Chapter 2 - The Man Who Ran
“Stop him!”
I did not know who I was shouting at.
The funeral director.
The guests.
God.
Anyone.
The man at the rear doors broke into a run.
Brent shouted after him.
Not “stop.”
Not “who are you?”
He yelled:
“Caleb!”
That name changed everything.
The stranger froze for half a second.
Then disappeared through the chapel doors.
Two of Melissa’s coworkers ran after him.
I turned toward Brent.
“You know him.”
“No.”
“You just called his name.”
“I thought he was someone else.”
Wade grabbed the black medical bag from my hand.
I seized the strap.
“Give me my daughter’s phone.”
“It isn’t hers.”
Sophie screamed.
“It IS!”
Wade pulled harder.
The bag tore open.
Its contents spilled across the carpet.
Gloves.
Medical tape.
A prescription bottle.
Several sealed envelopes.
And Melissa’s phone.
I grabbed it.
Brent lunged.
The funeral director stepped between us again.
“I’m calling the police.”
Wade’s composure cracked.
“There is no reason to turn a family tragedy into a criminal spectacle.”
I looked at Melissa’s incision.
“I think somebody already did.”
Brent suddenly grabbed Sophie.
“Come with Daddy.”
She screamed so violently that everyone froze.
“NO!”
She kicked and clawed toward me.
“Daddy let the man cut Mommy!”
Brent released her as though she had burned him.
I pulled Sophie against my body.
Wade whispered something to Brent.
I couldn’t hear it.
But I saw Brent’s expression.
Fear.
Police arrived twelve minutes later.
The funeral was suspended.
Melissa’s coffin was sealed as potential evidence.
Wade protested.
Brent demanded privacy.
Neither got what he wanted.
Detective Elena Ruiz took Melissa’s phone.
The recording Sophie had accidentally activated was encrypted.
“How did her phone get inside Dr. Mercer’s bag?” Ruiz asked.
Wade claimed Melissa had given it to him days earlier.
“Then why did Sophie know it was there?”
He had no answer.
Brent did.
“Diane has filled that child’s head with nonsense.”
I almost slapped him.
Instead, I remembered Melissa’s final text.
Still feel awful. Brent says I’m dramatic.
I showed it to Ruiz.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then one of the officers returned from outside.
“We found the man who ran.”
“Caleb?”
The officer nodded.
“Caleb Voss. He was hiding behind the maintenance building.”
Brent went completely still.
Ruiz noticed.
“So you do know him.”
Brent said nothing.
The officer continued.
“He had something in his pocket.”
“What?”
“A hospital identification badge.”
Wade suddenly sat down.
May you like
The officer looked at him.
“It belongs to you, Doctor.”
