Chapter 9: The Eyes Inside the House
Marcus stared at the photograph.
His hands went cold.
The image showed Maya standing beside him moments earlier.
Her face turned away.
Her fingers holding his jacket.
The picture had been taken from inside the house.
Not outside.
Not from the street.
Inside.
Someone had been watching.
Someone had access.
“Marcus?”” Lena asked.
He locked his phone.
“Everyone stays here.””
Daniel frowned.
“What?””
“No one leaves.””
His voice was firm.
The relatives exchanged nervous looks.
Evelyn looked frightened.
Marcus noticed.
“You know something.””
She shook her head.
“I don’t.””
“Mom.””
“I swear.””
Marcus studied her.
For years, he knew every expression on her face.
Every hesitation.
Every change in her voice.
And right now, she wasn’t hiding anger.
She was terrified.
Daniel looked around.
“Should we call the police?””
Marcus looked at Maya.
Then at the photograph.
“Not yet.””
Lena looked surprised.
“Why?””
“Because whoever did this wants us to panic.””
He looked at the room.
“I want them to think we haven’t figured anything out.””
His sister stepped forward.
“That’s dangerous.””
Marcus nodded.
“I know.””
He looked down at Maya.
“But leaving my daughter vulnerable is more dangerous.””
Maya looked at him.
“Dad?””
He softened immediately.
“What?””
“Is someone trying to take me?””
The question hurt.
Marcus sat beside her.
“I don’t know.””
Honesty again.
“But I know one thing.””
“What?””
“No one gets to decide your life without you.””
She nodded.
Small.
Scared.
But listening.
Daniel examined the photograph.
“This metadata was removed.””
Marcus looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone knows how to hide digital evidence.””
Andre finally spoke.
“I didn’t do this.””
Everyone looked at him.
Marcus didn’t answer.
Andre stepped forward.
“I know what it looks like.””
“It looks like you lied.””
“I did.””
The honesty surprised Marcus.
Andre looked down.
“I helped your mother contact Lena.””
“Why?””
“Because Evelyn was desperate.””
Marcus looked at Evelyn.
“Desperate enough to fake my signature?””
Andre immediately looked up.
“No.””
The answer was fast.
Too fast.
Marcus noticed.
“You know something.””
Andre hesitated.
“I know the person who had access to your documents.””
The room went silent.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Who?””
Andre looked at Maya.
Then at Marcus.
“I didn’t want to say it.””
“Say it.””
Andre swallowed.
“Your ex-wife.””
Lena’s face changed.
“No.””
Andre nodded slowly.
“She never stopped trying to get back into your life.””
Marcus stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because she disappeared.””
Andre looked at him.
“She disappeared from you.””
A chill went through Marcus.
“What does that mean?””
Andre reached into his jacket.
Pulled out his phone.
He opened a folder.
Photos.
Messages.
Records.
“I found these when I was helping Evelyn.””
Marcus looked.
The first picture showed a woman standing outside Marcus’s house.
Not recently.
Years earlier.
The second showed a message.
A threat.
The third showed a legal document.
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“This is from before Maya was born.””
Andre nodded.
“Yes.””
Lena stepped closer.
“Where did you get these?””
Andre looked at her.
“From the person who contacted me.””
Marcus turned.
“Who contacted you?””
Andre hesitated.
Then answered.
“Someone claiming they wanted to help Maya.””
“Who?””
Andre looked toward the dining table.
Toward one of the relatives.
A woman who had barely spoken all night.
Marcus followed his gaze.
The woman slowly stood.
Everyone recognized her.
Maya’s aunt.
Denise.
Marcus stared.
“No.””
Denise’s expression changed.
“I can explain.””
Marcus shook his head.
“Not you.””
Denise looked down.
“I didn’t want it to go this far.””
The room froze.
Marcus stepped forward.
“You were involved?””
Denise looked at Maya.
“I was trying to fix what your family broke.””
Maya backed away.
Marcus immediately moved in front of her.
Denise’s eyes filled.
“I never wanted to hurt her.””
Marcus’s voice became ice.
“Then why were you taking pictures of my daughter?””
Denise went silent.
And that silence answered everything.
Then her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
Marcus noticed.
“Who is it?””
Denise didn’t answer.
The phone kept ringing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Pick it up.””
Slowly, Denise answered.
She put the phone on speaker.
A voice came through.
A voice everyone in the room recognized.
A voice that made Lena cover her mouth.
Because it belonged to the person they thought was gone forever.
“Denise.””
A pause.
“Did you get Maya ready for me?””
Marcus felt his entire body freeze.
Because the voice was Maya’s mother.
May you like
And she wasn’t asking where Maya was.
She was asking when to take her.
