Later, when I called Marcus, his explanation was surprisingly ordinary.
“My brother installs security systems,” he said. “I’ve seen those little components before. But mostly, Ethan kept touching that ear. When I uncovered it, he looked scared.”
“A kid shouldn’t have something hidden behind his ear like that.”
“You may have saved us.”
Marcus was quiet. “I just told his mom to look.”
What police found inside the case changed everything again.
There were financial records, copies of checks, and a flash drive. Several documents appeared to show Ryan was transferring money from a small business he’d once operated with Derek.
At first glance, it looked terrible.
Then I noticed a date.
“Ryan couldn’t have signed this.”
The detective looked at me.
I pointed at the date. “He was in intensive care. I was with him every day.”
That sent the investigation in another direction. Other dates and signatures started falling apart under scrutiny.
