Chapter 8 - THE TUNNEL BENEATH THE CHILDREN’S WING
Hospital cameras showed Victor Dane entering through a maintenance corridor.
He wore an emergency electrician’s uniform.
Owen followed behind him.
They used a duplicate staff badge created through Victor’s security company.
Lily had been carried out inside a laundry cart.
Emma stared at the footage.
She had pushed that same kind of cart through the Callahan estate every day.
The ordinary object made the abduction feel even crueler.
Grant wanted to join the search personally.
Detective Ruiz refused.
“You are emotionally involved.”
“She is my daughter.”
“That is why you follow instructions.”
Emma touched Grant’s sleeve.
“Let them work.”
The words were difficult for her too.
She wanted to run through every door in the city.
Instead, she helped investigators understand Lily.
“She leaves patterns.”
“What kind?” Ruiz asked.
“When she is frightened, she counts things.”
“Windows.”
“Lights.”
“Red objects.”
“She may leave groups of seven because that is her age.”
Police found seven hairpins in the service elevator.
Seven buttons near the loading dock.
Seven small stones beside the parking exit.
Lily was marking the route.
A traffic camera captured Victor’s SUV heading north toward the Hudson Highlands.
The same region where Claire died.
Owen owned a mountain lodge near the crash site.
The property was registered through a shell company from Claire’s audit.
Federal agents moved toward it.
Grant recognized something on the satellite map.
An old maintenance road connected the lodge to the overlook where Claire’s vehicle crossed the guardrail.
“They are returning to the accident site.”
“Why?” Emma asked.
“To repeat the story.”
Owen needed Lily dead before she could testify.
Victor could stage another vehicle accident.
Renata’s lawyers would blame Grant’s unstable home.
Emma’s presence at the hospital could be used to suggest she helped Lily run away.
The old guardianship documents would reappear.
Owen would take temporary control of Lily’s shares as her nearest paternal relative after Grant.
Unless Grant died too.
Ruiz examined a message found on Victor’s abandoned phone.
BRING GRANT TO THE OVERLOOK.
TRADE THE GIRL FOR THE AUDIT.
Owen wanted Claire’s evidence destroyed.
He also wanted his brother on the mountain road.
Grant put on his coat.
Ruiz stopped him.
“You are not going alone.”
“He will hurt Lily if he sees police.”
“We will remain hidden.”
Emma stood.
“I’m coming.”
“No,” Grant said.
“Owen knows Lily trusts me.”
“That makes you another target.”
“It also makes me useful.”
Grant looked at her.
May you like
Emma did not lower her eyes.
“I am done staying invisible when a child needs someone to see her.”
