Chapter 7
Rachel entered Daniel’s room alone.
She closed the door behind her.
“Were you at the lake house when your father died?”
Daniel looked toward the window.
“Who contacted you?”
“Answer me.”
His voice was weak.
“Yes.”
Rachel felt anger rise beneath her fear.
“The official report said you were in Boston.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“My mother asked me to.”
Rachel stood at the foot of his bed.
“Did you touch the balcony rail?”
“I tried to pull him back.”
The answer came too quickly.
Rachel heard years of rehearsing behind it.
“What happened?”
Daniel’s eyes filled with pain.
“My father called me that night. He said he had proof Grant was stealing. He wanted me to meet him at the lake house.”
“Was Grant there?”
“Yes.”
“Judith?”
“Yes.”
“Claire?”
Daniel nodded.
“Everyone was arguing. Dad accused Mom of helping Grant. Claire defended her. Grant said the company would collapse if the truth came out.”
“And then?”
“Dad went onto the balcony. Mom followed him.”
Rachel waited.
Daniel’s hand shook against the blanket.
“I heard her scream.”
“You saw him fall?”
“I saw him go over the railing.”
“Did Judith push him?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were there.”
“Grant blocked the doorway. By the time I reached the balcony, Dad was hanging from the outside rail.”
Rachel’s anger vanished.
“What did you do?”
“I grabbed his wrist.”
Daniel stared at his own hand.
“He was looking up at me. He kept saying my name.”
Rachel moved closer.
“My grip slipped.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“I could have saved him.”
“You tried.”
“Grant told police I arrived after the fall. Mom begged me to agree. She said Claire would be accused because she had fought with Dad earlier.”
“So the whole family lied.”
“Yes.”
“And the recording?”
“There was a security camera on the balcony. Dad installed it after someone entered the house. Grant found the system, but Dad had already copied the footage.”
“To the cassette?”
“Audio only. The video system recorded sound separately.”
Rachel sat beside him.
“Judith says the truth sounds worse than the lie.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“Because the recording captures her telling Dad to let go.”
Rachel stared at him.
“She told him to fall?”
“I heard it.”
“And you still protected her?”
“I was twenty-six. Claire was screaming. Grant said Mom would spend the rest of her life in prison. I was weak.”
Rachel thought of Mia in the pit.
Secrets had begun swallowing this family long before her daughter was born.
“Why hide the journal instead of taking it to police?”
“I found it three weeks ago. I wanted the recording first.”
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“You let me sleep beside you while people followed Mia.”
“I was terrified.”
“So was she.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I failed both of you.”
Rachel wanted to comfort him.
She also wanted to scream.
Both feelings lived inside her at once.
Naomi knocked and entered.
“Police identified the blood in Martin’s van.”
“Is it Martin’s?” Rachel asked.
“No. It belongs to Claire.”
Daniel tried to sit up.
“What happened to her?”
“She was injured before her arrest?”
“Not that anyone documented.”
Rachel understood.
“The van was abandoned after Claire was already in custody.”
Naomi nodded.
“Meaning the blood was probably placed there.”
“By whom?”
“Grant’s people may be trying to make it appear that Martin harmed Claire. Or that Claire transported the clock.”
Daniel looked troubled.
“Grant never does anything without creating two explanations.”
Naomi placed a file on the bed.
“We also discovered Claire’s bail was posted twenty minutes ago.”
Rachel stood.
“Who paid it?”
“A company linked to Grant.”
“Grant is still in custody.”
“He arranged it before his arrest.”
Daniel pulled at his IV.
“I need to get out of here.”
“You can barely stand,” Rachel said.
“Claire knows where Mia goes to preschool.”
“Mia is with Dana and an armed officer.”
“That won’t stop Claire if Grant has convinced her the recording can save them.”
Rachel called Dana.
No answer.
She called again.
Voicemail.
Daniel’s monitor began beeping faster.
Naomi contacted Ortiz.
Rachel ran into the hallway.
Mia had been in the children’s waiting room thirty minutes earlier.
Now the room was empty.
A paper rabbit lay on the floor.
Rachel picked it up.
On the back, written in red marker, were four words.
BRING DANIEL TO THE PIT.
Rachel’s knees nearly gave out.
Naomi caught her.
“She has Mia.”
Daniel appeared in the doorway, holding the wall for support.
A nurse tried to stop him.
He saw the note.
All color left his face.
“I’m going.”
“No,” Rachel said. “That is what Claire wants.”
“She wants me, not Mia.”
“You don’t know what she wants.”
“I know my sister.”
Rachel turned on him.
“No, Daniel. You knew the version of Claire you needed to believe in.”
The words hurt him.
She could see it.
But there was no time to soften them.
Detective Ortiz arrived with two officers.
Security footage showed Claire entering through a staff corridor wearing a nurse’s coat.
She had followed Dana and Mia to the parking garage.
She had claimed Rachel sent her.
Mia had refused to go.
Then Claire had shown her a live video of Daniel’s hospital room and said her father needed help.
Mia had climbed into the car.
“She used his own daughter’s love against her,” Rachel whispered.
Ortiz traced Claire’s vehicle toward the property with the pit.
Police surrounded the area.
Rachel and Daniel were ordered to remain at the road.
Daniel refused.
Rachel did too.
They approached with Ortiz.
Claire stood beside the pit.
Mia was several feet away, frightened but unharmed.
A man held her shoulder.
Martin Vale.
Judith’s missing driver.
Claire clutched the cassette in one hand.
“You brought police!” she shouted.
“You took my daughter,” Rachel said.
“I needed Daniel.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I’m here. Let Mia go.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“You always get to be the hero.”
“This isn’t about us.”
“It has always been about us.”
She held up the tape.
“Dad loved you more. He gave you the company. He trusted you with every secret.”
“He loved you.”
“No. He tolerated me.”
Mia looked at Rachel.
“Mommy.”
Rachel moved forward.
Martin tightened his grip.
Ortiz raised his weapon.
“Let the child go.”
Martin pulled Mia back.
Claire turned on him.
“Don’t hurt her.”
“You told me she was leverage.”
“She is my niece.”
“You put her in a hole.”
Claire flinched.
Martin smiled.
Rachel understood then.
Claire was dangerous.
But Martin was loyal only to Grant.
And Claire had finally realized it.
Daniel took another step.
“Give us Mia. I’ll tell police I forged the records.”
Claire stared at him.
“You would do that?”
“For my daughter, yes.”
Pain crossed her face.
“Dad would have done it for you too.”
Martin suddenly reached for the cassette.
Claire pulled away.
They struggled.
Mia broke free.
Rachel ran.
Martin grabbed Rachel’s jacket, but Daniel threw himself between them.
Both men crashed to the ground.
Ortiz rushed forward.
Claire stood at the edge of the pit, holding the tape.
Martin kicked Daniel away and charged toward her.
Claire stepped back.
The earth collapsed beneath her feet.
She vanished into the same pit where she had left Mia.
Rachel reached the edge.
Claire lay at the bottom, stunned.
The cassette had landed beside her.
Mia clung to Rachel.
Claire looked up at the child she had terrified.
For one second, shame replaced rage.
Then Martin seized Rachel from behind.
A gun pressed against her side.
“Everyone back,” he ordered.
Daniel rose unsteadily.
Ortiz froze.
Martin dragged Rachel toward a waiting car.
Mia screamed.
Claire climbed out of the pit.
Blood marked one side of her face.
She could have run.
Instead, she picked up the cassette.
Then she stepped directly into Martin’s path.
“You want this?” she asked.
May you like
Martin aimed at her.
Claire snapped the tape in half.
