Chapter 4 - Uncle Evan
Sophie knew Uncle Evan smelled different.
That was the first thing she noticed.
When he had picked her up from school, he had hugged her too hard and told her that her mother asked him to come.
Sophie believed him because he knew the name of her teacher.
He knew her father used to call her Bug.
He even knew that Sophie hated grape jelly.
But now, sitting in the back seat of a dark SUV, she noticed something else.
Uncle Evan kept looking behind them.
Adults did that when they were afraid.
Sophie knew because her mother did it after parking at night.
“Where’s Mom?” she asked.
Evan looked over his shoulder.
“We’re meeting her.”
“Where?”
“Soon.”
“That’s not a place.”
The man driving laughed.
Evan did not.
Sophie clutched the paper crown from school.
“Does Mr. Rowan know?”
Evan’s expression changed.
“You like him?”
Sophie nodded.
“He’s scary.”
“He’s nice.”
“He isn’t nice.”
“He gave me five minutes.”
Evan stared at her.
Sophie added, “He also eats toast without crust.”
The driver laughed again.
Evan snapped, “Shut up.”
Sophie went quiet.
That was when she understood.
Something was wrong.
Back at the school, Vincent stood beside his car with Mara while Dominic spoke rapidly into two phones.
Vincent asked, “Tell me about Evan.”
Mara’s arms were folded tightly across herself.
“He’s Daniel’s younger brother.”
“What did he blame you for?”
Mara closed her eyes.
“Daniel died in a car accident.”
Vincent waited.
“We were fighting that night.”
“About what?”
“Money.”
She looked ashamed.
Vincent said nothing.
Mara continued.
“Daniel had started gambling again.”
Vincent’s expression sharpened.
“Again?”
“He promised he stopped before Sophie was born.”
“What kind?”
“Sports. Cards. Online.”
“How much?”
“I didn’t know until after he died.”
“How much, Mara?”
Her eyes filled.
“Almost two hundred thousand dollars.”
Dominic stopped speaking into his phone.
Vincent stared.
“To whom?”
“I never knew.”
Vincent did.
“Mercer.”
Mara shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“Daniel’s accident?”
“He drove off an embankment during a storm.”
“Was he drunk?”
“No.”
“Drugs?”
“No.”
“Mechanical failure?”
Mara looked confused.
“They said the brakes failed.”
Vincent’s eyes turned cold.
“Who investigated?”
“Police.”
“Name?”
“I don’t remember.”
Dominic was already searching.
Mara looked from one man to the other.
“What?”
Vincent’s voice softened.
“You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that Daniel’s death was not an accident.”
Mara stepped backward.
“No.”
“I said possibility.”
“No.”
“Mara—”
“Don’t.”
Her voice broke.
“I spent two years teaching my daughter that her father didn’t choose to leave her. Do not take the truth I have left and turn it into some criminal conspiracy because it suits your world.”
Vincent flinched.
She saw it.
He said quietly, “My world reached Sophie first.”
Mara covered her face.
Dominic interrupted.
“We found Evan.”
Vincent turned.
“Where?”
“Phone ping near Port Richmond.”
“Mercer warehouse?”
“Close.”
Mara immediately moved toward the car.
Vincent blocked her.
“No.”
“Get out of my way.”
“You are not going in there.”
“My daughter is there.”
“That’s why.”
“I am going.”
Vincent stared.
Mara stared back.
For once, he knew force would destroy something he had no right to damage.
“Fine.”
Dominic looked at him.
Vincent added, “You stay in the vehicle until I say otherwise.”
Mara almost argued.
Then nodded.
They drove.
Twenty minutes later, the SUV stopped across from an old printing warehouse near the Delaware River.
Vincent scanned windows.
Two guards.
Possible third vehicle behind the building.
Dominic whispered, “Mercer’s people.”
Vincent checked his weapon.
Mara saw.
Her face changed.
“You’re carrying a gun.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to kill someone?”
Vincent looked at her.
“Only if someone makes that necessary.”
“That is not comforting.”
“It wasn’t intended to be.”
Before she could answer, his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Vincent answered.
“Rowan.”
Julian Mercer’s voice came through smoothly.
“Still punctual.”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“Where is the girl?”
“Safe.”
“I want proof.”
A video arrived.
Sophie sat in a chair holding her paper crown.
Not tied.
Not crying.
A man stood behind her.
Vincent recognized Evan Ellis.
Mara leaned toward the phone.
“Sophie.”
The child looked directly toward whoever filmed.
“Mom?”
Mara made a broken sound.
Julian spoke again.
“You understand the rules now.”
Vincent’s voice lowered.
“What do you want?”
“Your riverfront contracts.”
“No.”
Mara stared at him.
Julian laughed.
“Interesting answer with a child involved.”
Vincent said, “If the contracts were all you wanted, you would have taken one of my executives.”
“True.”
“What else?”
Silence.
Then Julian said, “The Rowan ledger.”
Vincent’s face changed.
Dominic looked at him sharply.
Mara whispered, “What ledger?”
Julian continued.
“Your father kept it. Names. Payments. Judges. Police. Politicians. Everybody who helped build his empire.”
Vincent said nothing.
“You burned most of his legacy, Vincent. But not that.”
“You don’t know what I kept.”
“I know enough.”
“You kidnapped a child for a book?”
“No.”
Julian’s voice became colder.
“I kidnapped the child because I knew it was the only thing that might finally make you afraid.”
Vincent looked toward the warehouse.
“I’m not afraid.”
Julian laughed softly.
“You should be.”
The call ended.
Mara turned on Vincent.
“What ledger?”
“Later.”
“No.”
“Mara.”
“What did he mean?”
Vincent hesitated.
Then told her.
“My father recorded every person he paid.”
“For crimes?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have it?”
Vincent looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
She stared.
“You said you were getting out.”
“I am.”
“While keeping evidence that could destroy hundreds of people?”
“Some of those people deserve destroying.”
“And some?”
Vincent looked away.
That was answer enough.
Mara shook her head.
“Give him the ledger.”
“No.”
“My daughter—”
“He won’t release her.”
“How do you know?”
“Because once he has it, Sophie becomes evidence.”
Mara’s face drained.
Vincent continued.
“Julian cannot let her identify him, Evan, the location, any of it.”
Mara began trembling.
“What do we do?”
Vincent reached for her hand.
She let him.
“We get her out before we give him anything.”
Inside the warehouse, Sophie watched Uncle Evan pace.
“You lied.”
He stopped.
“What?”
“You said Mom was coming.”
“She is.”
“No.”
Sophie looked at him with wet eyes.
“You lied.”
Evan’s face tightened.
“This isn’t about you.”
“Then why am I here?”
He had no answer.
Sophie stood.
“I want my mom.”
“Sit down.”
“No.”
Evan grabbed her wrist.
Sophie screamed.
He immediately released her.
For one second, shame crossed his face.
Then a door opened.
Julian Mercer entered.
Elegant coat.
Perfect smile.
He crouched in front of Sophie.
“You must be Sophie.”
She backed away.
“You’re bad.”
Julian smiled.
“People say the same thing about Mr. Rowan.”
“He doesn’t grab kids.”
Julian’s smile weakened.
Sophie looked at Evan.
“My dad would hate you.”
The words struck.
Evan’s face collapsed.
“Don’t talk about him.”
“He would.”
“Stop.”
“He would hate you.”
Evan turned away.
Julian stood.
“Enough.”
Sophie stared up at him.
“What happens when my mom comes?”
Julian smiled again.
“Your mother isn’t coming.”
Sophie’s eyes filled.
Then a gunshot sounded downstairs.
Julian’s smile vanished.
Another shot.
Then shouting.
Evan looked toward the door.
Julian swore.
Sophie whispered one name.
May you like
“Mr. Rowan.”
And for the first time since leaving school, she smiled.
