He couldn’t keep his eyes open. He couldn’t stand up.

Whoever had hit him was pulling things out of his pocket. A moment later, he heard his truck drive away, but the world was fading to black.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Arianna and Regan had managed, between the two of them, to make spaghetti. Arianna couldn’t imagine juggling two little boys could be so much work, but now she knew.

Just as she carried Tyler to the sink to wash him up, the doorbell rang.

“Maybe that’s John. I haven’t heard from him all day.”

Regan started for the door. “With Zach gone, he’s probably been busier.”

Arianna went about cleaning up Tyler and was surprised when it was Madeline and Clara’s voices she heard.

Madeline walked through the kitchen first. “Oh, it looks like he enjoyed his dinner.”

“Yes, and making a mess of his auntie.” Arianna acknowledged the red stain on her shirt. “He’s lucky I love him so much.”

Tyler leaned into her and rested his head on her shoulder. John was lucky she had any love left to spare on him. The children in her life sure had her heart.

Arianna finished washing down Tyler’s face and then set him on the floor. “What are you two doing here?”

“John texted me and said he had something he wanted you guys to see at the theater. So I thought I’d drop Clara off with you and stay and watch the boys so Regan could go with you.”

Arianna narrowed her eyes on her sister-in-law. “He texted you?”

“Yes.” Madeline pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed it to her. “About forty-five minutes ago.”

At that moment Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket. MEET ME AT THE THEATER. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU.

She laughed. “He knew it would take you this long to get here.”

Madeline nodded. “I suppose.”

Within a half hour the three of them were in the car, and Madeline and Tyler waved goodbye from the front door.

Regan sunk into the seat. “I’m beat.”

“You do that every day?” Arianna asked as she pulled out onto the main road.

“Every day.”

“Hats off to you, sister. I’m exhausted just having helped.”

Regan’s eyes were closed before they hit the highway.

Arianna looked in the back seat at Clara. “I have some music from Annie. Want to listen?”

Clara smiled and nodded.

Arianna turned on the music, and the two of them sang all the way into town.

All of the lights were on in the theater when they pulled up. Arianna had never seen it look so welcoming.

She parked the car around the back, next to John’s truck.

“I wonder what he’s up to?”

Regan rubbed her eyes and shrugged. “Got me, Sis. He didn’t let me in on this little secret.”

The three of them climbed out of the car and started up the back steps. Just as the back door opened, Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket again.

It was a text message from John.

GOTCHA!

They walked inside, and the door slammed behind them.

She turned around quickly, but there was no one there.

Clara had already moved out onto the stage where the lights were on.

“Auntie, this is wonderful!” She spun in a circle, and Arianna and Regan walked toward her.

Then the lights went dark and a spotlight turned on, shining right on Clara.

Arianna moved toward her. “John, what are you doing? This is scaring me.”

Her phone buzzed again. She quickly looked at it.

It was a picture. She moved it closer to look at it. It was a picture of John lying on the ground with his head bleeding.

Arianna’s heart pounded in her chest. She reached for Clara, but the lights went dark and Clara wasn’t in her reach.

“Bastard, what are you doing? What did you do to John? Where is Clara? Clara!”

Regan reached out in the dark and grabbed hold of Arianna’s arm.

“It’s Alex. I know it is. I can smell his cologne.”

Regan’s breath was rapid, and Arianna put her arm around her. She could feel her shake.

“Hamilton, is that you?”

Clara screamed. Both Arianna and Regan moved to the center of the stage, but in the dark, they couldn’t risk falling over the side.

Regan clung to her. “What is that smell?”

Arianna sniffed the air. “Smoke.”

She turned to see the curtain on the side of the stage illuminate. The flames grew quickly and shot up through the fabric.

“Damn it! We have to get to Clara.”

“Now you will all die!” the wicked voice called over from the side of the theater.

Regan broke free from Arianna. “Why are you doing this?”

“I wanted you dead. You and your brother lied to me.”

“You didn’t want me. You didn’t want our baby!” Regan screamed at him in the dark.

Arianna moved in behind her. Alexander Hamilton’s figure was now shadowed by the flames.

“By the end of the night, you’ll all be dead!” He shouted back, but his shadow was gone. He’d moved, and they could no longer see him.

Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket again. The smoke grew thicker, and she coughed.

It was another text message from John’s phone, but this time it was a picture of Curtis’s truck smashed into a pole.

Her entire body shook, and tears burned in her eyes.

“We have to find Clara and get out of here.”

They heard her scream.

“C’mon, there is a prop room in the back, and I think that’s where she is.”

The fire had engulfed the entire side of the stage and was traveling across the top beam. Arianna used the light from the fire to guide her way. The door that led out of the theater was blocked. They’d have to make their way to the front to escape.

The smoke grew thicker, and they both covered their mouths and noses.

Clara’s screams grew louder as they neared the other side of the stage. Arianna held up her phone to light the way. She could see the door. It had been blocked by miscellaneous building materials.

She and Regan began to pull the wood and boxes from the door. The curtain on the side of the stage crashed to the ground, and the wood beneath them began to creak.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Regan cried.

“Clara! Move from the door. I’m going to kick it in!” she yelled through the noise of the stage cracking beneath them.