Chapter 3 - The Secret in the Cooler
Sirens blared in the distance, their shrill cries growing louder with every passing second. Outside, guests pulled out their smartphones, filming the chaotic scene through the glass doors as the mother wept over her motionless toddler.
Harold quickly reached down to slam the lid of the red cooler shut, locking the plastic latch with a trembling hand.
"Get out of my way, Evelyn!" Harold growled, trying to drag the cooler toward the back pantry before the paramedics arrived. "This is private family property!"
Evelyn, still holding Oliver against her chest, saw the sheer desperation in her father’s eyes as he clutched the cooler handle.
Why would a grandfather care more about a plastic cooler during a medical emergency than his own grandson’s life?
She recalled how Harold had guarded that cooler all afternoon, refusing to let anyone open it, claiming it contained expensive imported wine for his business partners. But Oliver had simply wanted a juice box.
"Don't touch that cooler!" Evelyn yelled, pointing her blood-stained finger at Harold as the front door burst open.
Four paramedics rushed into the kitchen with a stretcher, followed closely by two armed police officers.
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"Where is the child?!" the lead paramedic shouted, dropping to his knees beside Evelyn and Oliver.
👉 What did the police officer notice on the floor next to Harold's leather belt?
