Chapter 4 - The Reunion and The Warrant
The drive to Aunt Nora’s house was a blur of adrenaline. When I pushed open her oak front door, the scent of warm chicken noodle soup hit me, a sharp contrast to the sterile emptiness of my apartment.
“Mom!”
Liam barrelled into my legs, his small arms wrapping around my waist with a desperate, bruising force. I dropped to my knees, burying my face in his messy brown hair, inhaling the scent of him. He was safe. He was alive.
“I’m here, baby. I am so sorry I wasn’t here,” I whispered into his collarbone, hot tears finally spilling over my cheeks.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” Liam mumbled, his voice thick with guilt. “Brandon said—”
“Brandon is a liar,” I said, pulling back to look directly into his big, fearful eyes. “You are not sick, Liam. You never were. You are the bravest boy I know, and nothing that happened was your fault. Do you understand me?”
He nodded slowly, the heavy burden of false guilt beginning to melt from his fragile frame. I stayed with him for hours, watching him eat, reading him his favorite comic books until exhaustion finally pulled him into a deep, peaceful sleep on Nora’s guest bed.
In the living room, Detective Miller was waiting. A seasoned investigator with salt-and-pepper hair, he had reviewed the cloud drive files I sent him. His expression was a mixture of disgust and professional resolve.
“I’ve been on the force for twenty-two years, ma'am, and this is one of the most calculated cases of child endangerment I’ve ever seen,” Detective Miller said, handing me a steaming mug of tea. “The Columbus DA is rushing the warrants. We have him on felony child abandonment, endangerment, and wire fraud for stealing your flight funds. We’re coordinating with the San Diego Police Department.”
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“I want to be there,” I said, my voice like steel. “When they put the cuffs on him. I want to look him in the eye.”
Miller studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Book a flight, Laura. We’ll meet you in California.”
