Chapter 6: An Unwelcome Visitor
The driver’s side door of the black SUV clicked open, and Captain Hayes stepped out into the misty night. He wore a plain gray civilian jacket over a dress shirt, but the authority he carried was unmistakable. Hayes was a large man with iron-gray hair and sharp, calculating eyes that missed nothing. He slammed the SUV door shut, the sound echoing loudly against the wooden siding of the house.
Arthur stepped off the porch, walking down the steps to intercept him before Hayes could see Clara in the shadows of the pillar.
"Arthur," Hayes said, his voice smooth and carrying an unnatural warmth that made Arthur’s skin crawl. "Working late, are we? Dispatch said your cruiser was pinged out near the state line an hour ago."
"I was checking a lead on the property thefts," Arthur lied smoothly, keeping his hands away from his holster to avoid looking defensive. "What brings you out here this late, Captain?"
Hayes walked past him, his gaze sweeping over the front yard, the dark windows of the house, and finally resting on the porch steps. "Miller mentioned something interesting tonight. He said someone accessed the secure archive using your master login today. That same archive containing the seizure logs from the cartel bust." Hayes stopped walking and turned his full attention to Arthur. "Odd time to be doing administrative work, Artie. Especially since you've been off the clock since four."
Arthur forced a tight, weary smile. "I was looking into the discrepancies myself. I noticed some files were missing."
"Missing?" Hayes raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. The streetlamp caught the hard glint in the captain's eyes. "Nothing is missing, Arthur. Everything is accounted for. Unless, of course, someone unauthorized went digging where they shouldn't have."
From the porch, behind Arthur’s broad shoulders, a sharp clink of metal rang out as Clara shifted against the pillar. The sound was unmistakable.
Hayes’s eyes flicked past Arthur toward the porch. The captain’s expression didn't change into shock or confusion; it settled into a cold, hard certainty. He took two slow steps toward the stairs, peering into the dim amber light of the porch overhang.
"Who's that?" Hayes asked quietly, his hand drifting toward his own hip.
Arthur moved to block his path, stepping onto the lower stair. "It's a family matter, Hayes. Leave it alone."
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"A family matter," Hayes repeated, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone. He pushed past Arthur with surprising strength, taking the steps up to the porch.
Clara sat frozen against the pillar, the heavy chain gleaming in the light as Hayes looked down at her. He didn't look surprised to see her chained there. In fact, he looked like a man who had anticipated this exact complication all along.
