The man people in the city respected—and feared—now sat patiently beside a child’s bed waiting for her to fall asleep. Meanwhile, his former deputy Paul had begun to suspect that Timothy was still alive. No body had ever turned up, and that made him dangerous.
Paul sent hired men through pawn shops, bars, and rough neighborhoods within driving distance. They picked up Timothy’s trail through the distinctive Swiss watch he had sold. The pawn shop owner recognized the face in the photo immediately and pointed them toward the trailer park near the industrial zone.
Coming home early from work, Anna spotted the black SUV in time. Two hard-looking men were already questioning a frightened woman from the next trailer. Anna’s survival instincts kicked in fast.
Without drawing attention, she told Polly they were going to play a quiet game of hide-and-seek. Then she led her daughter along back paths and slipped into their trailer through the rear entrance.
Inside, Anna told Timothy in a low, firm voice to get under the floor. He didn’t argue. He slid into the dark, foul-smelling crawl space between the trailer and the ground. Pulling Polly into her lap, Anna waited.
The knock came five minutes later—sharp and demanding. Anna opened the door wearing the tired, irritated expression of a woman interrupted in the middle of a long day. When they showed her Timothy’s photo, she gave a short, dismissive laugh.
She said a man that polished would never set foot in a place like theirs. If they wanted him, she suggested they try a country club or a private golf course. The men glanced around the shabby trailer, taking in the sick child in a cloth mask and the general poverty of the place.
Convinced by what they saw—and by Anna’s performance—they turned and left. Beneath the floor, Timothy heard every word. He could feel the pounding of Anna’s heart through the thin boards above him.
He understood exactly what she had risked. Lying there in the dirt, he made himself a promise: anyone who threatened her or the child would answer to him…
