Chapter 8: The Deal Ryan Didn't Get to Make
We gave Ryan the news through his lawyer.
Delgado and I sat across from Foss and Ryan in the interview room.
Carol Vance sat at the end of the table.
Ryan looked at her like he was recalibrating.
Delgado set a single sheet of paper on the table.
"Gregg Sutter gave a full statement to the county sheriff two hours ago," he said.
"Councilman Hale is currently being interviewed by federal investigators.
We have the USB drive from the storage unit on Mercer Street, the original deed with the forged signature, three years of bank records, and a video statement recorded by Daniel Marsh." He paused.
"We also have your text messages to Officer Marsh's phone, sent from a prepaid number registered to a gas station two blocks from your home."
Ryan didn't move.
Foss leaned over and said something quietly.
Ryan shook his head once, a small tight motion.
"You told me you knew where Daniel is," I said.
"That offer is still on the table.
But the window is closing."
Ryan looked at me for a long moment.
"If I tell you," he said, "what do I get?"
"That depends entirely on what you tell us," Carol Vance said.
"And whether it's true."
"I want the child endangerment charges reduced.
I want—"
"You're facing federal fraud charges, conspiracy, forgery, and obstruction," Vance said.
"The child endangerment is the least of your problems right now.
What you can influence is your level of cooperation, which affects how the DA's office characterizes your role versus Hale's role versus Sutter's role." She folded her hands on the table.
"But none of that conversation happens until you tell us where Daniel Marsh is."
Ryan looked at Foss.
Foss gave him nothing.
Ryan looked at me.
"He's alive," he said.
The air went out of the room.
"Where," I said.
"About fourteen months ago, Daniel tried to come back.
He'd been moving around — staying off the grid, working cash jobs.
He showed up at the house on a night I happened to be home alone.
We argued." Ryan stopped.
"It got physical.
He fell.
He h*t his head on the steps outside the back door."
"You're saying it was an accident," Delgado said.
"I'm saying he fell.
I panicked.
I called Sutter.
Sutter knew a man — a doctor who didn't ask questions.
We got Daniel stabilized.
But he had a serious head injury.
He wasn't—" Ryan paused.
"He wasn't coherent.
He didn't know where he was."
"Where is he now?" I said.
"A care facility.
About two hours from here.
Outside Millhaven." He said the name of the facility.
"He's been there under a false name.
Sutter arranged it.
He's been paying for it in cash."
I stood up.
"If you're lying—"
"I'm not lying." For the first time, Ryan's voice lost its shape.
"I didn't want any of this.
It started as a business deal and it never stopped." He looked at the table.
"He's alive.
I made sure of that much."
Delgado was already on his phone.
I walked out of the room and into the hallway and stood with my back against the wall and breathed.
Alive.
Fourteen months in a care facility under a false name, with a head injury, while his son grew up in the same house as the man who had put him there.
Delgado came out two minutes later.
"The facility confirms a patient matching the description admitted fourteen months ago under the name Robert Caine.
Head trauma.
Slow recovery.
He's been largely non-verbal but his condition has been improving in recent months." He looked at me.
"Marcus.
They say in the last few weeks he's been asking for someone named Evan."
I put my hand over my mouth for a moment.
May you like
Then I took it away.
"I need a car," I said.
