Chapter 2 - The Lie UpstairsDaniel entered the farmhouse without turning on the hallway light.
He could hear the refrigerator humming.
A clock ticking.
Nothing else.
He climbed the stairs.
Ethan’s bedroom door was closed.
Daniel opened it carefully.
The bed was empty.
His stomach dropped.
“Ethan?”
No answer.
He crossed the hallway and pushed open the guest room.
Nothing.
Then he heard a small movement from the laundry room.
Daniel opened the door.
Ethan was sleeping on a folded blanket behind a basket of towels.
Daniel froze.
His son’s shoes were still on.
Mud covered them.
“Ethan.”
The boy woke instantly.
For one terrified second, he scrambled backward.
Then recognition hit him.
“Dad?”
Daniel dropped to his knees.
Ethan threw himself into his arms.
“You’re home.”
“I’m home.”
“You said tomorrow.”
“I came early.”
Daniel held him tightly.
Ethan began shaking.
That frightened Daniel more than anything he had seen in the barn.
“Why are you sleeping here?”
Ethan looked toward the doorway.
“Claire said my room smelled.”
“Smelled like what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is she?”
Ethan whispered, “Downstairs.”
Daniel carried him to his bedroom.
The room did not smell.
The sheets were gone.
The television remote sat on the dresser.
Daniel remembered Claire claiming Ethan had been watching television.
The screen hadn’t been used in hours.
He tucked Ethan beneath a clean blanket.
“Did you go into the barn today?”
Ethan went still.
Daniel noticed immediately.
“You’re not in trouble.”
Silence.
“Ethan.”
His son’s eyes filled.
“Claire said I can’t tell.”
Daniel felt anger rising, but he forced his voice to remain gentle.
“What can’t you tell?”
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Claire appeared.
She wore a silk robe and carried a glass of water.
Her face changed when she saw Daniel.
“What are you doing here?”
Daniel stood.
“The conference ended early.”
“You could have called.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Her eyes moved toward Ethan.
“Why is he awake?”
“I found him sleeping in the laundry room.”
Claire sighed dramatically.
“He threw a tantrum.”
Ethan stared at the blanket.
Daniel said, “Why?”
“He refused to go to bed.”
“That doesn’t explain the laundry room.”
“I told him to sit there until he calmed down. Apparently he fell asleep.”
Daniel studied her.
“Were you in the barn today?”
Claire blinked.
“Yes.”
“With Ethan?”
“No.”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
He placed the broken dinosaur tail on the dresser.
Claire stared at it.
“I found this beside Stall Nine.”
“I have no idea.”
“I found his knee prints too.”
“You think you can identify knee prints?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Did you take him into the barn?”
“No.”
Ethan suddenly whispered, “Dad.”
Claire turned.
A warning passed across her face.
Daniel saw it.
He stepped between them.
“Look at me, Ethan.”
Ethan did.
“Were you in the barn today?”
The boy started crying.
Claire folded her arms.
“This is ridiculous.”
Daniel didn’t look away from his son.
“You will never be punished for telling me the truth.”
Ethan opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
Daniel noticed his fear.
Not fear of punishment.
Fear of Claire.
That realization changed something inside him.
“Claire,” Daniel said.
“What?”
“Go downstairs.”
She laughed.
“Excuse me?”
“Go downstairs.”
“This is my house too.”
“Not tonight.”
Claire’s expression hardened.
“You come home in the middle of the night, interrogate a seven-year-old, and start accusing me based on a broken toy?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“I haven’t accused you of anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
She walked toward the door.
Then she turned to Ethan.
“Remember what we talked about.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What did you talk about?”
Claire smiled.
“His behavior.”
She disappeared down the hallway.
Daniel closed the door.
Ethan stared at him.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Are you mad at me?”
“No.”
“Even if I did something bad?”
“Especially then.”
Ethan hesitated.
“Claire says this farm would be better if I wasn’t here.”
Daniel felt as though the floor shifted beneath him.
“What?”
“She says you have enough problems.”
Daniel sat beside him.
“Listen to me. There is nothing on this farm more important than you.”
Ethan wiped his face.
“Not even the cows?”
“Not even the cows.”
That almost produced a smile.
Then Daniel remembered Stall Nine.
“O.T.”
He asked carefully, “Have you ever seen someone outside the barn?”
Ethan’s eyes widened.
Daniel noticed.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“A man?”
Ethan nodded.
“Did he talk to you?”
“No.”
“What did he do?”
“He watched.”
“From where?”
“Near the old silo.”
Daniel’s mind raced.
“How many times?”
“Three.”
“Did Claire see him?”
“I don’t think so.”
Daniel stood.
He locked Ethan’s bedroom door.
Then he called his nearest neighbor, retired sheriff’s deputy Tom Keller.
“I need you to come over.”
Tom heard something in Daniel’s voice.
“I’ll be there in ten.”
Daniel ended the call.
Ethan reached for his hand.
“Dad?”
“What?”
“There’s something in Stall Nine.”
Daniel turned.
“What kind of something?”
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Ethan swallowed.
“Claire keeps looking for it.”
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