Chapter 6 - The Hunt
Leaving Lily under the watchful eye of the hospital security and her medical team, I went back to our apartment. Not to rest, but to find the truth.
The apartment was exactly as I had left it. The shattered glass of our wedding photo still sparkled on the floor like a cruel mosaic. The dark stain on the white rug was dried now, a grim reminder of how close I had come to losing my family.
I searched the apartment. Nothing was stolen. Marcus hadn't wanted our television or Lily's jewelry; he had wanted quick cash, and when things turned violent, his cowardice had taken over.
I checked our building's security cameras. The building manager, a kind man named Mr. Henderson who knew how much I loved Lily, readily agreed to show me the footage from the previous night.
At 10:14 PM, a man in a dark hoodie and dirty jeans entered the lobby. He used a keycard to scan the elevator.
"How did he get a keycard?" I asked Mr. Henderson, my hands clenching into fists.
"We had a report of a lost keycard from the third-floor tenant last week," Henderson said, adjusting his glasses. "We deactivated it, but it looks like someone found it and reprogrammed it. Or... someone let him in."
I watched the footage closely. The man in the hoodie was thin, gaunt, his face pale and desperate under the flickering lobby lights. Marcus.
At 10:45 PM, he ran out of the elevator, his hood pulled low, sprinting through the lobby and out into the rainy Chicago night.
I took a screenshot of his face on my phone. "Thank you, Henderson. Delete this footage from the main server, but save a copy for me. Don't show it to anyone else yet."
"Of course, Mr. Vance. Is Mrs. Vance alright?"
"She's going to be," I said, a dangerous calm settling over me. "But I have some family business to take care of."
I left the building and called a contact I had made during my years in corporate finance—a private investigator named Frank who specialized in finding people who didn't want to be found.
"Frank. I need a locator on a man named Marcus Miller. He’s in Chicago. He’s a gambler, likely hiding out in the cheaper motels near the south side or the docks. I'll pay double your usual rate. Find him by tonight."
"Give me two hours, Adam," Frank replied.
May you like
I hung up, looking at the city skyline. Marcus had threatened my wife. He had put my unborn daughter's life in jeopardy. He had made me doubt the woman I loved.
I was going to find him. And I was going to make sure he never came near my family again.
