Seven Days to Darkness / Chapter 5: Family Ties and Lies
Seven Days to Darkness

Seven Days to Darkness

Author: Harold Hayes

Chapter 5: Family Ties and Lies

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“Really? Just now, when you saw him...”

I’d heard Marcus start to say, ‘You’re just in time, your fr—’ but he stopped when he saw me.

Marcus hesitated. “Captain Sawyer, actually the victim is connected to Ethan. But he’s my old friend, and I know what kind of person he is—I don’t think he’s involved, so I didn’t mention it.”

He looked down at the dash, torn between loyalty and duty.

“We’re detectives. We solve cases with facts, not feelings.”

I was serious. Ever since Ethan picked me up, something felt off. My neighborhood is out of the way—usually takes ten minutes to get a ride. Tonight, Ethan showed up in less than two.

Maybe it was luck.

But on the app, I saw Ethan registered three days ago, and I was his very first passenger.

Someone who needs cash waits three days before taking their first ride?

And during our short chat, Ethan already knew there’d been a murder at Maple Grove and pegged me for a cop.

All of it made my skin crawl.

In over twenty years, I’ve seen all kinds of criminals.

Criminal psychology says 19% of killers return to the scene—some to check for traces, some to savor the shock on people’s faces.

But Ethan? I couldn’t get a read on him.

If it was all just coincidence, it was too much of it. If not, and Ethan was the killer, why hang around my house? Was picking up the lead detective his way of taunting us?

If so, he was bold. Cocky, even. Like he thought we’d never catch him.

I rubbed my temples. “What’s the relationship between Ethan and the victim?”

“Almost father-in-law. Carl Donovan and Ethan’s dad were old friends. When his dad was alive, he helped Carl out a lot, but this jerk turned his back on them as soon as he heard Ethan’s dad was dying.”

“Wait, Ethan’s dad passed away?” I felt like I’d caught something. “How old is Ethan?”

Marcus sighed. “Yeah, a week ago. I even took off work to go to the funeral.”

He looked out the window, the memory clearly weighing on him.

“Oh, right. That day you said you were going to a funeral—it was Ethan’s dad?” I felt my thoughts clear, and signaled for him to continue.

Marcus explained as he drove: “Ethan’s the only single guy in our group. His dad worried about him, but his health was bad. Ethan was afraid of marrying the wrong woman and upsetting his dad, so he kept putting it off. Last year, his dad suggested he meet Carl Donovan’s daughter, and it worked out. They dated for a year, even set a wedding date. But two months ago, Savannah Donovan broke up with him.”

Marcus slammed the steering wheel. “Savannah is heartless. Ethan treated her so well—cooked for her, bought her things, even paid off her loans. What guy does that? But as soon as he wanted to marry to fulfill his dad’s last wish, she dumped him. No conscience!”

He shook his head, voice rising. I let him get it out—sometimes you have to let folks vent before you get what you need.

I let him go. After three years working together, I knew Marcus—straight shooter, but loyal to a fault.

If he was defending Ethan, maybe Ethan really was innocent.

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