Chapter 11 - THE RETURN
Police surrounded the Malibu house.
Natalie stood inside the kitchen.
Exactly where the confrontation had begun.
She was alone.
Hands visible.
She smiled when Ryan entered behind Maya.
“Welcome home.”
Maya raised her weapon.
“Hands on the counter.”
Natalie obeyed.
Ryan stared.
“Why come back?”
“I forgot something.”
“What?”
Natalie looked toward the hallway.
“Perspective.”
Police searched her.
No weapon.
No drive.
Nothing.
Maya handcuffed her.
Natalie did not resist.
Then she looked at Ryan.
“Ask where Ava is.”
Ryan’s blood turned cold.
Ava had been with his mother at a secured rental property.
He called.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Maya shouted for units to move.
Natalie smiled.
Ryan lunged toward her.
Officers stopped him.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t touch her.”
“Where is she?”
“Ask your security chief.”
Mark Dalton.
Ryan’s longtime head of security.
Former Marine.
Twelve years with the Collins family.
Ryan trusted him with everything.
Mark had been assigned to Ava.
Maya called.
No response.
Security footage from the rental property showed Mark leaving with Ava thirty minutes earlier.
Ava walked willingly beside him.
She trusted him.
Ryan felt sick.
Natalie whispered—
“Everybody trusts the wrong person eventually.”
Mark’s vehicle was found abandoned near Pacific Coast Highway.
Inside was Ava’s yellow sweater.
Ryan held it against his chest.
Natalie refused to say where she was.
Maya charged her with Daniel’s murder.
Natalie requested an attorney.
No more answers.
Then Ryan’s phone rang.
Mark.
“Where is my daughter?”
Mark sounded exhausted.
“She’s safe.”
“Let me hear her.”
“Not yet.”
Ryan clenched his fist.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then bring her back.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Natalie isn’t the person you should be afraid of anymore.”
Ryan glanced through the interrogation glass at Natalie.
“What does that mean?”
Mark continued.
“She planned to take Ava tonight.”
“I stopped her.”
“Where are you?”
“I made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“I trusted someone else.”
A muffled sound came through the phone.
Then Mark shouted.
The call ended.
Maya traced it.
A warehouse near Long Beach.
Police arrived.
Mark was inside.
Unconscious.
Bleeding.
Alive.
Ava was gone.
May you like
On the concrete floor beside him was one object.
A silver bracelet belonging to Margaret Collins.
