Chapter 4: The Man at the Far End of the Pool
They moved us to a different room on the fourth floor.
A security officer stood in the hallway outside our door.
He was young, maybe twenty-five, and he nodded at me when I looked out.
Noah sat on the bed with his knees pulled up, watching me.
"Are we in trouble?"
"No." I sat beside him.
"We helped.
You helped."
"Then why can't we leave?"
"Because the police aren't finished yet."
He was quiet for a moment.
"Grandma, when the man walked with me — he kept looking around.
I thought he was just checking if he'd dropped the watch somewhere else." He paused.
"But he wasn't looking for the watch, was he."
It wasn't a question.
"No, baby.
He wasn't."
Noah pulled his knees tighter.
"He used me."
I put my arm around him and didn't say anything, because there was nothing to say that would make that feel smaller than it was.
My phone rang just after seven.
It was my daughter, Claire — Noah's mother.
I had sent her a short message an hour earlier, just enough to let her know something had happened and we were fine.
Clearly it hadn't been enough.
"Mom.
What is going on?
I've been calling for an hour."
"I know.
I'm sorry.
We're safe."
"You said police.
You said hotel.
You said Noah was questioned — Mom, he's ten."
"Claire, listen to me.
He's fine.
He's sitting right here."
"Put him on."
I handed Noah the phone.
He talked to his mother for four minutes.
I watched his face go from tight and careful to something softer.
By the end he was almost smiling.
He handed the phone back.
"She wants to talk to you again."
"Mom." Claire's voice was lower now.
"Tell me everything."
I walked to the window and told her.
All of it.
The man at the pool, the watch story, the case under the chair, Detective Reyes, the photographs, the second man.
When I finished, Claire was silent for a long moment.
"This Marsh person — they have him?"
"In custody.
Yes."
"And the other one?
The man from Tuesday?"
"They're looking."
Another silence.
"I'm coming."
"Claire, you don't need to—"
"I'm coming, Mom.
I'll be there by morning."
She hung up before I could argue.
I stood at the window for a while after that.
The pool area below was still sealed off.
Two officers in plain clothes were moving slowly around the perimeter.
A third was crouched near the lounge chairs, photographing something I couldn't make out.
My phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
*Your grandson is a brave boy.
Tell him Gerald says hello.*
I stood very still.
Then I walked to the door and knocked twice.
The security officer turned.
May you like
"I need Detective Reyes," I said.
"Right now."
