Chapter 5: The Little Girl Who Remembered
Lily was sitting on my bedroom floor when I returned home.
Her pajamas were wrinkled, her hair tangled from sleep, and her stuffed rabbit lay beside an open box of crayons.
She looked up when I entered.
“Daddy, why are the guards outside my room?””
I crouched in front of her.
“Just making sure everyone stays safe tonight.””
“Did something bad happen?””
“No one is going to hurt you.””
It was a promise I desperately wanted to believe.
She studied my face, then reached for my hand.
“Can I tell you something without you getting mad?””
My heart began to pound.
“Of course, sweetheart.””
“It's about Mommy.””
I sat beside her on the carpet.
“I'm listening.””
She picked up a blue crayon and rolled it between her fingers.
“When we lived in the old house, Mommy used to talk to a man on the phone after I went to bed.””
I kept my expression calm.
“Do you remember what he sounded like?””
“Not really. He talked quietly. Mommy would go into the laundry room because she thought I couldn't hear.””
“What did she say?””
Lily pressed the crayon against the paper.
“Sometimes she said, ‘You promised nobody would know.’ And the man said she was being silly.””
My mouth went dry.
“Did Mommy ever tell you who he was?””
She shook her head.
“But one night, I woke up because Mommy was crying. I went downstairs, and she was holding that little black book she always carried.””
Elena's missing notebook.
“What happened then?””
“She saw me and wiped her face. She told me everything was okay.””
Lily looked up.
“But she wasn't telling the truth, was she?””
I pulled her into my arms.
“No, baby. I think Mommy was scared about something.””
“Was it because of the man?””
“I don't know yet.””
She leaned against my chest.
“Daddy, I remember another thing.””
I waited.
“The night Mommy disappeared, someone came to our house.””
My entire body stiffened.
“What?””
“I was asleep on the couch. Mommy had let me watch a movie, and I fell asleep before it finished. I heard the doorbell.””
“Did you see who came in?””
Lily nodded slowly.
“A man in a dark coat. Mommy told me to go upstairs, but I hid behind the banister.””
My mind raced through every detail of that night. Elena had told me she was taking Lily to bed before I left for a late meeting. When I'd returned home, the house had been empty.
I'd assumed Elena had taken Lily to her sister's.
By midnight, Elena was missing.
By morning, she was dead.
“What did the man look like?”” I asked.
Lily squeezed her rabbit.
“He had a shiny ring. And he called Mommy Ellie.””
My wife had hated that nickname.
Only a handful of people had ever used it.
“Did you hear anything else?””
“He said, ‘You should have stayed out of it.’ Mommy told him she had copies.””
“Copies of what?””
“I don't know.””
Her lower lip trembled.
“Then the man got angry, and I heard something break. Mommy told me to stay upstairs.””
I held her tighter.
“Why didn't you tell me before?””
“Because I thought you would be sad.””
The words cut through me.
I had spent three years trying to protect Lily from Elena's death, never realizing that my silence might have left her carrying frightening memories alone.
“You can tell me anything,” I whispered.
“Even if it's scary. Especially if it's scary.””
She nodded against my shoulder.
Then she lifted her head.
“Daddy, I think the man at school today was the same man.””
I stared at her.
“Carter?””
“No. The principal's office.””
She frowned, concentrating.
“When you were talking to the principal, I saw a picture on her desk. It was a picture of the man who came to our house.””
My pulse hammered.
“Are you sure?””
“He had the same ring.””
I rose and reached for my phone.
“Marcus, I need you upstairs.””
Within seconds, he appeared in the doorway.
“Sir?””
“Stay with Lily. Don't let anyone enter this room without my permission.””
He nodded.
I called Dr. Shaw.
She answered after the fourth ring.
“Mr. Moretti? It's rather late.””
“I need to see the photograph on your desk.””
Silence.
“What photograph?””
“The one showing a man wearing a silver ring. The man who visited my home the night my wife disappeared.””
Her breathing changed.
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“Lily saw it today.””
“Mr. Moretti, I think you're upset, and perhaps you should—”
“Don't tell me how I should feel. Tell me why my eight-year-old daughter recognized a man from a photograph in your office.””
Another silence.
Then Dr. Shaw spoke in a whisper.
“Because he was here today.””
I gripped the phone.
“Who was?””
“The man in the photograph. He came to the school shortly before dismissal.””
“Why?””
“He asked to see Lily's student file.””
My stomach twisted.
“Did you give it to him?””
“No.””
“Did you call security?””
“I tried to reach the school board.””
“Richard Whitmore?””
She didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
“Dr. Shaw, listen carefully. My daughter is not a bargaining chip. If you have information about Elena's murder, you tell me now.””
“I can't.””
“Can't or won't?””
Her voice broke.
“Mr. Moretti, you don't understand. Three years ago, I signed a confidentiality agreement. I was told it was necessary to protect the school.””
“Protect it from what?””
“From a scandal involving a student and a faculty member.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What student?””
“I shouldn't have said anything.””
“Dr. Shaw—”
The line went dead.
I immediately called back.
No answer.
Marcus appeared in the doorway, his face grim.
“Sir, we have a problem.””
I lowered the phone.
“What now?””
He handed me a tablet showing the home's security cameras.
A black sedan was parked beyond the front gate.
The driver hadn't moved in several minutes.
Then the rear window rolled down.
A hand emerged, holding a white envelope.
The man inside placed it on the pavement and drove away.
Marcus retrieved the envelope himself.
Inside was a single sheet of paper and a photograph of Elena.
The message read:
*STOP ASKING ABOUT THE NIGHT SHE DIED.*
Below it was a second line.
*OR YOUR DAUGHTER WILL REMEMBER EVERYTHING.*
I looked toward Lily's bedroom.
Someone knew she had begun talking.
May you like
And whoever it was had just made one thing clear.
They were watching us.
