Before he could explain—
A crash upstairs.
Then shouting:
“Police! Everybody on the ground!”
Gunshots.
Then silence.
The Truth
Minutes later, we reopened the hidden wall.
The basement lights were on.
Two police officers stood there, weapons lowered when they saw us.
Ryan rushed down the stairs, pale, eyes red.
“Mom!”
I pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me! This is your fault!”
He broke down.
“I didn’t want this to happen.”
An officer explained:
“Your son cooperated with us to bring down this group.”
Ryan’s voice trembled.
“I had debt. They threatened me. Said they’d kill me if I didn’t help them take the house.”
He swallowed hard.
“I agreed at first… but I called the police. I thought they’d get here before things got out of control.”
My legs nearly gave out.
“They showed up sooner than expected,” he whispered. “And you were already trapped.”
Michael looked at him carefully.
