Chapter 6 - The Dead Man Daniel Knew
Daniel stared at Ethan.
“Your father’s name was Michael?”
Ethan nodded.
“Michael Cole.”
The words hit Daniel harder than any punch.
Michael Cole had been alive.
All these years, Daniel had believed otherwise.
Brenner stepped forward.
“Mr. Hayes.”
Daniel ignored him.
“Ethan, did your dad ever talk about me?”
The boy hesitated.
“Sometimes.”
Daniel’s throat tightened.
“What did he say?”
“He said you were a good man who blamed himself for something that wasn’t his fault.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Brenner grabbed his arm.
“That’s enough.”
Daniel turned.
“Take your hand off me.”
Brenner leaned closer.
“Or?”
The word hung there.
Daniel looked around.
Uniforms.
Witnesses.
Cameras.
Not here.
Not now.
He stepped back.
Brenner smiled.
“Good choice.”
Then Carol shouted from behind the counter.
“Hey!”
Everyone turned.
One of the injured men was gone.
The tattooed man.
The rear kitchen door swung open.
Daniel didn’t think.
He ran.
Through the kitchen.
Past a cook holding a frying pan.
Out into the alley.
Rain had started falling.
The tattooed man limped toward a black sedan.
Daniel chased him.
“Stop!”
The man looked back.
Then raised a phone.
Not a weapon.
A phone.
He pressed something.
A car alarm chirped.
Daniel reached him just as the sedan door opened.
The man swung.
Daniel ducked and slammed him against the car.
“Who sent you?”
“Go to hell.”
Daniel twisted his arm.
“Who sent you?”
The man laughed through bloody teeth.
“You really don’t know?”
Daniel froze.
“Know what?”
The man looked directly into his eyes.
“Cole wasn’t investigating us.”
Daniel tightened his grip.
“He was investigating you.”
A gunshot cracked through the alley.
The tattooed man jerked.
His body went limp.
Daniel caught him before he hit the ground.
Blood spread across the man’s coat.
Daniel looked toward the rooftops.
Nothing.
Then he heard tires screaming behind him.
The black sedan sped away.
Daniel looked down.
The dying man grabbed his jacket.
His lips moved.
Daniel leaned closer.
“The boy…”
“What about him?”
The man coughed.
“He has the key.”
“What key?”
But the man’s eyes were already empty.
Daniel turned toward the diner.
And realized Ethan was still inside.
With Officer Brenner.
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
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