Chapter 9: The Child Who Looked Like Ava
“What other child?””
Danielle couldn't answer.
She was staring at the blank monitor.
I grabbed her shoulders.
“Danielle, what did you mean?””
She swallowed.
“Four years ago, when I was held beneath the pool, I heard a baby crying in the room next to mine.””
My stomach tightened.
“You never told me.””
“I didn't know what it meant.””
“What happened?””
“Every night, I heard the same lullaby. The same three notes, the same pause, the same three notes.””
I looked toward the screen.
The child in the white room had been holding a stuffed rabbit.
Just like Ava.
Danielle continued.
“One night, a nurse came into my room. She was carrying a baby. She told me the child had been born the same day as Ava.””
I felt cold.
“Twins?””
Danielle nodded.
“Evelyn told me my second baby had died.””
I stared at her.
“Second baby?””
Danielle began crying.
“I gave birth to twins, Marcus.””
The words seemed to echo through the room.
I looked at Daniel.
He was pale.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't know,” Danielle whispered.
“They told me there was only one baby. I was heavily sedated. By the time I woke up, Ava was gone.””
I felt my heart breaking all over again.
“There's another daughter?””
Danielle nodded.
“I think so.””
Dr. Shaw clapped slowly.
“Excellent. We're finally making progress.””
I turned toward her.
“You stole our child?””
The doctor looked almost offended.
“I gave her a future.””
“You separated two newborn babies!””
“They were part of a study.””
Danielle stepped toward her.
“They were my children!””
Dr. Shaw sighed.
“You were never supposed to become attached.””
Bennett moved closer.
“Doctor, you're under arrest.””
Dr. Shaw laughed.
“On what charge?””
“Kidnapping. Illegal confinement. Medical fraud.
Child endangerment. We have enough evidence to keep you in prison for the rest of your life.””
The doctor glanced at the cameras.
“Do you?””
Before Bennett could respond, an alarm began sounding.
Red lights flashed along the corridor.
A metal door slammed shut behind us.
Daniel cursed.
“She activated the lockdown.””
I rushed toward the exit.
The door wouldn't move.
Bennett pulled out her radio.
“Dispatch, this is Bennett. We are trapped in an underground facility. Request immediate assistance.””
Static.
Again.
Nothing.
Dr. Shaw walked toward the control panel.
“You should have stayed out of my work.””
I stepped between her and the console.
“Where is my daughter?””
“Which one?””
My hands curled into fists.
“Both.””
The doctor studied me.
Then she opened a drawer and removed a small remote.
“Your family has always been interesting, Marcus.””
She pressed a button.
A hidden compartment opened behind the television monitors.
Inside were several folders.
She selected one.
“Your daughter Ava was not the only child born under unusual circumstances that night.””
She handed the folder to Bennett.
The detective opened it.
Her expression changed immediately.
“What is this?””
Dr. Shaw smiled.
“Read the last page.””
Bennett turned to it.
Then she looked at me.
“Marcus…”
“What?””
She hesitated.
“According to these records, the second child was registered under a different name.””
Danielle stepped forward.
“What name?””
Bennett swallowed.
*Sophie Reed.*
I recognized the name.
My mother had always said that if she had ever had a granddaughter, she would have named her Sophie.
But there was something else written underneath.
*CURRENT GUARDIAN: HAROLD JENKINS.*
My blood turned to ice.
“Harold?””
The retired firefighter.
The man who had lived two houses away.
The man who had brought Ava birthday presents.
The man who had just tried to shoot us.
“He's been raising our other daughter?”” I whispered.
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Harold wasn't just watching your family. He was watching both girls.””
I grabbed the folder.
Inside was a photograph of a little girl.
She looked almost exactly like Ava.
Same dark eyes.
Same round cheeks.
Same crescent-shaped birthmark behind her left ear.
But the photograph was dated three months earlier.
I turned it over.
Written on the back were the words:
Subject 08. Awaiting reunion.
Danielle began sobbing.
“She's alive.””
I stared at the photograph.
“Where is she?””
Dr. Shaw pointed toward the monitor.
The screen flickered.
A live video appeared.
A little girl was sitting in a bedroom.
She was wearing a yellow dress.
A woman stood behind her, brushing her hair.
Then the little girl turned toward the camera.
“Mommy?””
Danielle covered her mouth.
The child looked directly into the lens.
“Mommy, is that you?””
Danielle rushed toward the monitor.
“Baby! I'm here!””
The little girl smiled.
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“Mommy, the man who brings me presents says Daddy is dead.””
I stared at the screen.
“Which man, sweetheart?””
The girl pointed toward the bedroom doorway.
A shadow appeared.
A man stepped into the room.
Harold Jenkins.
But he was supposed to be handcuffed in our house.
I looked at Detective Bennett.
“How is he there?””
She stared at the screen.
Then her radio crackled.
A male voice spoke.
“Detective Bennett, we have a situation.””
“Identify yourself.””
“This is Officer Miller. Harold Jenkins is no longer in custody.””
Bennett went rigid.
“What do you mean he's no longer in custody?””
“He was transferred twenty minutes ago.””
“Transferred by whom?””
A pause.
Then the officer answered.
“By order of Detective Laura Bennett.””
Everyone turned toward her.
Bennett's face went white.
“That wasn't me.””
The radio crackled again.
And a second voice came through.
A voice identical to hers.
“I'm sorry, Laura.””
The monitor showed Harold picking up the little girl.
He kissed her forehead.
Then he looked directly into the camera.
“Marcus, if you want your second daughter back, bring me the original birth certificate.””
He held up a document.
My father's signature was visible at the bottom.
Then Harold smiled.
“Because the truth about which child belongs to which family is going to destroy you.””
The screen went black.
May you like
And Danielle whispered the one thing I never expected to hear.
“Marcus… I think Ava might not be the twin they told us she was.””
