Chapter 12: The Trap at Coral Gables
"Call the police!""
Michael's voice filled the room.
Rachel was already dialing.
Lauren grabbed Tyler's arm.
"Please. You have to find Sophie.""
Tyler nodded.
"I will.""
I watched him.
For the first time since he'd returned from the cruise ship, he wasn't thinking about himself.
He was thinking about a child he'd never been allowed to know.
Michael turned toward the officer.
"We have a credible threat against a minor. We need an immediate response.""
The officer nodded.
"Units are being dispatched.""
Lauren began crying.
"Margaret knows where I live. She knows where Sophie goes to school. She knows everything.""
Rachel took her hand.
"You're going to stay with us until officers arrive.""
Then Lauren looked at me.
"Emily, I need to apologize.""
I frowned.
"For what?""
"For being part of the arrangement with Margaret. I thought I was doing what was best for my daughter. I didn't know how far she was willing to go.""
I looked down at Piper.
"All of us made decisions based on what we were told.""
Lauren nodded.
"But our children shouldn't pay for those decisions.""
That sentence stayed with me.
An officer returned.
"Mr. Bennett, we've located the Coral Gables property.""
Michael stood.
"What's happening there?""
"Two vehicles are parked outside. One belongs to Margaret Mitchell. The other matches the vehicle registered to Daniel Cross.""
"Any sign of the children?""
"Not yet.""
Tyler grabbed his jacket.
"I'm coming.""
Michael shook his head.
"Wait for the officers.""
"That's my daughter!""
"And running into an active situation could put her in more danger.""
Tyler looked furious.
Then he stopped.
He turned toward me.
"Emily, I need to tell you something.""
I waited.
"Before I left for the ship, Mom asked me to sign several documents. She said they were routine family trust updates.""
My stomach tightened.
"Did you sign them?""
He nodded.
"Some of them.""
Rachel immediately approached.
"Do you remember what they contained?""
"One was a power of attorney. Another was an authorization for financial management.""
"Did you read them?""
Tyler shook his head.
"Mom said Dad's lawyer had prepared them.""
Rachel looked at Michael.
"We need those documents.""
Tyler pulled out his phone.
"I have copies.""
He opened his email and searched.
A few seconds later, he found the attachments.
Rachel examined the first document.
Then the second.
Her expression changed.
"Tyler, you need to see this.""
She pointed to a paragraph.
The document granted Margaret authority to manage certain financial assets if Tyler became medically incapacitated.
I frowned.
"That sounds like the arrangement she wanted.""
Rachel nodded.
"But there's another clause.""
She highlighted a sentence.
"If the beneficiary is unable to communicate or make financial decisions, the trustee may act on his behalf until a court determines his capacity.""
Tyler stared.
"She could control the money if I was unconscious?""
"Under certain conditions, yes.""
Michael leaned closer.
"And she had access to the medical records.""
Rachel nodded.
"Which makes the timing of his collapse extremely concerning.""
Tyler sat down.
"She planned everything.""
I didn't answer.
Because there was another question.
Why had Margaret called me?
Why had she wanted me to come to Coral Gables?
And why had she asked me to bring the twins?
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
Emily, I know you want your daughters back.
A second message appeared.
Bring the original family trust papers. Come alone.
I showed Michael.
He immediately shook his head.
"Absolutely not.""
Another message arrived.
If you bring the police, Sophie will be the first to suffer.
Lauren began sobbing.
"Please don't let her hurt my baby.""
I looked at her.
Then at my daughters.
There was no way I was walking into Margaret's trap.
But I also couldn't ignore the fact that Sophie might be in danger.
Rachel leaned closer.
"Emily, do you have the original documents from the package?""
"No. The police found the envelope, but they haven't opened it.""
Michael nodded.
"Then that's what Margaret wants.""
Tyler looked confused.
"Why would she care about those papers?""
Rachel answered.
"Because the original documents may prove that the trust was amended before your father's death.""
She paused.
"And if that amendment is valid, Margaret may have been managing assets she had no legal right to control.""
Michael stared at the message.
"She's trying to destroy the evidence.""
An officer approached.
"We have an update.""
Everyone turned.
"Officers have entered the Coral Gables property.""
Lauren stood.
"Did they find Sophie?""
The officer hesitated.
"They found an empty nursery.""
Tyler's face went white.
"What?""
"The child isn't there.""
Lauren began shaking.
"Where is she?""
The officer continued.
"They found a note addressed to Emily Mitchell.""
My stomach dropped.
He handed me a sealed envelope.
My name was written across the front.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Margaret.
Dear Emily,
You have made this much more difficult than it needed to be.
You should have stayed home with your babies.
But since you insist on interfering, I'll give you one opportunity to make things right.
Bring the original trust agreement to the old waterfront warehouse at midnight.
Come without Tyler.
Come without Michael.
And bring the twins.
I stared at the final sentence.
My hands began trembling.
"She wants me to bring the babies?""
Michael took the letter.
"She's trying to force you into a dangerous situation.""
Tyler shook his head.
"She won't get near my daughters.""
Rachel examined the envelope.
Then she noticed something.
"There's a second page.""
She carefully unfolded it.
It was a photograph.
A little girl sitting on a wooden chair.
Sophie.
Her hands were tied loosely in front of her.
Her face was wet with tears.
And behind her was a large industrial clock.
The time displayed was 10:42.
Lauren screamed.
"That's Sophie's room!""
But I noticed something else.
A reflection in the glass behind the little girl.
A woman standing just outside the room.
Margaret.
She was holding a small object in her hand.
Michael zoomed in on the photograph.
Then his expression changed.
"That's not a phone.""
I leaned closer.
"What is it?""
He looked at Tyler.
"It's a remote trigger.""
Tyler went pale.
Rachel immediately called the police commander.
But before she could speak, the officer's radio crackled.
"Control to all units. We have a possible explosion threat at the waterfront warehouse.""
Michael looked at the photograph again.
Then at the clock.
10:42.
I checked my phone.
It was 10:43.
And a final message appeared.
You have one hour, Emily.
At midnight, one of your children will lose everything.
I looked at Piper and Poppy.
Then at the photograph of Sophie.
May you like
And I realized Margaret wasn't simply trying to escape with the inheritance anymore.
She was preparing to make sure none of the children could ever challenge her again.
