Chapter 2 - The Locked BasementCaleb made it three steps.
Red.
Blue.
Red.
Blue.
Flashing against the windows of my house.
For half a second, I thought the emergency was at my neighbor’s place.
Then I saw my front door hanging open.
I dropped my purse in the driveway.
“Ethan!”
My heels nearly snapped as I ran.
Someone caught my arm at the doorway.
“Ma’am, slow down.”
“My son is inside!”
I tore away from him.
The scene in my entryway stopped my heart.
My nine-year-old son, Ethan Parker, was lying on the hardwood floor.
His face was pale.
His brown hair was damp with sweat.
A bruise had formed along his cheekbone, and dried blood darkened the corner of his mouth.
A paramedic knelt beside him while another opened a red medical bag.
My mother, Diane, was crying near the stairs.
My father, Robert, stood behind her with both hands over his mouth.
And my younger brother, Caleb, was pressed against the wall.
He looked terrified.
“Ethan!”
I fell beside my son.
The paramedic put out one gloved hand.
“Mom?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Daniel. We need some space.”
“What happened?”
“We’re trying to determine that.”
I touched Ethan’s hair.
His skin felt cold.
“Baby, Mommy’s here.”
His eyelids didn’t move.
I looked at my mother.
“What happened?”
Diane’s lips trembled.
“He fell.”
“Fell where?”
“Downstairs.”
I stared at her.
There were no downstairs steps anywhere near the front door.
“What do you mean?”
My father stepped forward.
“Claire, they need to work.”
I barely heard him.
Because Daniel, the paramedic beside Ethan, had suddenly stopped moving.
His eyes were fixed on Caleb.
Not casually.
He was staring at my brother like he had just seen a dead man stand up.
Caleb noticed.
“What?”
Daniel rose slowly.
His expression changed from concentration to disbelief.
Then suspicion.
“You.”
Caleb’s face drained of color.
My mother stepped between them.
“What is it?”
Daniel ignored her.
He looked straight at my brother.
“I was already here tonight.”
Nobody spoke.
Even the second paramedic stopped unpacking equipment.
I looked from Daniel to Caleb.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel pointed toward him.
“About three hours ago, we received a medical call from this address.”
My heart began hammering.
“What medical call?”
Caleb shook his head.
“He’s confused.”
“I’m not.”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“I remember this house.”
My father whispered, “That’s impossible.”
Daniel continued.
“A male caller reported that a child had fallen and briefly lost consciousness.”
The room suddenly felt too small.
I turned to Caleb.
“You called an ambulance?”
“No.”
Daniel looked at me.
“When my partner and I arrived, that man met us outside.”
He pointed again.
“He told us the child had woken up, was fine, and the family no longer wanted medical attention.”
I stared at my brother.
Caleb swallowed.
“That wasn’t me.”
Daniel took one step closer.
“Yes, it was.”
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Claire, Ethan needs the hospital.”
But I couldn’t look away from Caleb.
“You knew he was hurt three hours ago?”
“I didn’t.”
“You sent the ambulance away?”
“No!”
Daniel spoke quietly.
“You told me you were the boy’s father.”
Everything inside me went cold.
My father sat heavily on the bottom stair.
My mother whispered, “Oh God.”
I stood.
Caleb backed against the wall.
“Claire, listen to me.”
“You told them you were Ethan’s father?”
“I can explain.”
“You have five seconds.”
He opened his mouth.
Then Ethan made a weak sound from the floor.
Every head turned.
“Mom…”
I dropped instantly beside him.
“I’m here, baby.”
His eyes opened only halfway.
He looked frightened.
Confused.
Then he saw Caleb.
His entire body jerked.
“No.”
Daniel caught his shoulder.
“Easy.”
Ethan began shaking his head.
“No, no, no.”
“What is it?”
My son gripped my wrist.
His fingers were freezing.
“Mom…”
His eyes stayed locked on my brother.
“Don’t let Uncle Caleb take me downstairs again.”
Silence.
My mother started crying harder.
Caleb whispered, “Ethan—”
My son screamed.
“DON’T LET HIM TOUCH ME!”
Daniel immediately moved between them.
The second paramedic reached for his radio.
I rose so fast my knees nearly gave way.
“Downstairs where?”
Caleb said nothing.
Our house had a basement.
But Ethan was afraid of it.
Had been since he was little.
He never went down there alone.
I looked toward the basement door beside the kitchen.
There was something strange about it.
A new metal latch had been installed near the top.
I had never seen it before.
“Claire,” my father said weakly.
I turned.
His expression told me everything.
He knew something.
Maybe not everything.
But something.
Before I could demand answers, a police officer entered through the open front door.
Daniel spoke to him quietly.
“Officer, we may have a child abuse situation.”
My mother gasped.
Caleb stepped forward.
“That’s ridiculous.”
The officer raised a hand.
“Sir, stay where you are.”
Ethan was lifted onto a stretcher.
I followed until his small hand tightened around mine.
Then he whispered something only I could hear.
“There’s another kid.”
I stopped.
“What?”
His eyes filled with tears.
“In the basement.”
My breath disappeared.
“What kid?”
Ethan’s voice became barely audible.
“The boy Uncle Caleb said nobody could ever find.”
May you like
And from behind us—
my brother ran.
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