Rosa Comes Back
Chapter 10 - Rosa Comes Back
Rosa returned three days later.
Not to the dealership.
To the police station.
She arrived with her sister and an attorney from a workers' rights nonprofit.
Ethan waited outside with June.
Madison waited inside with her father.
None of them knew exactly what Rosa would say.
When she finally entered the interview room, she looked exhausted.
But not frightened.
Not anymore.
Rosa explained that she had seen Blake park the SUV at 9:31 that morning.
She saw him check his phone.
She saw him look toward the building.
Then he walked inside alone.
Rosa had assumed someone else was getting Noah.
Nobody did.
When Ethan ran toward the SUV almost twenty minutes later, Rosa was carrying supplies behind the detailing building.
She heard the baby crying too.
After the police left, Blake called her into his office.
"He told me I was mistaken," Rosa said.
The detective asked, "Did he threaten you?"
Rosa hesitated.
"He told me my health insurance ended the day my employment ended."
That was enough.
Madison covered her mouth.
Rosa looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Madison shook her head.
"No. I'm sorry."
Then Rosa revealed something else.
For months, Blake had been ordering employees to move vehicles, backdate service records, and create fake invoices tied to properties owned by Cole Automotive.
When workers questioned him, he reminded them who controlled payroll.
Walter's face turned gray.
The baby incident had opened a door.
Behind it was an entire house of rot.
But Ethan barely heard the business details.
He kept thinking about twenty minutes.
Noah had been in that SUV for almost twenty minutes.
And Blake had told police two.
Outside the station, reporters waited.
Someone shouted at Madison.
"Did Ethan Reed try to kidnap your son?"
She stopped.
Walter whispered, "You don't have to answer."
Madison looked through the crowd.
She saw Ethan.
For one second, he looked ready to disappear.
Madison turned toward the cameras.
"No," she said.
The reporters went silent.
Madison swallowed.
"Ethan Reed did not try to kidnap my son."
Blake's attorney pushed forward.
"Madison, don't—"
She raised her voice.
"He saved him."
Every camera lifted.
And across town, Blake watched the live broadcast.
May you like
Then he picked up his phone and made one call.
"Release the photos," he said.
