Chapter 9
Rachel did not remember getting into the police car.
She remembered screaming.
She remembered Cole grabbing her shoulders.
She remembered Jenna crying behind her.
Then the city blurred past the windows.
Nathan called.
Rachel could not answer.
How could she tell him?
How could she say that the little girl who climbed into his coffin had now been taken because adults had spent decades lying to each other?
Cole answered Nathan’s call instead.
He gave him only the necessary facts.
Nathan demanded to leave the hospital.
Cole refused.
Nathan hung up.
Thirty seconds later, Rachel’s phone rang.
“Nathan.”
“Put me on speaker.”
She did.
His voice shook with fury.
“I’m leaving.”
“You can barely stand.”
“I don’t care.”
“Nathan—”
“They took Ellie.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“She saved my life.”
“I know.”
“And I wasn’t there to protect her.”
Rachel’s voice broke.
“This is not on you.”
“It started with my family.”
“It started with people making terrible choices.”
Nathan inhaled painfully.
“Find her.”
“I will.”
“No.”
His voice became steadier.
“We will.”
At the safe house, two officers had been found unconscious.
Alive.
Both had been injected with a sedative.
The back door showed no forced entry.
That meant Ellie probably opened it willingly.
Rachel immediately knew why.
Someone she recognized.
Jenna.
Margaret.
Nathan.
Or someone who looked exactly like them.
Cole pulled security footage from a neighboring building.
A gray sedan had arrived.
A man stepped out.
Nathan.
Rachel’s stomach twisted even though she knew it was Evan.
He wore Nathan’s clothes.
Same style.
Same haircut.
He walked to the door.
Seven minutes later he returned carrying Ellie.
The little girl had her arms wrapped around his neck.
She thought he was her father.
Rachel broke.
“He tricked her.”
Cole froze the image.
Ellie rested her head on Evan’s shoulder.
“She trusted him.”
Rachel sobbed.
Jenna stood nearby, face white.
“I can help.”
Rachel turned on her.
“You already helped enough.”
Jenna flinched.
Rachel immediately looked away.
Anger would not find Ellie.
“What can you do?”
Jenna swallowed.
“Evan always wanted Nathan to know he existed.”
“Meaning?”
“He won’t hurt Ellie immediately.”
Rachel glared.
“Immediately?”
“I’m trying to tell you how he thinks.”
“Then tell me where he thinks.”
Jenna closed her eyes.
“There’s a place Richard used.”
“Where?”
“An old Carter Construction property.”
Lucas, who had arrived from the hospital, shook his head.
“We have dozens.”
“One that failed inspection after a fire.”
Lucas froze.
“The Monroe project.”
Jenna nodded.
“Outside Mill Creek.”
Lucas pulled out his phone.
“That building has been empty for nine years.”
Cole sent units.
The drive took twenty-three minutes.
Rachel aged twenty-three years.
At the property, police found the gray sedan.
Empty.
Inside the abandoned building was Ellie’s shoe.
Rachel picked it up.
Tiny.
Pink.
She pressed it to her chest.
“Ellie!”
Her scream echoed through empty concrete rooms.
Cole grabbed her.
“Don’t run ahead.”
“That’s my baby.”
“I know.”
They searched.
Second floor.
Nothing.
Third floor.
Nothing.
Then an officer found a recently opened service door leading underground.
Lucas frowned.
“There’s no basement on the plans.”
“Old utility tunnels,” another officer said.
Jenna whispered, “Richard knew them.”
Flashlights illuminated concrete stairs.
Rachel descended with Cole.
At the bottom, the tunnel split.
One direction smelled damp.
The other smelled like gasoline.
Cole stopped everyone.
“Listen.”
Silence.
Then a tiny voice.
“Daddy?”
Rachel’s entire body jolted.
“ELLIE!”
“Mommy!”
Rachel ran.
Cole followed.
They reached a locked steel door.
Ellie cried from the other side.
“Mommy!”
“I’m here!”
Rachel slammed both hands against the door.
“Back up, baby!”
Officers forced the lock.
The door opened.
Ellie ran out.
Rachel dropped to her knees.
Her daughter crashed into her arms.
Rachel screamed and cried and kissed every inch of her face.
“Are you hurt?”
Ellie shook her head.
“Where’s Daddy?”
Rachel held her tighter.
“That wasn’t Daddy.”
Ellie frowned.
“He looked like Daddy.”
“I know.”
“He said Daddy was sick again.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
“He said we had to surprise him.”
Rachel looked at Cole.
“Where is he?”
Ellie pointed down the tunnel.
“He went to Grandpa.”
Nathan’s dead father.
Rachel’s skin chilled.
“Grandpa?”
“The old man.”
Cole stood.
“Richard.”
Ellie nodded.
“He was mad.”
“What did he say?”
Ellie buried her face in Rachel’s shoulder.
“He told fake Daddy he was stupid.”
Rachel stroked her hair.
“What else?”
“He said they had to go because Grandma was coming.”
Margaret?
Or Victoria?
The tunnel suddenly echoed with a distant engine.
Cole shouted into his radio.
“South access!”
Officers ran.
Rachel stayed with Ellie.
Then a man stepped from the darkness behind them.
Jenna screamed.
Rachel turned.
Richard Carter stood twenty feet away.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakably alive.
He held no weapon.
His hands were raised.
“Don’t move!” an officer shouted.
Richard stopped.
Margaret had not seen him yet.
Nathan had not seen him.
But Rachel recognized him instantly.
“Where is Evan?”
Richard looked at Ellie.
Then at Rachel.
“Gone.”
“Victoria?”
“Gone.”
Cole approached carefully.
“You’re Richard Carter?”
“Yes.”
“You’re under arrest.”
Richard laughed sadly.
“For which death?”
Cole’s expression hardened.
“Start walking.”
Richard looked at Rachel.
“Nathan is alive?”
She stared at him.
“You know he is.”
“I needed to hear it.”
“You tried to kill your son.”
Richard’s face tightened.
“He isn’t my son.”
Rachel almost slapped him.
“You raised him.”
“For thirty-six years I raised another man’s blood while my wife treated him like a miracle.”
“Then you’re worse than I thought.”
Richard flinched.
Rachel continued.
“He loved you.”
Richard looked away.
“He found the audit.”
“So you killed him?”
“I panicked.”
“You switched the syringe.”
“Yes.”
The confession stunned even Cole.
Richard seemed exhausted.
Maybe he had decided running was over.
Rachel held Ellie close.
“Why?”
“Because Nathan found the payment records.”
“To Victoria?”
“More than that.”
Richard’s eyes filled with old shame.
“Harold Pierce.”
Cole stepped forward.
“You knew him.”
Richard nodded.
“He helped me disappear.”
“What happened?”
“He wanted more money.”
“And?”
Richard’s jaw trembled.
“We fought.”
“Did you kill him?”
“I pushed him.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Richard continued.
“He hit his head.”
“And you put his body in your grave.”
“Yes.”
Cole cuffed him.
“Where are Evan and Victoria?”
Richard shook his head.
“They turned on me.”
“Why?”
“Because Ellie wasn’t part of the deal.”
Rachel stared.
“What deal?”
“Evan wanted the company. Victoria wanted revenge. I wanted the audit destroyed.”
“You all worked together.”
“For a while.”
“Then?”
Richard looked at Ellie.
“Evan took the child.”
“You helped him.”
“I followed him here to stop him.”
Rachel laughed in disbelief.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
Richard looked genuinely defeated.
“I don’t expect anyone to believe anything I say again.”
Footsteps echoed.
Margaret appeared at the end of the tunnel with Lucas.
She saw Richard.
Stopped.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Margaret’s face crumpled.
“Richard?”
He looked at her.
“Maggie.”
She crossed the distance.
Rachel expected an embrace.
Instead Margaret slapped him so hard his head turned.
“You watched me bury someone!”
Richard lowered his eyes.
“I know.”
“You watched your sons mourn you!”
“I know.”
“You let me spend five years talking to your grave!”
Richard began crying.
“I know.”
Margaret hit his chest.
Cole moved closer.
Margaret screamed.
“I loved you!”
Richard looked at her.
“I loved you too.”
“No.”
She stepped back.
“No. You loved being needed.”
Richard’s face broke.
Margaret turned away.
Nathan arrived ten minutes later in a hospital transport van against every doctor’s order.
He stepped out in hospital pants, a coat thrown over his gown, an IV port still taped to his hand.
Rachel ran toward him with Ellie.
Ellie saw him and hesitated.
Nathan stopped.
The hesitation destroyed him.
“It’s me, princess.”
Ellie stared.
“How do I know?”
Nathan’s eyes filled.
Rachel’s heart broke.
Then Nathan slowly crouched, though pain crossed his face.
“When you were two, you called spaghetti ‘pasketti.’”
Ellie’s lip trembled.
“And every night you make me check under your bed even though you know monsters aren’t real.”
Ellie started crying.
“And when you woke me up in the coffin…”
Nathan’s voice broke.
“You whispered that I still owed you pancakes.”
Ellie screamed, “Daddy!”
She ran into his arms.
Nathan nearly fell, but Rachel caught them both.
He held Ellie against his chest.
“I’m sorry.”
Ellie cried.
“Fake Daddy took me.”
“I know.”
“You have the same face.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like him.”
Nathan laughed through tears.
“Me neither.”
Then he saw Richard.
Everything in him changed.
Nathan slowly stood.
Richard looked at him.
“My boy.”
Nathan’s expression went cold.
“Don’t call me that.”
Richard’s eyes filled.
“Nathan.”
“You watched my funeral?”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
“You helped arrange it.”
“I didn’t know Victoria would take it that far.”
“You switched the syringe.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Nathan stepped closer.
“You wanted me dead.”
“I was afraid.”
“I was your son.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Nathan’s voice cracked.
“You know biology. You know money. You know fear.”
He pressed a hand against his own chest.
“But you don’t know what a father is.”
Richard began sobbing.
Nathan turned away.
Cole escorted him out.
For the first time since the funeral, Rachel felt something close to relief.
Ellie was safe.
Richard was arrested.
Brent was in custody.
Amelia was cooperating.
Jenna was cooperating.
They could find Evan and Victoria.
Then Cole’s radio crackled.
He answered.
His face immediately changed.
“What happened?” Rachel asked.
Cole lowered the radio.
“The officers watching Margaret’s house.”
Margaret frowned.
“What about them?”
“They found the front door open.”
“I haven’t been home.”
Cole stared at her.
“There’s someone inside.”
Rachel’s stomach tightened.
“Victoria?”
Cole nodded.
“She called 911 herself.”
Everyone looked confused.
“Why?” Nathan asked.
Cole’s expression hardened.
“Because she says Evan has lost control.”
Rachel held Ellie closer.
“And?”
Cole looked at Nathan.
“Victoria says Evan isn’t trying to escape anymore.”
“What is he doing?”
“He’s going to Carter Construction.”
Lucas froze.
“That building is full of employees.”
Cole nodded.
“Victoria says Evan plans to walk inside pretending to be Nathan.”
Nathan’s face changed.
“And do what?”
May you like
Cole answered quietly.
“Take back his life.”
