Chapter 3 - The Sheriff's Warning
By morning, the storm had broken, leaving behind a blinding, pristine blanket of white that covered the Cascade Mountains in dead silence. The snowplows hadn't reached the upper ridges yet, isolating the estate from the outside world. But isolation was a two-way street; it kept rescuers out, and it kept predators in.
At 8:00 AM, the estate's front gate sensor chimed.
Nathan stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his study, peering through binoculars down the long, winding driveway. A black Ford F-150 with county sheriff emblems was plowing through the snowdrifts, its amber emergency lights flashing silently against the blinding white landscape.
A moment later, heavy boots crunched on the front steps. A loud, authoritative knock shook the oak door.
Nathan opened it himself. Standing on the porch was Sheriff Vance Miller, a weathered local lawman who had known the Pierce family for decades. Miller looked grim, clutching a steaming travel mug and staring hard at Nathan.
"Morning, Nathan. I got an automated distress call pinged from your cell tower last night, and dispatch received a frantic call from a neighbor down the mountain reporting a break-in at the Carter residence," Sheriff Miller said without preamble, stepping past Nathan into the foyer without an invitation. "Care to explain why the local hospital and police were bypassed while you've got three kids tucked away in your master bedroom?"
Nathan closed the door, locking it with a sharp click. "Because I don't trust the local police department to handle a high-level homicide investigation involving a syndicate enforcer, Miller."
Miller stopped, turning around sharply. "Homicide? What are you talking about? The initial report from the patrol unit that checked the Carter house said Sarah Carter died from a severe accidental fall down the basement stairs during a domestic dispute."
Nathan let out a dark, humorless laugh. "An accidental fall? With a broken bottle in her hand and defensive wounds on her forearms? Marcus Kane bought half your deputies, Miller. Don't insult my intelligence."
Miller's face tightened. "Watch your tone, Nathan. Marcus Kane reported his wife missing this morning. He claims she packed a bag during the storm, stole his truck, and abandoned their children in the middle of a blizzard. He’s filing kidnapping and abandonment charges against her estate."
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Nathan stepped forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over the sheriff. He pulled Sarah’s silver bracelet from his pocket and dropped it onto the wooden console table.
"She walked through three miles of a Category 4 blizzard barefoot, carrying twin infants, to hand me this," Nathan said coldly. "Does that sound like a woman who abandoned her kids? Or does it sound like a mother running for her life from a murderer?"
