You're His Son
Chapter 02 - You're His Son
Daniel led the boy to a quiet corner of the hotel's lobby lounge, ordering hot chocolate and a plate of sandwiches before either of them said another word, understanding that whatever this conversation needed, it wasn't going to happen with an empty, frightened child in front of him.
"What's your name," he asked gently, once the boy had taken a few bites, some color slowly returning to his tired face.
"Eli," the boy said. "Eli Bennett. My dad is Scott Bennett."
Daniel repeated the name silently, searching his memory for any connection, any reason a stranger's watch would carry this specific family's engraving, and finding nothing familiar at all.
"I bought this watch eight months ago," Daniel said slowly, "at an estate sale, or so I was told. I never once thought to research its history beyond the appraisal certificate that came with it."
"He would never have sold it," Eli said, shaking his head firmly. "Never. He told me a hundred times how important it was. His own father gave it to him for his college graduation. He said someday it would be mine."
Daniel felt something cold settle in his stomach, the specific, growing understanding that whatever had actually happened to separate this watch from its rightful owner, it likely hadn't happened the way the seller had described it to him.
"Where's your mother," Daniel asked. "Does she know you're here."
Eli's face fell slightly. "She's at work. I was supposed to be at school. I saw your watch through the window this morning, from the bus stop, and I just, I had to know."
"You skipped school," Daniel said, not unkindly.
"I had to," Eli said, tears rising again. "Please, mister. Please help me find him."
Daniel reached for his phone, already composing a message to his assistant to clear his entire morning schedule, understanding with a specific, growing certainty that whatever business meetings had filled his calendar for today mattered considerably less than the boy sitting across from him.
"I need to call your mother first," he said. "She's probably worried sick, and she deserves to know exactly where you are and why."
Eli nodded, providing the number carefully, and Daniel dialed, watching the boy's anxious face while the line rang.
"Renee Bennett," a tired, wary voice answered.
"Mrs. Bennett, my name is Daniel Sharpe," he said carefully. "I own the Meridian Grand hotel downtown. Your son Eli is here with me, safe, and I think we need to talk about something considerably larger than a boy skipping school this morning."
The silence on the line stretched long enough that Daniel wondered if the call had dropped.
May you like
"What is it," Renee finally said, voice tight with a specific, exhausted fear that told Daniel this wasn't the first difficult call she'd received about her family in recent memory.
"I think I might have information about your husband," Daniel said carefully. "I think you should come here, as soon as you're able."
