THE TOWN WHERE ETHAN COLE WASN’T A STRANGER
Chapter 5
The knock woke Ethan.
Two knocks.
Pause.
Three more.
He opened his eyes.
The bedroom was dark.
For a moment, he didn’t know where he was.
Then he heard the ocean.
Greyhaven.
He checked the clock.
2:17 a.m.
Ethan got up.
He reached for the flashlight beside the bed.
Another knock.
He walked toward the front door.
His hand rested on the lock.
“Who’s there?”
Nothing.
He opened it.
Lily stood on the porch.
Barefoot.
Soaked.
Her red backpack was hanging from one shoulder.
Ethan’s entire body went still.
“Lily?”
She looked up.
“Mr. Ethan.”
“Where’s your mother?”
Lily’s lower lip trembled.
“I don’t know.”
Ethan crouched.
“What happened?”
“Two men came.”
“Where?”
“Home.”
“Did they hurt her?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where’s the baby?”
Lily started crying.
“Mom gave him to me.”
Ethan looked at the backpack.
“Where is he?”
Lily opened it.
A baby blanket.
Empty.
Ethan’s face changed.
“What happened?”
“My mom took him.”
“Where?”
“She told me to run.”
Ethan stood.
“Did she tell you where to go?”
Lily nodded.
“She said find Mr. Ethan.”
He felt something cold settle in his chest.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Ethan took the girl inside.
He wrapped her in a blanket.
He made hot chocolate.
She held the cup with both hands.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Lily stared into the drink.
“Mom was talking to someone.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Man or woman?”
“Man.”
“Did you hear what he said?”
“He said…”
She hesitated.
“He said something about the boat.”
“What boat?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then what?”
“He said, ‘Cole.'”
Ethan stopped.
“Who said that?”
“The man.”
“Are you sure?”
Lily nodded.
“He said, ‘Where’s Cole?'”
Ethan looked toward the window.
The rain had become heavier.
“Did he know me?”
“I think so.”
“What happened next?”
“My mom told me to hide.”
“And you did.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“I heard shouting.”
Lily’s hands trembled.
“Then I heard something break.”
Ethan looked toward the clock.
2:17.
The exact time.
He stood.
“Stay here.”
Lily looked up.
“Where are you going?”
“To find your mom.”
“Don’t leave me.”
Ethan stopped.
He looked at her.
For a second, he saw Samuel.
Standing in the cold.
Afraid.
Waiting for someone to come back.
Ethan crouched again.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Lily nodded.
He reached for his phone.
Then stopped.
The note.
He found it in the girl’s backpack.
Folded beneath the blanket.
He opened it.
Three words.
DON’T TRUST POLICE.
And an address.
Ethan recognized it.
The abandoned house next door.
He looked through the window.
A light was on upstairs.
Someone was standing behind the curtain.
Watching.
