
“What tunnel?””
“Under the garage.””
My father stared at her.
“We sealed that.””
“No.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“They sealed the entrance, but I found another door.””
Andre's eyes narrowed.
“How?””
“Because I had to bring food downstairs.””
I almost laughed at the absurdity.
“You found a secret tunnel while keeping our parents locked in the basement?””
“I didn't know what else to do!””
Harris knocked again.
“Last warning.””
Andre pointed toward the kitchen.
“Show us.””
Vanessa moved quickly.
She pulled a wooden cutting board from the wall.
Behind it was a narrow metal latch.
She opened it.
A hidden passage appeared.
Cold air rushed through.
The passage was barely wide enough for one person.
Mom stared into it.
“I haven't seen that since I was a girl.””
Dad whispered, “Raymond built it.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“In case someone came for us.””
Andre gave a bitter smile.
“Looks like someone did.””
We moved through the passage one by one.
Andre first.
Then Mom.
Then Dad.
I followed.
Vanessa came last.
Behind us, the front door crashed open.
“Police!””
Harris's voice filled the house.
“Everybody stay where you are!””
Vanessa shut the hidden panel.
Darkness swallowed us.
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then Andre clicked on a small flashlight.
A narrow tunnel stretched ahead beneath the house.
Brick walls.
Old pipes.
Dust.
Rusty electrical conduit.
But the floor was strangely clean.
Someone had been using it.
Recently.
Andre crouched.
He touched a fresh footprint in the dust.
“Someone's been down here.””
Dad whispered, “No.””
Andre looked up.
“Dad?””
“That tunnel has been sealed for twenty years.””
“Then someone opened it.””
Behind us, something slammed against the hidden door.
Harris had found it.
“Keep moving,” Andre said.
We hurried through.
Mom struggled.
I wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Easy.””
“I can walk.””
“I know.””
“I don't want to be carried.””
“Then don't make me.””
She gave the faintest smile.
It vanished when another crash echoed behind us.
The hidden door burst open.
Flashlight beams shot into the tunnel.
“Stop!””
Harris's voice.
Andre turned.
“Go!””
He shoved a metal support bar from the wall.
The old wooden brace fell.
Dust exploded behind us.
Harris shouted.
“Move!””
Andre ran after us.
We reached the end of the tunnel.
A steel door blocked the exit.
Vanessa pulled a key from her pocket.
I stared at her.
“How many keys do you have?””
She shoved it into the lock.
“Too many.””
The door opened.
We stepped into the detached garage.
Snow blew through a broken side window.
Three cars sat beneath covers.
Andre pulled the cover from a black SUV.
“Whose is that?””
Dad looked at it.
“Raymond's.””
Andre froze.
“He left it?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“He always keeps a spare here.””
Andre opened the driver's door.
Nothing.
No keys.
I looked around.
Then spotted them hanging from a hook.
I grabbed them.
Andre stared.
“You're driving?””
“You said we can't use my car.””
“Fair.””
I helped Mom into the back seat.
Dad climbed in beside her.
Vanessa hesitated.
I looked at her.
“Get in.””
She did.
Andre took the passenger seat.
I started the engine.
The garage door was closed.
“Can you open it manually?””
Andre pointed above me.
“Button.””
I pressed it.
The garage door lifted.
Headlights swept across the snow.
A police cruiser was parked near the side entrance.
Officer Harris had already come around the house.
He raised his flashlight.
“Marcus!””
I hit the accelerator.
The SUV surged forward.
Harris jumped aside.
His flashlight disappeared behind us.
We sped through the side street.
No one spoke for nearly a minute.
Then Andre looked at me.
“Bellweather is twelve minutes away.””
My phone showed fourteen.
“Harris could catch us.””
“He doesn't know we're going there.””
I showed him the messages.
“He does if he has access to my phone.””
Andre stared at the screen.
“He might already have it.””
“Can he track me?””
“Not without something installed.””
Vanessa spoke from the back.
“What if he does?””
Andre looked at her through the mirror.
“Then we'll know.””
Dad suddenly said, “Turn left.””
I frowned.
“Bellweather is straight.””
“Not that route.””
“Why?””
“There’s a checkpoint.””
Andre looked at him.
“What checkpoint?””
“I saw one yesterday.””
“Police?””
Dad nodded.
“Two cruisers.””
Andre swore under his breath.
“Take the county road.””
I turned.
Snow had begun covering the pavement.
We crossed an empty intersection.
The town disappeared behind us.
For several minutes, only the tires and engine filled the SUV.
Then Mom spoke.
“Marcus.””
“Yeah?””
“You need to know something before we reach the storage unit.””
I looked in the rearview mirror.
She was holding the legitimate medication bottle against her chest.
“What?””
“The final evidence doesn't prove who ordered Andre's death.””
Andre turned.
“Mom.””
She shook her head.
“It proves why.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Evelyn.””
“I've been silent long enough.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She hesitated.
“Because the person who ordered Andre's death wasn't Raymond.””
The SUV suddenly felt too small.
I looked at Dad.
His face had gone white.
“What are you saying?””
Mom whispered, “Your grandfather took responsibility for something he didn't do.””
Andre's jaw tightened.
“Then who?””
She looked directly at me.
“Someone in this car.””
No one breathed.
I looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head immediately.
“It wasn't me.””
I looked at Dad.
He stared out the window.
“Dad?””
He said nothing.
Andre leaned toward him.
“Robert.””
Dad finally spoke.
“I didn't order it.””
“Then Mom wouldn't say it.””
“She didn't say it was me.””
I looked back.
“Who else is in the car?””
Dad's eyes closed.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
Vanessa began crying.
“Marcus…”
“Tell me.””
She shook her head.
“I thought I was helping him.””
“Helping who?””
She covered her mouth.
Andre turned around completely.
“Vanessa.””
“I didn't know he'd hurt Andre.””
“Who?””
She whispered the name.
“Uncle Calvin.””
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“Uncle Calvin?””
Dad opened his eyes.
“He died eight years ago.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“What do you mean, no?””
“He didn't.””
Andre stared at her.
“Where is he?””
Vanessa looked at the road ahead.
“Unit 17.””
The SUV fell silent.
I checked the clock.
Nine minutes.
Then my phone vibrated again.
Another unknown number.
I opened the message.
It contained a single sentence.
*You're closer than you think.*
Then another message arrived.
*But one of your passengers is working for me.*
Andre looked at my screen.
His face changed.
“Stop the car.””
“Why?””
“Because we have a problem.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He pointed toward the rearview mirror.
A second set of headlights had appeared behind us.
Far away.
But gaining fast.
“That's Harris.””
Vanessa turned around.
“No.””
Andre shook his head.
“Not Harris.””
“How do you know?””
He stared at the vehicle approaching through the snow.
“Because Harris drives a cruiser.””
The headlights came closer.
A black sedan.
No police markings.
No license plate visible.
And as it pulled within fifty yards, the driver flashed its high beams.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Dad began trembling.
I looked at him.
“Dad?””
He whispered the words like a prayer.
“Calvin.””
May you like
The sedan accelerated.
And the road ahead was completely covered in snow.
