Chapter 5 - The Sting at Freedom Park
Friday arrived with an unseasonably warm autumn breeze that swept golden leaves across the sprawling lawns of Freedom Park in Charlotte.
I sat inside an unmarked silver SUV parked along Cumberland Avenue, wearing dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed felt hat. In the driver’s seat beside me was Frank Keller, a retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg police detective turned private investigator, hired by Marcus Vance. Frank had a telephoto camera resting on the dashboard and a pair of high-definition binoculars in his lap.
“Target is on the move,” Frank muttered, adjusting his earpiece. “Subject exited his firm’s parking garage at 3:15 PM. He’s driving the BMW. He just pulled into Ms. Evans’s apartment complex on Camden Road.”
My chest constricted, but I forced myself to take slow, deliberate breaths. “Is he staying there?”
“Negative,” Frank said, checking his surveillance feed on a mounted tablet. “He went inside for approximately twenty minutes. Now they’re coming out together. They’re getting into his vehicle.”
Ten minutes later, the sleek black BMW rolled slowly into the Freedom Park parking lot, finding a space beneath the shade of a massive willow oak just fifty yards from our vantage point.
The doors opened.
Ryan stepped out. He wasn't wearing his tailored corporate suit today. He wore designer denim, a casual navy cashmere sweater, and white leather sneakers. He looked relaxed, youthful, and completely unburdened.
He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Amanda.
Amanda stepped out, wearing an oversized beige cardigan and sunglasses. Her posture was tense, her shoulders hunched as she glanced nervously around the park. But when Ryan took her hand, she squeezed it, leaning against his shoulder for a fleeting moment of comfort.
Then, Ryan opened the rear door.
He reached inside and lifted Tess out of her car seat. The moment her feet touched the pavement, Ryan scooped the four-year-old up into his arms, tossing her into the air. Tess threw her head back, her joyful laughter carrying clearly across the crisp autumn breeze.
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*“Daddy! Higher!”*
Ryan caught her against his chest, burying his face into her neck to
