Chapter 2 - the business Walter never discussed
Mara separated the adults.
Judith protested.
Walter called an attorney.
Erin sat beside Sophie in the living room while another investigator photographed the handwritten note.
“Is Scout dead?” Sophie whispered.
Erin pulled her closer.
“I don’t know.”
That was the only honest answer.
Mara returned twenty minutes later.
“Mrs. Cole, I need to ask about your father-in-law.”
“What about him?”
“What does Walter do?”
“He’s retired.”
“From?”
“A meat-distribution company.”
Mara nodded.
“Cole Regional Foods.”
Erin had heard the name for years.
Walter founded the company before Michael was born and sold most of it five years earlier.
He still maintained a consulting role.
Erin never cared about the details.
Mara continued.
“Cole Regional Foods holds contracts involving federally inspected processing facilities.”
Erin looked toward the dining room.
“What does that have to do with Sophie’s puppy?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“You came here before sunrise.”
“Because your photograph was forwarded to animal control last night.”
Erin frowned.
“I didn’t send it.”
“Your husband did.”
Erin froze.
“Michael?”
Mara showed her the report.
At 11:43 p.m., Michael Cole had submitted an electronic report attaching Erin’s photograph.
Erin stared.
“He never called me.”
“We’ve tried reaching him.”
“So have I.”
Mara’s expression changed.
“When did you last speak?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“What did he say?”
“That his project had problems and he might be home early.”
“Did he mention his father?”
“No.”
Mara asked:
“Did he know Scout was missing?”
“No.”
At least Erin did not think so.
Then Sophie quietly said:
“Dad knew Grandpa hated him.”
Erin turned.
“Scout?”
Sophie nodded.
“Grandpa said Scout was always sniffing where he didn’t belong.”
Mara crouched.
“Where did Scout sniff?”
Erin immediately became protective.
“She doesn’t have to answer.”
“You’re right.”
Sophie looked at her mother.
“It’s okay.”
Then at Mara.
“The garage.”
“What part?”
“The freezer.”
Walter kept a chest freezer in the detached garage.
He claimed it contained hunting meat and bulk food.
Sophie continued:
“Scout scratched behind it.”
“When?”
“Two days ago.”
“What happened?”
“Grandpa kicked the wall and yelled.”
Erin’s anger sharpened.
“At Scout?”
“He yelled at me too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were working.”
Erin closed her eyes.
She had been working remotely from the downstairs office.
Five rooms away.
Sophie had learned to protect her from stress.
That realization hurt.
Mara stood.
“We need a warrant for the garage.”
Walter’s attorney objected immediately.
But investigators had enough to secure the property while a request was processed.
At 9:10 a.m., Michael finally called.
Erin answered instantly.
“Where are you?”
“I’m driving.”
“Driving where?”
“Home.”
“Why did you send my photograph to animal control without calling me?”
Silence.
“Michael.”
“I saw what was on the table.”
“So?”
“I recognized the container.”
Erin went cold.
“What container?”
“The serving bowl.”
“That bowl belongs to your mother.”
“No.”
Michael’s voice tightened.
“It came from Dad’s old processing facility.”
Erin looked toward Mara.
“Why does that matter?”
“Because those bowls were used for sample batches.”
“What samples?”
Another silence.
Michael whispered:
“Erin, get Sophie out of that house.”
“She’s with federal investigators.”
Michael stopped.
“Federal?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“USDA OIG.”
Michael swore quietly.
“You knew they were investigating your father.”
“I suspected.”
“For what?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there.”
“No. Tell me now.”
Michael inhaled.
“Dad sold the company, but he kept access to one old storage facility. Six months ago I found shipping invoices that didn’t make sense.”
“What kind?”
“Animals listed under one category arriving under another.”
Erin frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“I didn’t know.”
“And now?”
“I think Dad did.”
Mara listened without interrupting.
Then Michael added:
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“I left a flash drive with copies of those invoices in Dad’s garage.”
Erin stared toward the back of the property.
“Where?”
“Behind the chest freezer.”
The exact place Scout had been scratching.
Erin’s stomach dropped.
“Michael…”
“What?”
“Scout found it.”
Silence.
Then:
“Oh God.”
Walter had not necessarily removed Scout because he hated the dog.
May you like
Scout may have exposed the hiding place where Michael had concealed evidence.
👉 Scout had discovered the exact spot where Michael secretly hid evidence against Walter, giving the in-laws a far more dangerous reason to make the puppy disappear.
