Chapter 3 - The man at the airport
Daniel reached the house at 3:41 a.m.
Police were still there.
Lily was wrapped in a blanket on our neighbor’s sofa two houses away.
I had refused to send her without me at first.
Then officer Marisol Vega said:
“We still need to process the home, and she doesn’t need to stand here watching.”
Correct.
Our neighbors, Jeff and Natalie Morris, had known us six years.
I went with Lily.
Then Daniel arrived.
Gray business-casual jacket over a blue shirt.
No tie.
Travel bag.
Face pale.
I met him on the Morris porch.
He reached for me.
I stepped back.
Not dramatically.
Instinct.
His hands stopped.
“Emily.”
“Who is he?”
“Can we do this inside?”
“No.”
“It’s freezing.”
“Then answer fast.”
Daniel looked toward the police vehicles.
“I don’t know for certain.”
“Who followed you?”
He hesitated.
“Evan Ross.”
Name.
Finally.
“Who is Evan Ross?”
“He does contract security and facilities work for Northline.”
“Why would a security contractor follow you?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I think someone sent him.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Daniel.”
“I have a suspicion.”
“Say it.”
He looked at the house.
Then back at me.
“Nathan Lowe.”
I knew the name.
Northline’s chief operating officer.
Forty-six.
Daniel’s boss’s closest executive partner.
We had attended his Christmas party.
I had bought his wife a bottle of wine.
“Why would your COO send a man into our house?”
Daniel did not answer.
That was when Officer Vega approached.
“Mr. Hartman?”
“Yes.”
“We need to speak with you.”
Daniel nodded.
She glanced between us.
“Separately.”
Good.
I went back inside the Morris house.
Lily was curled on the couch watching cartoons without sound.
Natalie had made cocoa.
At four in the morning.
The normal kindness almost broke me.
Lily asked:
“Is Dad okay?”
“I think so.”
“Was the man trying to hurt Dad?”
“I don’t know.”
“Us?”
My throat tightened.
“I don’t know that either.”
She looked down.
Then:
“He knew where my room was?”
I sat beside her.
May you like
“I don’t know what he knew.”
That answer became unbearable because it was honest.
