Chapter 6: The Second Victim
The hospital became chaos.
Doctors ran through the halls.
Security searched every exit.
Police officers questioned every person who entered and left the building.
But I barely heard any of it.
All I could think about was the note.
Your son was never the only child I took.
I read those words again and again.
They didn’t make sense.
Then they did.
And that was worse.
I found Detective Reynolds near the emergency entrance.
“He has another victim.””
The detective looked at the note.
His face changed.
“Daniel…”
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“Don’t tell me this is impossible.””
He stared at the paper.
“We need to find out who.””
Elena arrived with two officers.
The moment she saw the note, she started crying.
“No.””
I turned toward her.
“You know something.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“You do.””
“I don’t.””
“Then why are you scared?””
She covered her mouth.
For a few seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered:
“Because Marcus told me about another child.””
The world stopped.
“When?””
“Months ago.””
I stepped closer.
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I swear.””
She was crying now.
“He said Leo wasn’t the first.””
Detective Reynolds stepped forward.
“Why didn’t you report it?””
Elena looked at him.
“Because he showed me pictures.””
“Pictures of what?””
Her voice broke.
“Children.””
The detective immediately turned to his partner.
“Get a warrant for all Marcus’s properties.””
Then he looked at Elena.
“Everything you know. Now.””
We moved to a private room.
Elena sat with her hands shaking.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes.””
“I know.””
“No, Elena.””
I looked at her.
“You don’t know.””
She started crying harder.
“You’re right.””
The honesty hurt more than another lie.
“I was afraid.””
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“I thought I could protect Leo.””
“You didn’t protect him.””
She closed her eyes.
“I know.””
The door opened.
An officer entered.
“Detective.””
Reynolds turned.
“We found something.””
“What?””
The officer looked at me.
“We searched Marcus’s storage unit.””
My stomach dropped.
“What did you find?””
The officer hesitated.
“Photographs.””
“How many?””
“Thirty-seven.””
Nobody spoke.
“Of children?””
The officer nodded.
My hands curled into fists.
“Are they identified?””
“Not all.””
Detective Reynolds looked at Elena.
“Did Marcus ever mention names?””
She shook her head.
Then she stopped.
A memory crossed her face.
“What?””
She looked terrified.
“There was one name.””
“What name?””
She whispered:
“Emily.””
The detective froze.
“Emily who?””
“I don’t know.””
I looked at him.
“You know that name?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That scared me.
“Detective?””
He took a slow breath.
“Emily Carter.””
My blood turned cold.
“Carter?””
He looked at me.
“She disappeared eleven years ago.””
I stared at him.
Eleven years.
Before Leo.
Before Marcus.
Before all of this.
“Who was she?””
The detective’s voice became quiet.
“She was your cousin’s daughter.””
I felt like the room tilted.
A child from my own family.
Another missing child.
Another secret.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone looked at it.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A child’s voice whispered.
“Are you Daniel?””
I couldn’t breathe.
“Yes.””
The child started crying.
“Your son told me you would come.””
My heart stopped.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then the child whispered:
“My name is Emily.””
The call cut off.
And at that exact moment, every officer in the room received the same alert.
Marcus had been spotted.
May you like
But he wasn’t running away.
He was heading straight back to Elena’s house.
