Chapter 4 Matt #2
Andy nodded slowly, sighing. “But you could still lose it all. Someone is dead, Ian. That changes everything.”
Ian closed his eyes, his whole body sagging. “I know.”
The silence in the room grew thick. Outside, the last of the storm had faded into a stillness that felt almost unnatural. None of them had noticed until the shrill ring of the phone cut through the quiet like a blade.
Carrie and Matt both froze, then turned at the same time.
Her eyes flashed with sudden light, and before anyone could stop her, she was on her feet, sprinting down the hall.
Matt pushed up from the loveseat, his steps quick behind her, entering the room as Carrie snatched the receiver in Trevor’s study.
He spotted the blinking red light and the conference button. Without hesitation, he pressed it.
“Mom?” The voice was male, young, strong with concern.
Carrie’s face crumpled, tears springing to her eyes. “Trent… honey, thank goodness.”
Relief pulsed through Matt, too, though Trent was not his son. Her relief was his, and he knew that Alisha was with Trent. If Trent was safe, so was Matt’s daughter.
Carrie’s tears brimmed, her voice trembling with relief. “I’ve been so worried.”
Trent’s voice came steady but carried the weight of his own concern. “I’ve been worried too. You never told me there had been a murder on the island yesterday.”
“We didn’t really have time to chat,” Carrie said quickly. Her hand tightened around the receiver. “Oh, Trent, is Alisha with you? Her father, Matt, is here with me, and this call is on speaker.”
“Hi, Matt, it is nice to meet you,” Trent said, polite despite the chaos.
“Hi, Trent,” Matt replied, leaning closer to the phone. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I wish it were not under these circumstances. Is Alisha with you? Is she alright?”
Carrie added before Trent could answer, “Is there any word on the kids? I haven’t even called Tessa to let her know about Maggie.”
“Mom,” Trent cut her off gently, and a small laugh came through the line, tired but real. “We found Maggie and Cody. They are safe. Someone from Sunset Keys recognized Cody and noticed Maggie’s distress signal hand gestures I taught her.”
Carrie let out a sharp breath, the sound half sob, half relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”
Matt felt his own chest loosen, the knot inside him easing for the first time in hours.
Then another voice came through, higher, familiar, warm with worry. “Dad?”
Matt froze, his throat tight. “Alisha.” His voice cracked with emotion.
“Dad, are you all okay there?”
“Hello, sweetheart,” Matt said, relief spreading through him fully now. “We’re all fine here. How about you?”
“I’m not going to lie,” Alisha said bluntly, her voice firm but weary. “It’s been an awful night. But Trent’s team was great, and we managed to watch someone from the island save Cody and Maggie.”
Carrie pressed in. “Are they there with you now?”
“No. They’re still with the person who saved them,” Alisha answered.
“Who saved them?” Carrie asked before Matt could.
“I'm not sure if you have met her yet,” Alisha said.
Matt’s pulse jumped. His skin prickled, his gaze snapping to Carrie’s. Her eyes widened, mirroring his fear. They both knew where this was headed.
Alisha finished, the name striking like a stone in a still pond. “It was Paula Day.”
Carrie sucked in a sharp breath. Matt’s stomach turned. Every suspicion he had carried since yesterday tightened into certainty.
But Alisha’s voice pressed on, not giving them a chance to speak. “Get this. It was a cop who kidnapped Maggie and Cody.”
“A cop?” Andy’s voice came from the door. Ian was beside him and Oscar was being supported by both Andy and Ian. “A cop kidnapped your grandchildren?” He stared at Carrie and Matt in disbelief.
“Who is that?” Alisha and Trent asked in unison.
“Detective Andy Hardy,” Carrie told them. “He stayed behind yesterday after all the police left once the murder investigation was wrapped.”
“Great!” Trent said. “Thank you for being there, Detective Hardy.”
“You’re welcome,” Andy called from his position near the door. “Do you have the cop’s name who kidnapped the kids?”
“Yes,” Alisha answered. “It was Detective Lawrence.”
The words hit like a blow. Matt gripped the edge of the desk, the grain digging into his palm. Carrie covered her mouth, eyes wide, face pale.
Behind them, Andy and Ian gasped. Each one of them had been fooled by that man during the murder investigation.
Matt forced his voice steady for the line. “Alisha… are you sure?”
“Yes,” Alisha said, her voice unwavering. “Trent’s people confirmed it after he was taken into custody.” She snorted. “The man was hit in the head by a huge purse.”
Silence filled the study. Matt looked at Carrie again. Her eyes were wet but fierce, her hand still clutching the phone. The storm outside was now gone, leaving the house wrapped in eerie quiet.
Inside, though, the storm had only just begun. Just when they thought they had gotten to the bottom of the puzzle and knew who they were up against, the mystery had shifted, and now the police, or at least one policeman, was involved.