Chapter 8 - THE WAREHOUSE WITH NO WINDOWS
Investigators traced the vehicle to a storage facility near the Calumet River.
The property belonged to a company associated with Rafael.
A search warrant was obtained.
Police entered the building.
Inside, they found a hidden workshop.
Computer equipment.
Counterfeit shipping documents.
Tools.
And a small room without windows.
The room contained a mattress.
A bottle of water.
A broken pair of glasses.
And a silver bird pendant.
Detective Velez showed me the photograph.
I recognized it immediately.
Eli had made two.
One for me.
One for himself.
I began shaking.
Salvatore stood beside me.
Velez spoke gently.
“We believe Eli was held here.”
I swallowed.
“Is he alive?”
She hesitated.
“We don't know yet.”
Then she showed me another photograph.
A wall.
Scratched into the paint were small marks.
At first, they looked random.
Then I understood.
They were not random.
They were letters.
Eli had scratched a message using a code we invented when we were children.
I stared.
Salvatore noticed my expression.
What is it?
I swallowed.
“He left me a message.”
Velez leaned forward.
“What does it say?”
I looked at the photograph.
Then whispered:
“Don't trust the river.”
The room fell silent.
Velez frowned.
“What does that mean?”
I shook my head.
“I don't know.”
But Salvatore's expression had changed.
He looked toward the window.
Then signed:
The river.
I stared.
He continued.
Rafael has a private dock.
My heart pounded.
Where?
May you like
Salvatore looked at me.
Across from the old grain terminal.
