Chapter 13: The Woman Who Survived
“Laura!””
Nothing.
I pressed the phone against my ear.
“Laura, answer me!””
The line remained open for three seconds.
I heard breathing.
Then a man's voice somewhere in the distance.
“Where is it?””
Laura screamed.
The call disconnected.
Michael grabbed his phone.
“Do we have her location?””
“No.””
“Number?””
I showed him.
He copied it while dialing 911.
Emily Bennett closed my father's laptop.
Vanessa stood by the window, pale.
“This is because of us.””
“No,” I said.
“This is because of Daniel.””
Michael gave the dispatcher everything we knew.
Laura Sloan.
Potential threat.
Possible connection to Daniel Carter.
But we didn't have an address.
Then I remembered the messages.
“The photographs.””
Everyone looked at me.
“Laura sent photographs tonight. Metadata.””
Michael immediately took my phone.
He saved the original image of Hawthorne House and checked its information.
“Location data is stripped.””
Vanessa said, “What about the picture outside your office?””
Same result.
Nothing.
My phone buzzed.
A text from Laura's number.
*STOP LOOKING.*
Michael stared at it.
“That may not be her.””
Another arrived.
*YOU HAVE YOUR MONEY. TAKE IT AND WALK AWAY.*
My stomach tightened.
“Daniel.””
Michael shook his head.
“Don't assume.””
Then a third message appeared.
A photograph.
Laura.
She sat in a chair holding today's newspaper.
Alive.
Behind her was a plain gray wall.
No visible injuries.
But fear filled her eyes.
Across the photograph someone had typed:
*SHE LIED TO YOU.*
Vanessa leaned closer.
“Look at her hand.””
Laura's left hand rested against the newspaper.
Three fingers extended.
Then two.
Then—no.
It wasn't random.
“She’s pointing.””
At the bottom corner of the newspaper was a printed weather map.
Her index finger touched a tiny town northwest of Chicago.
Emily Bennett said, “Maybe she's telling us where she is.””
Michael immediately relayed it to police.
I stared harder at the photograph.
Laura wore a bracelet.
Silver.
Small circular charm.
On it was a medical emblem.
Vanessa zoomed in.
“There are letters.””
*NBH.*
Northlake Behavioral Health.
My blood ran cold.
“She's at Northlake.””
Michael looked up.
“Possibly.””
We found the facility's address.
Not downtown.
Not a hospital.
A private treatment center near Barrington.
Exactly northwest.
Michael updated police.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
Not an unknown number.
Daniel.
I answered on speaker.
“Where is Laura Sloan?””
Silence.
Then Daniel sighed.
“Sarah, you need to stop.””
“Where is she?””
“I don't know.””
“You always know just enough to be innocent.””
“I am trying to keep you alive.””
The room froze.
I whispered, “What?””
Daniel immediately corrected himself.
“Safe. I meant safe.””
“No. You said alive.””
“Sarah—”
“What happened to Rebecca?””
Silence.
“Did you kill her?””
“No.””
“Did Keller?””
“I said no.””
“Then why are you afraid?””
His breathing changed.
Finally, for the first time all night, Daniel sounded defeated.
“Because you think I'm the worst person in this story.””
“Aren't you?””
“No.””
“Then give me a name.””
He laughed once.
A miserable sound.
“You already have it.””
“Keller?””
Daniel didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Vanessa leaned toward the phone.
“Daniel, where is Laura?””
He heard her.
“Vanessa, get away from Sarah.””
“Why?””
“Because Keller knows about the drive.””
Vanessa's face drained.
“How?””
“He knows everything.””
Michael said, “Then cooperate with police.””
Daniel laughed.
“You think I haven't considered that?””
“What does Keller have on you?””
Silence.
I understood.
“Rebecca.””
Daniel whispered, “I didn't kill her.””
“But you helped cover it up.””
“I was there afterward.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What happened?””
“Rebecca wanted out.””
“Out of what?””
“The transfers. Northlake. Everything.””
Daniel's voice shook.
“She had copies. Keller met her that night.””
“And?””
“They argued.””
“Daniel.””
“She left.””
“That isn't an answer.””
“Her car went off the road forty minutes later.””
“Was Keller with her?””
“No.””
“Then why cover anything up?””
“Because before she left, Keller threatened her.””
The room went still.
“You heard him?””
“Yes.””
“And said nothing after she died?””
“If investigators started digging into Keller, they would've found the financial network.””
“So you protected yourself.””
“Yes.””
Finally.
One clean answer.
No performance.
No excuse.
Just yes.
“What about me?””
Daniel didn't answer.
“The guardianship. The forged documents. Tonight.””
“I needed your shares.””
“Needed?””
“Keller controls enough hidden debt and evidence to destroy the acquisition. He demanded a payout. I needed the sale approved before he could stop it.””
“So you decided to declare me incompetent.””
“I thought it would be temporary.””
Emily shouted, “You forged her will!””
Daniel's voice cracked.
“That wasn't my idea.””
“Whose?””
“Keller's.””
My stomach turned.
“And the life insurance?””
Silence.
“Daniel!””
“I didn't know he'd changed the beneficiary structure.””
Vanessa whispered, “You're lying.””
“Not about that.””
A noise sounded on Daniel's end.
A door.
Then Daniel whispered, “Oh, God.””
“What?””
No answer.
“Daniel?””
His breathing became rapid.
“Keller's here.””
Michael stood.
“Where are you?””
“My office.””
“Lock the door.””
“He has access.””
A second voice came faintly through the phone.
Calm.
Male.
“Daniel?””
I recognized it from my father's recording.
Martin Keller.
Daniel whispered, “Sarah, listen to me.””
Footsteps approached.
“If something happens, the original Northlake ledger is in my office safe.””
“What's the code?””
“Our wedding date.””
Of course it was.
The office door opened.
Keller's voice became clearer.
“Who are you talking to?””
Daniel said nothing.
Then Keller laughed softly.
May you like
“Sarah?””
The call ended.
