Chapter 5
The first video was dated February 11.
Claire remembered that night.
It had been Margaret’s birthday dinner.
She had come home with a headache.
By midnight, she could barely stand.
Ethan told her she had mixed wine with her migraine medication.
Claire had believed him.
The video showed something different.
Margaret entered the kitchen after dinner.
She opened Claire’s medication drawer.
She replaced one bottle with another.
Thirty minutes later, Claire walked into the kitchen and took a pill.
Ethan stood near the refrigerator.
Watching.
He did not stop her.
Claire paused the video.
“No.”
Rachel said nothing.
“Maybe he didn’t know what she changed.”
Rachel still said nothing.
Claire hit play.
Twenty minutes later, Claire returned to the kitchen.
She was visibly dizzy.
Ethan took her by the arm.
On the video, Claire heard herself say, “Something feels wrong.”
Ethan answered.
“You’ve been forgetting your medication again.”
“I only took one.”
“You told me earlier you took two.”
“I did?”
“Yes.”
Claire stared at the screen.
He had lied directly to her face.
Then Margaret appeared.
She touched Claire’s shoulder.
“You need rest, sweetheart.”
Claire on the video leaned against the counter.
“I feel strange.”
Margaret smiled.
“You’ve been under so much stress.”
Claire stopped the video.
She covered her face.
This had not started yesterday.
It had not started last week.
It had been happening for months.
Rachel reached for her hand.
Claire pulled away.
Not because she was angry at Rachel.
Because she could not stand to be touched.
“Play the next one.”
The second video was from March.
Ethan crushed something into Claire’s tea.
The third was April.
Margaret switched two prescription labels.
The fourth was May.
Ethan sat in his office speaking to someone on the phone.
The audio was clear.
“She had another episode tonight.”
A man’s voice replied through the speaker.
“Have you documented it?”
“Yes.”
“Memory issues?”
“Confusion and balance.”
Claire looked at Rachel.
“Who is that?”
Rachel shook her head.
The voice continued.
“You need at least three independent medical observations before a judge will take permanent incapacity seriously.”
Claire’s stomach turned.
Ethan replied.
“I know.”
“And the child?”
“What about Lily?”
“If your wife is declared unstable, custody becomes easier.”
Claire stopped the video.
The rage came so fast she nearly ripped the laptop off the tray.
“This was about Lily too.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Claire stood.
Her knees immediately buckled.
Rachel caught her.
“Easy.”
“Don’t tell me easy.”
“You just woke from a poisoning.”
“They were going to take my child.”
“And they failed.”
Claire looked at Lily.
The girl had fallen asleep again.
“They haven’t failed yet.”
Her phone rang.
Rachel checked it.
Officer Ramirez.
She answered.
Claire watched her face.
“What happened?”
Rachel held up one finger.
“Yes, we found video.”
“Yes.”
“All right.”
Her expression changed.
“Where?”
Claire’s heart began pounding.
Rachel listened another ten seconds.
Then hung up.
“What?”
“Margaret’s car was found.”
“Where?”
“Near the river.”
Claire waited.
“Was she in it?”
“No.”
Claire felt no relief.
“Then where is she?”
“They don’t know.”
Another vibration.
This time Claire’s phone.
A message from an unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then she saw the photograph.
Lily sleeping in her hospital bed.
Claire’s blood froze.
The photo had been taken from the hallway.
Recently.
Very recently.
Under the photo was one sentence.
YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT YOUR MOTHER’S LETTER BURIED.
Claire showed Rachel.
Rachel immediately called security.
The room exploded into motion.
Two officers arrived.
Nurses were questioned.
Hallway cameras were checked.
Lily woke crying.
Claire held her tightly.
“I’m here.”
“Is Grandma coming?”
Claire’s heart broke.
“No.”
It was the first promise she made to Lily that night.
And she meant it.
“No one is taking you from me.”
Security found the person who took the photograph twenty minutes later.
Not Margaret.
A hospital janitor.
He insisted a woman had paid him five hundred dollars to take it.
“What woman?” Ramirez asked when he returned.
“He described Margaret.”
Claire felt sick.
“She’s nearby.”
“Maybe.”
“She knows what room we’re in.”
“We’re moving you again.”
“No.”
Ramirez frowned.
“No?”
“I’m tired of running from her.”
“This is not about pride.”
“It’s about control.”
Claire pointed at the laptop.
“She has controlled every version of my life for months. My symptoms. My marriage. My medical records. My husband. Now she’s controlling where I sleep?”
Rachel looked at her.
“What are you suggesting?”
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“We make her think I’m still scared and confused.”
Ramirez shook his head.
“No.”
“She thinks the videos are gone.”
“Claire—”
“She broke into the house because she wanted that memory card.”
Rachel understood first.
“If she knew Lily had it, she wouldn’t have left the hospital alone.”
Claire nodded.
“She doesn’t know.”
Ramirez crossed his arms.
“What does that get us?”
“It means she still believes the evidence is missing.”
Claire looked at her phone.
“So let her believe it.”
Rachel frowned.
“How?”
Claire typed a message to the unknown number.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT LETTER YOU MEAN. PLEASE LEAVE LILY ALONE.
Ramirez grabbed her wrist before she sent it.
“Do not communicate without us controlling it.”
“Then control it.”
He stared at her.
Claire stared back.
“I want her talking.”
Ramirez slowly let go.
A detective from cybercrime was called.
Within an hour, they arranged a monitored phone.
Claire sent the message.
No reply came.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty.
Then the phone buzzed.
YOU ARE MAKING THIS WORSE.
Claire typed under Ramirez’s direction.
I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.
The answer arrived immediately.
THEN STOP TALKING TO THE POLICE.
Claire’s hands shook.
Ramirez whispered, “Ask what she wants.”
Claire typed.
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
A pause.
Then:
TELL THEM VANESSA BROUGHT THE MEDICINE AND ETHAN TRIED TO SAVE YOU.
Claire looked at Ramirez.
Margaret was protecting Ethan.
Or controlling him.
Possibly both.
Claire typed:
WILL YOU LEAVE LILY ALONE?
The reply came.
LILY IS FAMILY. I WOULD NEVER HURT HER.
Claire almost threw the phone.
Instead she typed:
WHERE IS ETHAN?
That response took longer.
Finally:
WHERE HE BELONGS.
Claire frowned.
Ramirez did too.
“What does that mean?”
Rachel suddenly stood.
“Call the station.”
Ramirez looked at her.
“Why?”
“Now.”
He called.
His expression changed within seconds.
“What?”
He listened.
Then cursed.
Claire’s stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
Ramirez ended the call.
“Ethan never arrived at central booking.”
Claire stared.
“What?”
“He was being transported from the interview location to another facility.”
“And?”
“The transport vehicle was hit at an intersection.”
Claire’s mouth went dry.
“Is he hurt?”
“The officer driving was injured.”
“And Ethan?”
Ramirez looked at her.
“He’s gone.”
Claire couldn’t speak.
Rachel whispered, “Margaret.”
Ramirez called for units.
Claire looked at the message again.
WHERE HE BELONGS.
She understood.
Margaret had taken her son back.
The same son who had helped her poison Claire.
The same son who had lied for her.
But Claire no longer knew whether Ethan was escaping with Margaret—
or whether Margaret was cleaning up another witness.
Three hours later, Vanessa called.
Her voice was frantic.
“I need to see Claire.”
Ramirez put the call on speaker.
“Why?”
“Because Ethan contacted me.”
Claire leaned toward the phone.
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“What did he say?”
May you like
Vanessa began crying.
“He said his mother is going to kill him.”
