Chapter 13: The Second Bottle
Thomas arrived at Michael's office before I did.
He was standing at the window when I walked in, both hands pressed against the glass.
He didn't turn around.
“Tell me exactly what Emily said.””
I closed the door.
“She remembered Rebecca telling Patricia that Lily wasn't supposed to get hurt.””
Thomas's shoulders tightened.
“And Patricia?””
“She said Lily wasn't supposed to find the second bottle.””
For several seconds, Thomas didn't move.
Then his knees seemed to weaken.
He caught the edge of a chair.
“Seven years.””
His voice cracked.
“Seven years I've been asking myself what I missed.””
I pulled out the chair beside him.
“This isn't on you.””
He laughed bitterly.
“Everybody says that after the child is dead.””
I had no answer.
Michael entered carrying a folder.
Detective Ruiz followed.
Ruiz sat across from Thomas.
“Mr. Mercer, investigators are reopening questions surrounding Lily's death.””
Thomas stared at him.
“Questions?””
“We recovered materials from Patricia Carter's storage unit that were not available during the original investigation.””
“What materials?””
Ruiz opened the folder.
“Two photographs.””
He placed them on the table.
The first showed an orange bottle on a kitchen counter.
The second showed another bottle beside Lily's backpack.
Thomas stared.
“Those aren't the same bottle.””
“No.””
“What's in the second one?””
“We don't know yet.””
Ruiz pointed toward the date.
“The photograph was taken three days before Lily died.””
Thomas covered his face.
Michael quietly asked, “Where was it taken?””
“Rebecca Mercer's kitchen.””
I looked at Ruiz.
“How do you know?””
“Cabinet pattern. Countertop. Investigators compared old property photographs.””
Thomas lowered his hands.
“Why would Patricia keep this?””
Ruiz's expression hardened.
“Leverage.””
That word stayed in the room.
Patricia didn't simply manipulate people.
She collected their mistakes.
Their fear.
Their complicity.
Then she kept proof.
Ruiz continued.
“We also recovered an audio file recorded after Lily's death.””
Thomas's face went white.
“Rebecca?””
“Yes.””
He closed his eyes.
“Play it.””
Ruiz hesitated.
“Mr. Mercer—”
“Play it.””
The recording began.
Rebecca was crying.
“I want to tell Thomas.””
Patricia answered.
“And destroy what's left of your life?””
“My daughter is dead.””
“You think prison will bring her back?””
“You said it was safe.””
“I said the first bottle was safe.””
My skin prickled.
Rebecca's breathing became frantic.
“Then why was there another one?””
Patricia didn't answer immediately.
Finally:
“Because you panicked.””
“No.””
“You wanted stronger evidence.””
“No!””
“You wanted Thomas gone.””
Rebecca sobbed.
“I wanted custody. I didn't want Lily hurt.””
Patricia's voice became ice.
“Then stop pretending you were innocent.””
The recording ended.
Thomas bent forward and wept.
Nobody interrupted him.
Eventually, he looked at Ruiz.
“Did Rebecca kill Lily?””
“We don't have evidence to say that.””
“Did Patricia?””
“We don't have evidence to say that either.””
“Then what do you have?””
Ruiz spoke carefully.
“Evidence that both women participated in staging circumstances during the custody dispute. Evidence Patricia possessed prescription medication connected to Lily years afterward. Evidence suggesting there were two bottles, not one. And evidence that information was concealed.””
Thomas wiped his face.
“Where is Rebecca?””
Ruiz hesitated.
“We found her.””
Thomas froze.
“What?””
“She lives outside Fort Worth.””
“She disappeared.””
“She changed her surname.””
“Does she know?””
“Officers spoke with her this morning.””
Thomas stood.
“What did she say?””
Ruiz looked directly at him.
“She wants to cooperate.””
Thomas turned away.
I understood.
For seven years, he'd imagined answers.
Now answers were coming too quickly.
My phone buzzed.
Sarah.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
“Daniel?””
“What?””
“Can I talk to Emily?””
I looked toward Michael.
Sarah's contact was restricted.
“No.””
Silence.
“I understand.””
That surprised me.
Then she whispered, “Is she okay?””
“Yes.””
“Does she hate me?””
I closed my eyes.
“Sarah, she's eight.””
Sarah began crying.
“I destroyed everything.””
“You helped destroy her trust.””
“I know.””
There was no defensiveness now.
No accusation.
Just exhaustion.
“I gave investigators everything,” she said.
“Emails. Passwords. Old phones.””
“Good.””
“I told them about the photographs.””
“Good.””
“And Daniel?””
“What?””
“I told them the truth about the bottle.””
I went still.
“What truth?””
“The one you found in Emily's bag.””
My pulse quickened.
“What about it?””
Sarah inhaled.
“Mom didn't put that one there.””
“What?””
“I did.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Sarah continued.
“She gave it to me. She said it was empty. I put it in Emily's bag.””
I couldn't speak.
“I took the photograph too.””
The image of Sarah reflected in Emily's mirror flashed through my mind.
“You framed me.””
“I tried to.””
My jaw tightened.
“But the bottle Emily hid in Mr. Bunny—that was Mom's. I didn't know there were two.””
Two bottles.
Just like Lily.
Sarah whispered, “When I realized Mom had repeated the same setup she used years ago, I understood something.””
“What?””
“She wasn't helping me win custody anymore.””
My skin went cold.
“What was she doing?””
Sarah's answer came quietly.
“Testing whether I would protect her if something went wrong.””
Before I could respond, Detective Ruiz's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
Then looked at me.
“What?”” I asked.
He covered the receiver.
“Patricia has decided to talk.””
“Why now?””
May you like
Ruiz's expression didn't change.
“Because she heard Rebecca Mercer is cooperating.””
