The Final Reckoning
By midnight, the quiet cul-de-sac surrounding Tessa’s secret cottage was completely locked down. Four black security vehicles sat idling in the shadows, their headlights cut.
Two local police cruisers parked behind them, their sirens off but their red and blue lights painting the trees in rhythmic pulses.
I walked up to the front door, Maren right beside me. Vance stood behind us with two armed guards and a police captain.
I didn’t knock. I kicked the door off its frame with a deafening crack.
Inside the brightly lit living room, Tessa was sitting on a plush sofa, holding a glass of white wine. A nanny was holding a small baby in a rocking chair near the fireplace.
Tessa jumped to her feet, dropping her wine glass. It shattered on the hardwood floor, dark liquid spreading like a stain.
“Rowan?!” she gasped, her face twisting from shock into a manic, desperate smile. “What is the meaning of this? Why are you here with her?”
“The game is over, Tessa,” I said, my voice dangerously calm as the police captain stepped past me.
Maren didn’t look at Tessa. She bypassed her completely, walking straight to the terrified nanny.
