but the railing is red. And the Hawthorne Bridge was named after some doctor...doesn’t matter. That has to be it. It’s too much of a coincidence. The humiliation factor. Scarlet. That’s what he had in mind. The scarlet trusses contain the key where East meets West. The key he was talking about has to be in the middle, where the bridge is raised. Where East meets West.
She was so relieved she would’ve clapped too if it wouldn’t have revealed her more intimate parts.
Now I just have to make it through the rest of the five minutes—
“Ma’am? Ma’am?!”
Sara saw a woman, a park employee carrying a walkie-talkie, striding toward her, stomping so hard she could’ve left footprints in the bricks.
Here we go . That didn’t take long. Jesus, what’ll happen to the kids if I’m in jail?
Lacey, Callie, and Jacob, hidden away somewhere, suffering at the hands of a madman. Begging for their mother. Wrists bound with rough rope on little arms. What would happen to them? What would he do to them if she got arrested, if she weren’t able to finish the game? Surely Teddy had planned for something like this, had contingencies set up in case something went wrong. The game was his, and he wanted it played. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was over before it started.
Twenty feet away, the park employee said, “I’m gonna have to ask you—”
The phone rang in Sara’s hand. She flipped it open, held it up to her ear.
The voice said, “My contact tells me you’re about to get in trouble. Laugh. Apologize. Tell her you lost a bet. Stay on the line.”
Sara did as she was told. Forced a laugh and apologized to the approaching employee. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene. I lost a bet.”
“Leave. Now.”
The woman reached for Sara’s arm, but she twisted away and said, “I’m going, don’t worry,” and then dashed down the walkway toward her clothes. Into the phone, she said, “Okay, I’m clear.”
“I heard. And I enjoyed that very much, Sara. You played well. Good game.”
“Are the kids okay?”
“ Tsk, tsk, tsk , Sara. Only one question per round. But I will let this one slide. It’s a natural reaction, of course.”
Sara approached the spot where she had taken off her work clothes, but instead, they had been replaced by a running outfit. Her running clothes and her running shoes.
He’s been inside my house. How did he get past all the alarms?
The ultra-expensive security system had been installed after Brian’s disappearance, in case whoever had taken him wasn’t satisfied with just a single Winthrop in their collection. Aside from her and the children, who never remembered it anyway, the only other two people that she trusted with the code were Miss Willow and Shelley, who were allowed to drop by for extra sets of clothes for the kids or to pick up things she needed for the office.
Did you torture one of them to get the code, Teddy? Make them play your stupid game, too?
Sara couldn’t imagine what it would’ve taken for one of her two closest confidantes to reveal that secret.
Shelley was fine this morning. Oh no, Willow!
The voice asked, “Did you solve the riddle?”
“Yes. The Hawthorne Bridge. In the center. Where East meets West.”
“I knew you could do it. See? I told you this level would be easy. In front of you are your running clothes. You have forty-five minutes to reach your destination. When you find the key, the first level will be complete. Keep the phone. Await further instructions.”
Sara dressed.
And then she ran.
CHAPTER 7
DJ
Detective Johnson, DJ, sat hunched over his desk, reading through Brian Winthrop’s file. He tried to tune out the noise around him and focus, but the rustling papers and ringing phones and near constant foot traffic between the desks hindered his attempts at complete attention. He
She was so relieved she would’ve clapped too if it wouldn’t have revealed her more intimate parts.
Now I just have to make it through the rest of the five minutes—
“Ma’am? Ma’am?!”
Sara saw a woman, a park employee carrying a walkie-talkie, striding toward her, stomping so hard she could’ve left footprints in the bricks.
Here we go . That didn’t take long. Jesus, what’ll happen to the kids if I’m in jail?
Lacey, Callie, and Jacob, hidden away somewhere, suffering at the hands of a madman. Begging for their mother. Wrists bound with rough rope on little arms. What would happen to them? What would he do to them if she got arrested, if she weren’t able to finish the game? Surely Teddy had planned for something like this, had contingencies set up in case something went wrong. The game was his, and he wanted it played. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was over before it started.
Twenty feet away, the park employee said, “I’m gonna have to ask you—”
The phone rang in Sara’s hand. She flipped it open, held it up to her ear.
The voice said, “My contact tells me you’re about to get in trouble. Laugh. Apologize. Tell her you lost a bet. Stay on the line.”
Sara did as she was told. Forced a laugh and apologized to the approaching employee. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene. I lost a bet.”
“Leave. Now.”
The woman reached for Sara’s arm, but she twisted away and said, “I’m going, don’t worry,” and then dashed down the walkway toward her clothes. Into the phone, she said, “Okay, I’m clear.”
“I heard. And I enjoyed that very much, Sara. You played well. Good game.”
“Are the kids okay?”
“ Tsk, tsk, tsk , Sara. Only one question per round. But I will let this one slide. It’s a natural reaction, of course.”
Sara approached the spot where she had taken off her work clothes, but instead, they had been replaced by a running outfit. Her running clothes and her running shoes.
He’s been inside my house. How did he get past all the alarms?
The ultra-expensive security system had been installed after Brian’s disappearance, in case whoever had taken him wasn’t satisfied with just a single Winthrop in their collection. Aside from her and the children, who never remembered it anyway, the only other two people that she trusted with the code were Miss Willow and Shelley, who were allowed to drop by for extra sets of clothes for the kids or to pick up things she needed for the office.
Did you torture one of them to get the code, Teddy? Make them play your stupid game, too?
Sara couldn’t imagine what it would’ve taken for one of her two closest confidantes to reveal that secret.
Shelley was fine this morning. Oh no, Willow!
The voice asked, “Did you solve the riddle?”
“Yes. The Hawthorne Bridge. In the center. Where East meets West.”
“I knew you could do it. See? I told you this level would be easy. In front of you are your running clothes. You have forty-five minutes to reach your destination. When you find the key, the first level will be complete. Keep the phone. Await further instructions.”
Sara dressed.
And then she ran.
CHAPTER 7
DJ
Detective Johnson, DJ, sat hunched over his desk, reading through Brian Winthrop’s file. He tried to tune out the noise around him and focus, but the rustling papers and ringing phones and near constant foot traffic between the desks hindered his attempts at complete attention. He
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