Samuel swiped.
Sophia was being carried toward the SUV.
Richard had one arm beneath her shoulders.
Marcus had her legs.
The timestamp was 12:21.
Forty-three minutes before Richard later claimed he had “found” Sophia in an alley.
I looked at him.
“You lied.”
Richard’s face tightened.
“I was trying to protect her.”
“By lying about where she was attacked?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
He looked at Samuel.
“Not in front of him.”
Samuel gave a humorless laugh.
“I’m the reason your daughter got to the hospital at all.”
Richard’s eyes snapped toward him.
That sentence changed everything.
I stepped between them.
“What does that mean?”
Samuel swallowed.
“I called 911.”
Richard said sharply:
“That isn’t what happened.”
Samuel ignored him.
“I saw them carry her out. They put her in the SUV. Then they stayed there arguing.”
“About what?”
“I couldn’t hear everything. But nobody was driving away.”
I looked at Richard.
Samuel continued:
“Your wife wasn’t moving. I thought they were going to leave.”
“So you called?”
“Yes.”
“I told dispatch there was an injured woman behind the Walker house. About five minutes later, that SUV left.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Why did you tell police she was found somewhere else?”
He looked exhausted suddenly.
Older than I remembered.
“Ethan…”
Before he could answer, the ICU doors opened.
A nurse hurried toward us.
“Mr. Walker?”
“Yes.”
“Your wife is waking up.”
Richard immediately stepped forward.
The nurse stopped him gently.
“She asked for her husband.”
I followed her inside.
Sophia looked impossibly small beneath the blankets.
Her face was swollen.
One arm was immobilized.
There were bruises along her jaw and temple.
I wanted to touch her and was terrified I would hurt her.
Her eyes opened slowly.
“Ethan?”
“I’m here.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You came home.”
“Early.”
Her fingers moved weakly against mine.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She tried to speak.
Nothing came out.
“You don’t have to explain anything.”
Her eyes moved toward the door.
Fear appeared immediately.
