Chapter 3: The Secret in the Garage
By 10:36 that night, Malik was sitting in the back of his aunt Renee's car.
He had changed into a clean hoodie.
His backpack was on the floor.
His hands were folded tightly in his lap.
Monica sat beside him.
Neither had said much since leaving the house.
Renee drove through the Cleveland streets, passing closed storefronts and houses with Christmas lights already hanging in their windows.
Finally, Malik spoke.
"Mom?""
Monica turned.
"Yes, baby?""
"Are you mad at me?""
The question hurt more than anything Curtis had said that afternoon.
"No.""
Malik stared at his hands.
"You looked at me like I was some kind of criminal.""
"I was scared.""
"Of me?""
Monica shook her head.
"Never of you.""
"Then why did you stand in front of him?""
She looked through the windshield.
Streetlights passed over their faces.
"Because I knew what could happen if you pulled that trigger.""
Malik swallowed.
"I wasn't going to hurt you.""
"I know.""
"I just wanted him to let you go.""
"I know, sweetheart.""
His voice cracked.
"He hit you, Mom.""
Monica reached for his hand.
"I know.""
"Why do you let him?""
Renee glanced at them in the rearview mirror but didn't interrupt.
Monica felt her throat tighten.
There were a thousand answers.
Fear.
Money.
Shame.
The belief that keeping a family together was always better than breaking one apart.
But none of those answers would make sense to a sixteen-year-old boy.
"I thought I could handle it," she said quietly.
Malik shook his head.
"You shouldn't have to handle getting hit.""
Monica squeezed his fingers.
"No. I shouldn't.""
For a while, the only sound was the heater blowing warm air into the car.
Then Malik asked something else.
"Did he hurt you before?""
Monica didn't answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
Malik turned toward the window.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"How long?""
"Baby—"
"How long has he been doing it?""
Monica closed her eyes.
"Longer than I should have allowed.""
Malik pulled his hand away.
"All those times you told me you were fine?""
She nodded.
He laughed bitterly.
"I knew something was wrong.""
Monica leaned toward him.
"I'm sorry.""
He wiped his face with his sleeve.
"I thought if I got bigger, he'd stop.""
Her heart broke.
"You were never supposed to fight him for me.""
"But somebody had to!""
Renee pulled into the parking lot of a small convenience store and stopped the car.
She turned around.
"Malik, listen to me.""
He looked up.
"Your mother is not asking you to be weak. She's asking you to stay alive and keep your future. Those are two different things.""
Malik stared at her.
Renee continued.
"You want to protect your mama? Then don't let that man turn you into somebody you aren't.""
Malik lowered his head.
Monica reached for him again.
This time, he let her hold his hand.
The next morning, Monica returned to the house with Renee and Officer Daniels.
Curtis had been instructed to stay elsewhere while the immediate safety arrangements were being made.
Monica didn't want to go inside.
But Malik needed his school laptop, medication, and clothes.
The house smelled like stale coffee.
The television was off.
A half-eaten sandwich sat on the kitchen counter.
Everything looked normal.
That was what frightened her.
The kitchen table was still where it had been.
The same refrigerator.
The same graduation photograph.
The same microwave where she had warmed Curtis's dinner the previous afternoon.
But the house no longer felt like a home.
Renee went upstairs to collect Malik's belongings.
Officer Daniels remained near the doorway.
Monica walked toward the kitchen.
Something caught her eye.
A small black mark on the wall beside the garage entrance.
She frowned.
She had never noticed it before.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Looking for something?""
Monica spun around.
Curtis was standing in the hallway.
Her heart jumped.
"What are you doing here?""
He held up his phone.
"Forgot my charger.""
Officer Daniels immediately stepped between them.
"Mr. Curtis, you're supposed to be staying away while we complete this process.""
Curtis raised his eyebrows.
"I live here.""
"That doesn't change the instructions you've been given.""
He looked past the officer.
"Monica, can we talk privately?""
"No.""
His expression tightened.
"You're really going to do this?""
Monica didn't answer.
Curtis sighed dramatically.
"Seven years. Seven years, and you're throwing everything away because of one argument.""
"One argument?"" Monica repeated.
He pointed at her cheek.
"You're fine.""
She stared at him.
That was all he had to say.
Not an apology.
Not an explanation.
Just that she was fine.
"Get your charger and leave," Officer Daniels said.
Curtis looked toward the garage.
"I'll be two minutes.""
He disappeared.
Monica watched him.
Then she noticed something strange.
The garage door was slightly open.
She walked toward it.
"Monica," Officer Daniels called.
"I just want to look.""
She pushed the door open.
The smell of gasoline and old cardboard drifted into the kitchen.
Curtis's workbench stood against the far wall.
A toolbox sat underneath it.
Beside the toolbox was a metal cabinet.
Monica frowned.
She had seen Curtis open it before.
But he'd always told her it contained tools and old paperwork.
Now the cabinet door was hanging open.
Inside were several empty spaces where something had been stored.
Monica felt her pulse quicken.
"Officer Daniels?""
The officer came closer.
"What is it?""
Monica pointed.
"That cabinet.""
Officer Daniels looked inside.
"Do you know what was stored here?""
Monica shook her head.
"No. But Curtis keeps things in there.""
The officer examined the area without touching anything.
"Do you know if he has firearms?""
Monica remembered the previous night's question.
"Yes.""
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
Then she noticed a folded piece of paper on the workbench.
It was partly covered by a pair of work gloves.
She recognized Curtis's handwriting.
Her name was written across the top.
MONICA.
She picked it up before Officer Daniels could stop her.
"Ma'am, wait.""
Monica unfolded the paper.
It wasn't a letter.
It was a handwritten list.
There were dates.
Amounts of money.
Several names.
And beneath them, one sentence that made her legs feel weak.
If Monica takes Malik and leaves, make sure neither of them comes back.
She read it twice.
Then a third time.
"Officer...""
Her voice barely worked.
Officer Daniels took the paper carefully.
"Where did you find this?""
"Right there.""
A sound came from behind them.
Curtis was standing at the garage entrance.
His eyes were fixed on the paper.
For the first time since Monica had known him, he looked genuinely frightened.
"Give me that," he said.
Officer Daniels stepped in front of him.
"Don't move.""
Curtis's jaw tightened.
"That's private property.""
"Step back, sir.""
He looked at Monica.
"You don't understand what you're looking at.""
Monica shook her head.
"Then explain it.""
Curtis opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Officer Daniels spoke into her radio.
"Requesting another unit. We have a potentially threatening written document and need assistance securing the scene.""
Curtis's face changed.
"You're making a mistake.""
Monica stared at him.
"No, Curtis. I think I finally stopped making one.""
He looked at her as if he wanted to say something.
Then his gaze shifted toward the kitchen.
Toward the graduation photograph.
Toward the hallway leading to Malik's old bedroom.
"Where's the boy?"" he demanded.
Monica's stomach tightened.
"Why?""
Curtis took a step forward.
Officer Daniels raised her hand.
"Do not move.""
Curtis stopped.
But his expression had become something Monica had never seen before.
Not anger.
Not embarrassment.
Panic.
At Renee's house, Malik was sitting at the dining table, trying to finish a mathematics assignment.
His phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
*Unknown Number:* You think your mother told you everything?
Malik frowned.
Another message arrived.
*Unknown Number:* Ask her what happened the night your father disappeared.
Malik stopped breathing for a moment.
He read the words again.
His biological father had been gone for twelve years.
Monica had always told him the same thing.
His father left.
He chose another life.
There was nothing else to discuss.
Malik had never believed the story was complete.
But he'd never imagined Curtis had anything to do with it.
His phone vibrated again.
*Unknown Number:* Your mother knows why he never came back.
Malik stood so quickly that his chair scraped across the floor.
Renee came out of the kitchen.
"What's wrong?""
He turned the screen toward her.
She read the messages.
Her expression changed immediately.
"Malik, don't reply.""
"Who sent this?""
"I don't know.""
"Is it Curtis?""
"Don't reply, baby.""
But Malik was already calling his mother.
Monica's phone rang while she was standing beside Officer Daniels.
She answered immediately.
"Malik?""
"Mom, I need you to tell me something.""
Her stomach tightened.
"What is it?""
"Did Curtis know my real father?""
Monica went completely still.
Officer Daniels looked at her.
"Malik, where did you hear that?""
"Just answer me!""
Monica closed her eyes.
And then her son asked the question that made her feel as if the floor had disappeared beneath her.
"Mom, did Curtis have something to do with Dad leaving us?""
She couldn't speak.
Not because she didn't know the answer.
But because, for twelve years, she had promised herself that Malik would never have to hear the truth.
Now the truth was standing in the garage.
May you like
And Curtis was watching her.
*"Monica," Officer Daniels said quietly, "I need you to tell me everything you know about the boy's biological father.""*
