Chapter 11: The Truth Margaret Buried
The emergency lights flickered on after a few seconds.
But those few seconds were enough.
Enough for fear to take over.
Daniel immediately moved toward the door.
“Stay with her.””
Rachel nodded.
I held onto the bedrail.
“Daniel, don’t go alone.””
He looked at me.
“I’ll be right back.””
The hallway was full of confusion.
Nurses were checking rooms.
Patients were calling out.
But Margaret was nowhere.
She had vanished.
When Daniel returned, his face was tense.
“She’s gone.””
Rachel looked down.
“She wanted us scared.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at me.
“She wanted time.””
Daniel frowned.
“What do you mean?””
I looked at the folder.
“She knew we were getting close.””
My hands trembled.
“She needed to remove whatever proof she had left.””
Rachel nodded.
“That’s exactly what she would do.””
Daniel looked at her.
“What else are you not telling us?””
Rachel went silent.
I noticed.
“Rachel.””
She closed her eyes.
“There’s one more thing.””
Daniel’s voice became sharper.
“What?””
Rachel reached into her bag.
She pulled out an old envelope.
“I found this in my old office.””
She handed it to Daniel.
He opened it.
Inside was a letter.
The handwriting was Margaret’s.
Daniel read silently.
Then his face changed.
“What does it say?””
He handed it to me.
I read the first line.
*I know what happened that night.*
My breathing stopped.
The letter continued.
*She doesn’t remember everything, but that is exactly why this works.*
I looked at Daniel.
“What is this?””
He looked devastated.
Rachel spoke quietly.
“Margaret was there the night you went to the hospital.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“She wasn’t.””
Rachel looked at me.
“You don’t remember because you were scared and exhausted.””
I tried to think.
The hospital.
The waiting room.
The pain.
The fear.
Then…
Nothing.
A blank space.
Daniel sat down.
“What happened that night?””
Rachel looked at the letter.
“Your wife found something.””
I stared.
“Found what?””
Rachel hesitated.
“Something about Margaret.””
My heart raced.
“What?””
“A financial secret.””
Daniel looked confused.
“My mother?””
Rachel nodded.
“She had been taking money from people who trusted her.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“I saw the records.””
He looked angry.
“Where?””
“In her office.””
Silence.
Then Daniel whispered:
“My mother’s office burned down.””
Rachel looked at him.
“Exactly.””
I felt cold.
The pieces started connecting.
The fake recording.
The stolen medical records.
The photograph.
The fall.
She wasn’t just attacking me.
She was destroying evidence.
Daniel looked at the letter again.
“Why would she write this?””
Rachel answered.
“She was angry.””
“At who?””
Rachel looked at me.
“At you.””
I felt confused.
“Why me?””
“Because you remembered enough to threaten her.””
I shook my head.
“But I don’t remember.””
Rachel stepped closer.
“You will.””
Those words frightened me.
Because she didn’t say them like a guess.
She said them like a promise.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A new message.
He opened it.
His face changed.
“What?””
He handed it to me.
A photo.
Taken inside our house.
The nursery.
The crib.
May you like
And written across the image:
*You should have listened when I told you to leave.*
