Chapter 7
Detective Alvarez tried calling back.
The number was disconnected.
“Can you trace it?”
“We’ll try.”
Marcus came into the kitchen holding Eli.
“What happened?”
I told him.
His face hardened.
“Someone outside?”
“That’s what Rachel said.”
“An accomplice?”
Detective Alvarez nodded slowly.
“It would explain the camera account being accessed after Vanessa was detained.”
I felt cold.
“And the tablet?”
“Possibly planted by someone else.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know.”
For the next several hours, police searched for Rachel.
I sat on the living room floor with Eli.
He was playing with a plastic ring.
Completely fascinated.
I watched him and thought about how close I had come to losing him.
The stroller could have gone differently.
His head could have struck the railing.
The medicine could have been stronger.
Rachel might not have recorded anything.
Vanessa could have stood over my injured baby and called it an accident.
And Daniel might have believed her.
That thought was unbearable.
Around seven that evening, Detective Alvarez returned.
“We found Rachel’s car.”
“Where?”
“Bus station.”
“Was she there?”
“No.”
“Did she take a bus?”
“No record.”
“Then why leave the car?”
“We don’t know.”
Marcus crossed his arms.
“Maybe she wants you to think she ran.”
Alvarez ignored him.
“Security cameras show Rachel entering the station.”
“And leaving?”
“No.”
I stared.
“What does that mean?”
“There’s a service exit with no camera coverage.”
“Could someone have taken her?”
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
Rachel had become part of this because she protected Eli.
“What do we do?”
“We keep looking.”
That night, I received an email.
No sender name.
Subject line:
YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED.
I didn’t open it.
I called Alvarez.
Cybercrime accessed it safely.
Inside was one image.
Rachel.
Sitting in a chair.
Her wrists appeared bound.
Her face bruised.
A newspaper rested on her lap.
Today’s date visible.
Under the image were six words.
DROP THE CHARGES OR SHE DISAPPEARS.
I stared at the screen.
“No.”
Marcus swore.
Detective Alvarez’s jaw tightened.
“This changes the case significantly.”
“She’s been kidnapped.”
“It appears so.”
“Because of me.”
“Because someone committed another crime.”
I looked at her.
“I’m not dropping anything.”
“We wouldn’t advise you to.”
“They’ll hurt her.”
“They may hurt her regardless.”
I hated the truth in that sentence.
“What can you do?”
“Trace the email. Analyze the image. Search metadata. Identify the newspaper source if possible.”
“Then do it.”
“We are.”
I paced.
“Vanessa has to know who this is.”
“Probably.”
“Make her talk.”
Detective Alvarez’s expression remained controlled.
“We can’t force her.”
“Offer her something.”
“That’s up to prosecutors.”
“Then call them.”
Alvarez studied me.
“I already did.”
Vanessa’s attorney initially refused.
Two hours later, he called back.
Vanessa would speak.
On one condition.
She wanted to speak to me.
Absolutely not, Marcus said.
Absolutely not, Stephanie said.
Detective Alvarez didn’t like it either.
But the prosecutor said I could choose.
Video call.
Police present.
Recorded.
No promises.
I thought of Rachel in that photograph.
Bound.
Bruised.
Terrified.
“I’ll do it.”
Vanessa appeared on the screen wearing jail clothing.
Without makeup, she looked different.
Smaller.
But not weaker.
Her eyes were still cold.
She smiled when she saw me.
“Claire.”
I said nothing.
“I heard Eli is fine.”
My nails dug into my palm.
“Tell us where Rachel is.”
Vanessa leaned back.
“Straight to business.”
“You wanted to talk.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Here I am.”
She studied my face.
“You look tired.”
“Where is Rachel?”
“You were always so impatient.”
Detective Alvarez spoke.
“Ms. Parker, this interview ends if you refuse to cooperate.”
Vanessa glanced toward her own attorney.
Then back at me.
“I don’t know where Rachel is.”
My stomach dropped.
“You said you could help.”
“I can.”
“How?”
“I know who took her.”
“Who?”
She smiled.
“Ask Daniel.”
I nearly stood.
Detective Alvarez remained still.
“Explain.”
Vanessa’s smile faded.
“Daniel thinks I’m the villain.”
“You drugged a baby.”
“He was never in danger.”
I felt rage climb my throat.
“You pushed him down the stairs.”
“The stroller was designed to stop on impact.”
I stared at her.
“You planned it?”
She realized too late what she admitted.
Her attorney leaned in.
“Do not answer further questions about that event.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
Then looked at me.
“I needed Daniel to understand what losing Eli would feel like.”
“You could have killed him.”
“I knew exactly how hard to push.”
My stomach turned.
She believed that.
That was the terrifying part.
“You are insane.”
“No.”
She leaned closer to the camera.
“I was trying to save my marriage.”
“You don’t have a marriage.”
Her eyes flashed.
There.
That hit.
“You think Daniel is coming back to you?”
“I don’t want Daniel.”
“You always wanted him.”
“I filed for divorce.”
“You wanted him to chase you.”
I laughed.
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“You know nothing about me.”
“I know everything about you.”
The room went silent.
She smiled again.
“I know what time you wake up.”
I felt cold.
“I know you check Eli twice before you shower.”
Detective Alvarez’s eyes sharpened.
“I know you leave the hallway light on because you hate waking up in complete darkness.”
My skin crawled.
“I know you cried in your kitchen the first night you moved into that house.”
The bedroom camera.
Maybe other cameras.
“How long were you watching me?”
Vanessa ignored the question.
“I know Daniel still loved you.”
“There it is.”
Her expression changed.
“You destroyed my life.”
I stared at her.
“I didn’t know you existed when you started sleeping with my husband.”
“He chose me.”
“Then why were you so afraid of me?”
Vanessa slammed her hands onto the table.
Her attorney touched her shoulder.
She jerked away.
“You had everything.”
“No. I had a cheating husband.”
“You had his child.”
“Yes.”
Her face twisted.
“And every time he looked at Eli, he looked guilty.”
I stopped.
She continued.
“He would hold that baby and suddenly he was talking about you.”
My heart tightened.
“He’d say you were a good mother.”
She laughed bitterly.
“He’d say he had ruined everything.”
I finally understood.
Eli wasn’t just my child to Vanessa.
He was proof Daniel regretted leaving.
Every cry.
Every feeding.
Every photograph.
Every time Daniel held his son, Vanessa saw me.
“He started visiting you more than the custody agreement required,” she said.
I stared.
“That never happened.”
“Yes, it did.”
“No.”
“He would drive past your house.”
My skin prickled.
I looked at Alvarez.
Vanessa smiled.
“You thought I was the only one watching.”
“What?”
“Daniel watched you too.”
I felt sick.
“He said he wanted to make sure you were safe.”
She laughed.
“After arranging to scare you.”
Detective Alvarez interrupted.
“What does this have to do with Rachel?”
Vanessa looked at her.
“Daniel wasn’t the only man involved.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Vanessa looked back at me.
“Do you remember Connor?”
The name reached back ten years.
Connor Blake.
Daniel’s best friend from college.
He had been best man at our wedding.
I hadn’t seen him in almost three years.
“What about him?”
“He needed money.”
Detective Alvarez leaned forward.
“What did he do for you?”
Vanessa smiled.
“Little things.”
“Following Claire?”
“Yes.”
“Entering her property?”
“Yes.”
“Installing cameras?”
Her smile widened slightly.
“Yes.”
My blood went cold.
“And Rachel?”
“Connor saw her recording me.”
“When?”
“Before the staircase?”
“Yes.”
“So he took her?”
“I didn’t tell him to.”
“But you think he did.”
Vanessa shrugged.
“Connor gets nervous when evidence starts walking around.”
My heart pounded.
“Where would he take her?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think.”
“I am.”
“Vanessa!”
She smiled at my desperation.
That was when I knew.
She did know something.
“You wanted me here,” I said.
Her smile faded.
“You wanted to watch me beg.”
“I wanted you to understand.”
“Understand what?”
“That you didn’t win.”
I leaned closer to the camera.
“This isn’t about winning.”
“It’s always about winning.”
“No.”
I thought of Eli.
Rachel.
Daniel.
All the damage.
“You lost before I ever arrived.”
Her expression changed.
“You just didn’t know it.”
For the first time, Vanessa looked hurt.
Good.
I continued.
“Daniel never stopped loving the idea of our family. That’s why you hated my son.”
“Shut up.”
“That’s why you watched me.”
“Shut up.”
“That’s why you poisoned him.”
“I said shut up!”
Her attorney grabbed her arm.
Vanessa pulled away.
“You want Rachel?”
I went still.
“Tell me.”
“There’s an old hunting property.”
Detective Alvarez was already writing.
“Whose?”
“Connor’s father.”
“Location?”
“I don’t know the address.”
“County?”
“Weston.”
“Anything else?”
Vanessa breathed hard.
“A green cabin. Near an abandoned quarry.”
Detective Alvarez stood immediately.
Officers began moving.
I didn’t look away from Vanessa.
“If Rachel dies—”
“She won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
Vanessa’s breathing slowed.
Then she smiled faintly.
“You’re right.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
She leaned toward the camera.
“If Connor realizes I gave you the cabin…”
Her attorney said, “Vanessa, stop.”
But she kept looking at me.
“He’ll know I betrayed him.”
“What will he do?”
Her eyes flicked downward.
Then back to mine.
“He’ll run.”
“That’s good.”
“No.”
Her voice became almost a whisper.
“Connor doesn’t leave witnesses.”
The call ended.
Police raced toward Weston County.
I sat frozen in my kitchen.
Marcus paced.
One hour passed.
Then two.
At 1:38 a.m., Detective Alvarez called.
I answered immediately.
“Did you find her?”
“We found the cabin.”
My heart slammed.
“And Rachel?”
A pause.
“Alive.”
I started crying.
Marcus grabbed my shoulder.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s injured, but alive.”
I covered my mouth.
“Thank God.”
“But Connor wasn’t there.”
My relief vanished.
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know.”
Then Alvarez said the sentence that kept me awake until sunrise.
“Claire, he left less than an hour before we arrived.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Rachel heard him make a call.”
“To who?”
“We’re still determining that.”
“What did he say?”
May you like
Detective Alvarez paused.
“He said, ‘Plan B. Go get the baby.’”
