Chapter 6 - The Whisper in the Dark
The trap was set.
At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, I called Kara. I made sure my voice sounded panicked, breathless, and entirely terrified.
"Kara," I gasped into the phone, holding my hand over my mouth to simulate a hushed whisper. "Are you and Julian at home?"
"Yes," she said, her voice instantly tightening. "Emily, what’s wrong? Is it Mom and Dad?"
"No, they’re the same," I lied. "But I just got off the phone with a friend who works at the county courthouse. She said the police have traced the poison to a botanical source. They’re getting warrants to search all of Julian’s registered properties, including that old estate in the valley. They think the poison was manufactured there."
There was a sharp, sudden intake of breath on the other end of the line. I heard a faint rustle of clothing, then Julian’s muffled voice in the background, asking what was happening.
"The... the Oakridge Estate?" Kara stammered, her voice shaking violently now. "Why would they search there? That’s ridiculous!"
"I don't know, Kara, but they’re planning to execute the search first thing tomorrow morning," I said, letting a sob escape my throat. "I’m so scared. If they find anything... even if it's just some old garden chemicals... they’ll blame Julian. You need to make sure there’s nothing there. Please, tell me he doesn't have anything illegal at that property!"
"No! No, of course not!" Kara cried, her panic now fully exposed. "He... he just kept some old landscaping supplies there. I’ll... I’ll have him go check. Thank you, Emily. Thank you for warning us."
"Be careful, Kara," I whispered. "I love you."
I hung up the phone.
Michael was standing beside me, holding a secure police radio Harris had left with us. We sat in our dark kitchen, the house silent, waiting for the signal.
At 9:42 p.m., the radio crackled to life.
"Target vehicle—a black Mercedes SUV—just turned onto the access road of the Oakridge Estate," a deputy’s voice reported over the static. "Two occupants. They are approaching the old greenhouse."
My heart hammered against my ribs. We have them, I thought. We finally have them.
May you like
"Let's go," Michael said, grabbing his keys.
We drove to the police command post set up a half-mile down the road from the estate, our headlights turned off as we pulled onto the gravel shoulder. The night was pitch-black, the old Victorian house looming in the distance like a dark, decaying skeleton.
