Prologue

It was a cold winter’s night in December. James Patterson and his team have spent months chasing a serial killer that was terrorizing the city of Detroit. The media called him “The Vow Silencer” I picked up the newspaper on the table The Vow Silencer Strikes Again Tonight in all big little letters, followed by a photo of the latest crime scene. “Damnit! The Captain is going to have our asses if we can’t solve this case!” Patterson exclaimed. I put my hand on his shoulder, “Hey! Calm down. We can’t afford to lose our heads, not now.” He nods, “You’re right.” 

A random agent comes in, alerting them of a 911 call. “Good work, Agent.” James Patterson clicked the speaker button and we listened to the 911 call. The person, a woman on the calling end, is terrified. 

           “Please, help… there’s someone in my house.” The woman says

“Okay ma’am. Remain calm.”  The dispatcher tells her. 

I watched as James Patterson leaned closer in concentration, “He is going to find me.” 

“Can you give me your location?” 

There was a shaky breath and then -

“3521 Cherrywood -”

* The line goes dead 

James Patterson slams his fist on the table and looks at one of the agents on our team, “Miller, What was the address from that call?” George Miller looks up from where he was examining the glass shards, “ It came from 3521 Cherrywood Court. It’s 20 minutes away.” 

Patterson said with conviction, “Let’s move. Now!” And we all head out to the S.U.V’s to 3521 Cherrywood Court. 

At 3521 Cherrywood Court, we all jumped out of the vehicles, I was with Patterson in the front yard. And Miller, Johnson, and Rodriguez entering the house through the back entrance. 

I open the door gently to avoid risking the unsub from hearing us. “This is the FBI, come out!” There was no answer. Patterson nods to the left and I check the living room while he checks the kitchen. When we lost hope, Patterson and I heard a thud in the basement and we both crept cautiously into the basement. 

The noises grew loudly as we descended down the basement’s stairs and I see a male figure holding the woman who called earlier, hostage. “FBI! Let her go!” He turned himself and the woman around to face us. “Never! She deserves to die!” Just then the rest of our team comes from the other entrance. “What is your name, sir?” Rodriguez, one of our behavior analysts asks. “Derek, Derek Kessler.” Rodriguez nods and still holds his gun firm with the rest of us, “Okay Derek. Here is what you’re going to do. You’re going to let her go and you are going to come quietly.” Derek shakes his head and held the glass shard to her neck. Patterson spoke in a direct authoritative voice, “Drop your weapon!” Derek shouts, “No!” Rodiguez speaks, “I know why you punched those picture frames. Your wife cheated on you and when she gave birth, you weren’t the father. You didn’t just had your trust betrayed but the sacredness of matrimony broken.” 

Derek’s eyes widen at the implication of his actions and he lets the woman go. The woman runs to Patterson, Patterson hugs her, shielding her from Derek as I handcuff him. “Come on, let’s go.” I walk him to the car, opening the door and putting him in the S.U.V. Patterson and I drove him to the station, “Oh look, that building is still up for sale. If you could, what would you do with a building like that?” I ask. Patterson thinks for a moment, 

“Shooting range. You?” 

 “Bowling alley.” I answer blatantly. 

Patterson slams the wheel as the light turns red in a fit of laughter, “A bowling alley? Are you serious?” The light turned green and I continued, “What? Everyone needs a hobby.” “Okay, yeah. But a bowling alley? At least a gun range is functional for us because we’re in law enforcement.” Patterson retorted. 

We pulled into the parking lot of the station and I held Derek by the arm as we escorted him inside for processing.

“Did I tell you that my Kellybean is going to be competing in the Daddy-Daughter bowling championship down at Great Lakes Pins.” I shake my head. “My wife thinks it will help me and Kelly. Since I am gone all the time.” I knew all too well of his family life, how this job is taking too much of his time away from family, the disagreements, and the marriage counseling sessions. Hell, even one time Patterson and his wife Sarah were called into the principal’s office when Kelly was four, because a teacher was concerned about a picture Kelly drew. “How old is Kelly now?” He clicks his tongue, “She just turned five.” I looked at my watch as we grabbed our files to interrogate Derek, “Well, man, have fun. You deserve some fun time with your daughter.” 

We walked into the observation room and watched as Derek is tapping his fingers in a deliberate manner but he is looking left and right. He may be calm and collected but he is nervous, on edge, I think to myself. “Let’s get Rodriguez to question him.” Patterson declared. He’s right, Rodriguez is one of the best profilers on our team, the way he talked Derek into complying earlier proves that. “I’ll go get him.”

Rodriguez walks into the interrogation room. He speaks in a calm yet firm voice, “Hello Derek, I’m Nick Rodriguez, I am the one who is going to be asking the questions.” He opens the file, “Let’s talk about your wife. She was your first murder wasn’t she?” Derek remained silent. “I loved her then she cheated on me with my own boss. Had his baby and she didn’t tell me.” Rodriguez said coldly, “And you killed her. You broke that picture frame and used a shard of glass to cut her throat. Then you kicked her to the nearest wall, gagged her with a nearby scarf. And when you were done torturing her, you staked her in her chest. 

Am I missing anything?” Derek stayed silent, confirming Rodriguez’s suspensions. “Now, tell me, what made me want you to kill your second victim?” Rodriguez questioned. “Before I tell you anything else, I want my lawyer.” Damn it, he lawyered up.

It took a whole 3 days for Derek to confess. We watched as he signed the confession form and we start packing up for the night. “Finally, I can’t wait to get home to my Sarah and Kellybean.” The way he shut his briefcase with such passion, it seems things are looking up between him and Sarah. “Everything working out between you and Sarah now?” I asked curiously. He smiles fondly, “Yeah, yeah. She’s even agreed to come down to the bowling competition with me and Kelly.” That’s good, she is compromising at least. 

The next morning, it’s the bowling championship at Great Lakes Pins. I get out of my car and walk inside. “MIKEYYYY!!!!” Kelly runs up to me, “Hey Kells! Oh my god, look how big you have gotten!” Patterson comes with 2 bowling shoes, handing Kelly hers. “Where’s Sarah?” I asked curiously. “Bathroom.” I watched as Kelly and him walked down to their lane for the championship together, Kelly holding his hand. Hopefully today will be a good day.

“Ladies and gentleman, fathers and daughters get ready to bowl,” the bowl attendant announces. First to bowl, was Miller and his own daughter Trixie. I looked at the lineup, Patterson and Kelly are one of the last ones to bowl. “First team is the Chocolate Unicorns.” Of course, they put the kids in charge of names. 

Later that night, we are at Patterson’s house celebrating their win. I took a sip of my beer when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Patterson behind me, his experisson grim and serious, “James, everything okay?” I asked. “Michael, come with me. Garage.” I follow him to the garage. 

I closed the garage door so no one can hear us, “What’s going on?” He put on his hands on his tool work area and leaned down. “Derek escaped and he threatened to hurt Sarah and Kelly.” I take a long moment to think, “You can’t give up.” He chuckled softly, “I didn’t say anything about giving up, I’m going to a secluded location where he can’t know I am going to secretly find him and turn him in.” There was a very long and awkward silence. “I need you to do something, Michael.” I looked up, “What is it?” He takes a deep breath and he looks me in the eyes, something loving and protective in his eyes, “I need you to watch over Kelly and Sarah while I am gone.” “I give you my word.” And that was the last I have seen of James Patterson, he kissed Kelly goodnight when he put her to bed, and kissed Sarah goodbye. We told everyone he retired, he and Sarah divorced, but unfortunately Kelly has no idea of the truth.

A decade later, I retired and at age 55 I received enough funds from my pension and retirement to buy that abandoned building. I went to the bank, filed the paperwork, put in the security deposit. And finally signed “Michael Robertson” on the leasing document. I shook hands, “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.”

The next day, I drove down to my new building and started working. Called the bowling mechanics, technicians, and some equipment manufacturing to help me get pins, computers, and other equipment. It took me a whole 3 months to get this place set up, I decided to call my new bowling alley After Midnight Lanes. 

6 months later, I am at the counter. Then I see someone I recognize, a teenager girl. “Hello, I am looking for a part-time job. Are you hiring?” 

“Hello Kelly.” I say.

She raises her eyebrow in confusion and surprise, “Mr.Robertson, is that you?” I nod, “Yes it is, my, have you grown. So you want a job?” She nods. “You got a resume?” She pulls out her resume from a folder. She joined soccer. That’s new. “Impressive, I remember you liked playing soccer in 5th grade.” She tells me she joined in freshman year. “Anything else you think is valuable?” I ask. She tells me about her elective in art and her hobby is art, mostly painting. How she takes care her cat Comet and she likes reading multiple genres. Smart and well-rounded girl. “You’re hired.”