Chapter 10 - The Knock at Dawn
Frank immediately reached behind his back, resting his hand on the butt of a concealed sidearm. He motioned for Mark to stay in the office with Lily. Mark slipped inside the office, quietly closing the door until only an inch-wide gap remained, his hand gripping an iron wrench from the workbench. Outside, through the dirty glass window of the shop floor, the silhouette of a local county cruiser was visible through the morning mist. It was Deputy Miller, Frank's younger brother.
Frank pulled open the side entrance, letting the cold air whistle through the shop. ""You took your time, Tom,"" Frank said gruffly. Deputy Tom Miller walked in, shaking the rain from his broad-brimmed hat. His uniform was damp, his expression dark and worn. ""The magistrate signed the ex-parte order twenty minutes ago,"" Tom said without preamble. ""Arthur Vance brought three affidavits from Ashley’s doctors claiming fresh soft-tissue bruising. They’ve issued an emergency pickup order for Lily and a bench warrant for Mark for custodial interference.""
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Mark stepped out of the office, unable to hide any longer. ""Tom, you saw the video. You saw Lily's arms. How could they sign that?"" Tom looked at Mark with deep frustration and regret. ""Because on paper, Mark, you fled the jurisdiction with a minor child after being served notice of a protective hearing. Vance argued you’re an immediate danger. The local sheriff’s department is broadcasting your truck's plates right now. If any patrol car stops you, they take Lily directly to Ashley's custody, and you go to county jail.""
""They don't know about the station wagon,"" Frank pointed out. Tom nodded. ""Not yet. But Vance has private investigators scouring the county. The transport guys from last night gave them your vehicle description from the yard. You have maybe four hours before they trace you out here to Frank's shop."" Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive. ""I pulled the complete call logs from the precinct dispatcher last night. Ashley didn't call 911 first. She made three calls to a private security firm in the city two hours before she confronted Lily in the kitchen. She staged the entire confrontation.""
