Chapter 2 - The Man I Thought Was Dead Was Standing Inside My Daughters' NurseryI replayed the footage.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
It was Ethan.
Claire's younger brother.
The man who had supposedly died in a boating accident seven years earlier.
I remembered the funeral.
I remembered Claire's mother collapsing.
I remembered Claire holding my hand.
I remembered telling her that some losses never made sense.
Apparently, I had been right.
Victor entered the nursery.
Ethan stood beside the crib.
The recording ended.
I turned around.
Victor was standing in the doorway.
He was smiling.
“You found something.”
I stared at him.
“What happened to Ethan?”
Victor's expression didn't change.
“Who?”
“Don't lie to me.”
His smile disappeared.
“Daniel.”
I held up the tablet.
“Why were you inside my bedroom?”
He went silent.
“Why did you open my safe?”
Nothing.
“Why were you carrying a syringe?”
Victor suddenly looked older.
“You don't understand.”
“No.”
I stepped toward him.
“I understand perfectly.”
He lowered his voice.
“Your daughters are in danger.”
“You're the danger.”
His jaw tightened.
“You really believe that waitress?”
“I believe the footage.”
He glanced at the screen.
Then he did something unexpected.
He laughed.
“You think that's the whole story?”
“What does that mean?”
Victor walked away.
“You'll find out.”
I wanted to shoot him.
But I didn't.
Because somewhere upstairs were three babies who needed me.
And somewhere outside was a man who had supposedly died seven years earlier.
I went to the service office.
Emma was sitting on the floor.
She looked exhausted.
“Are they okay?”
“Sophie is stable.”
She closed her eyes.
“Thank God.”
“Tell me everything.”
Emma hesitated.
“I work at the Bluebird Diner.”
“I know.”
“The nurses come there sometimes.”
She looked at me.
“They talk about the babies.”
“What did they say?”
“That Sophie was sick.”
“When?”
“Three days ago.”
I frowned.
“The nurses said someone had been asking questions.”
“Who?”
“A man.”
“What man?”
“I don't know.”
Emma pulled a folded napkin from her pocket.
Written on it was a license plate.
I recognized it.
It belonged to Victor's truck.
My blood ran cold.
Emma continued.
“I saw him outside the nursery.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What was he doing?”
“He was carrying a black bag.”
I stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he saw me.”
She started crying.
“I thought he'd hurt my family.”
“Your family?”
“My little brother.”
Her brother was six.
She had been working double shifts to pay for his medical bills.
She wasn't a kidnapper.
She was desperate.
And she had risked everything to save my daughters.
I sat beside her.
“Why did you come to the barn?”
“The nursery lights went out.”
“Then?”
“I heard Sophie crying.”
She wiped her face.
“I went upstairs.”
“The guards were gone.”
“What?”
“All of them.”
I felt sick.
“They were gone for how long?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
“And Victor?”
“I saw him.”
“What did he do?”
“He carried something into the nursery.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
She looked at me.
“But I saw the syringe.”
I closed my eyes.
Then Emma said something that changed everything.
“I saw someone else.”
“Who?”
“A man with Claire's photograph.”
I looked at her.
“What photograph?”
“He was holding one of the pictures from your bedroom.”
My heart hammered.
“Did you see his face?”
May you like
Emma nodded.
“Ethan.”
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