Chapter 3 - THE CALL I DIDN’T ANSWERDetective Vega had me return Mark’s call with her recording.
He answered immediately.
“Where is he?”
Not:
How is Eli?
Not:
What happened?
Where is he?
I looked at Vega.
“Who?”
“Michael, don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Where’s Eli?”
“How do you know he’s with me?”
Silence.
Then Mark said:
“Dad called.”
“What did Dad tell you?”
“That Eli took off.”
“From where?”
“Dad’s.”
“What happened there?”
“Nothing.”
“My son has cracked ribs.”
Another silence.
Then:
“He fell.”
My grip tightened.
“Where?”
“Basement stairs.”
“Were you there?”
“No.”
Too quick.
“How do you know he fell down the basement stairs if you weren’t there?”
“Dad told me.”
“When?”
“After.”
“What did he tell you exactly?”
“Michael, stop treating me like a suspect.”
“Where’s Eli’s phone?”
Mark hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“He says you have it.”
“That kid is concussed.”
Vega’s eyes snapped toward mine.
Neither of us had told Mark that.
I said:
“How do you know he has a concussion?”
“I assumed he hit his head if he fell.”
Possible.
Then Mark said:
“You need to keep him from talking until he understands what he did.”
“What did he do?”
Mark breathed out.
“He stole company records.”
The room went very quiet.
“What records?”
“You really want to do this on the phone?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Then why is my son in a hospital?”
“Because he lost his temper.”
“Did you hit him?”
Mark disconnected.
Vega stopped the recording.
May you like
Then said:
“Now we start separating what we know from what everyone wants us to believe.”
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