Chapter 11 - The Empty Crib
Lily was sitting on the floor beside Hope’s empty crib when Alexander returned.
She wasn’t crying.
That frightened him more.
Rebecca sat nearby with a blanket around her shoulders.
One guard had been hospitalized.
Another had been found unconscious near the service entrance.
Whoever took Hope knew the security system.
They knew the estate.
They knew exactly where cameras were positioned.
Alexander walked into the bedroom.
Lily looked up.
“Bring her back.”
Not please.
Not can you.
Bring her back.
Alexander knelt in front of her.
“I will.”
“You promised she’d be safe.”
His chest tightened.
“You’re right.”
“She was safer with Mommy.”
Alexander absorbed the blow.
Lily immediately looked guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He took her hands.
“Don’t apologize.”
Tears finally appeared.
“Mommy told me to protect her.”
“You did.”
“No.”
“You carried her across the city.”
Lily shook her head.
“She’s gone.”
“Not because of you.”
“But—”
“Listen to me.”
Alexander gently lifted her chin.
“Hope was taken because adults made terrible choices.”
“Not you.”
“Never you.”
Lily stared at him.
Then whispered.
“Marcus will hurt her.”
Alexander wanted to promise he wouldn’t.
But Lily knew enough about broken promises.
Instead he said, “I’m going to do everything I can to find her.”
She nodded.
Then reached into her pajama pocket.
“There’s this.”
Alexander frowned.
A tiny silver object lay in her palm.
“What is it?”
“It fell out of Hope’s blanket.”
Alexander took it.
A tracker.
Not theirs.
Detective Hayes entered behind him.
She saw it.
“Don’t touch anything else.”
Alexander handed it to her.
“Could Marcus have tracked Hope?”
“Yes.”
“That’s how they found the room.”
“Possibly.”
Hayes examined the device.
“But this is commercial.”
“So?”
“It has a serial number.”
For the first time that morning, Alexander felt a spark of hope.
The tracker had been purchased eleven months earlier.
Cash.
At a specialty security shop.
The store retained video.
A man appeared.
Thomas Keene.
The dead investigator.
Hayes rewound.
“He bought it.”
Alexander stared.
“Then Rachel’s evidence led him to Hope.”
“Or Marcus paid him to plant it.”
“Why leave it?”
“Maybe the kidnappers didn’t know it came loose.”
Alexander looked toward Lily.
“Can it lead us to whoever was monitoring it?”
“Possibly.”
Hayes’s tech team started immediately.
Meanwhile the ransom envelope was examined.
No fingerprints.
No DNA.
The instruction named an abandoned textile mill outside Worcester.
Noon.
Bring the contents of Rachel Morgan’s safe-deposit box.
Come alone.
Alexander intended to go.
Hayes intended to stop him.
“You are not walking into a kidnapping handoff alone.”
“It says alone.”
“Kidnappers say things.”
“They have my daughter.”
“And getting yourself killed will help her?”
Alexander turned away.
Hayes softened her tone.
“We can make them believe you’re alone.”
He looked back.
“How?”
“We control distance.”
Tracking device in Alexander’s shoe.
Microphone under his shirt.
Drone surveillance.
Officers positioned outside visible range.
Alexander agreed to everything.
At 11:42 he drove alone toward the mill.
Rachel’s evidence box sat on the passenger seat.
Not the real one.
A duplicate.
Hayes refused to risk the originals.
Alexander barely noticed.
His thoughts were with Hope.
Eleven months old.
Unable to call for help.
Unable to say her father’s name.
At 11:58 he entered the mill.
Broken windows.
Rusting machinery.
Dust.
His footsteps echoed.
“Marcus!”
Nothing.
He continued.
“Marcus!”
A phone rang.
On a table.
Alexander approached.
Burner phone.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Marcus’s voice.
“You brought it?”
“Yes.”
“Open the box.”
Alexander did.
“Take out the drive.”
He obeyed.
“Break it.”
Alexander hesitated.
“Where’s Hope?”
“Break it.”
Alexander snapped the duplicate flash drive.
“Now the papers.”
He tore them.
“Where is my daughter?”
Marcus laughed.
“Which one?”
Alexander’s blood boiled.
“Hope.”
“You get attached quickly.”
“She’s my child.”
“Technically.”
Alexander scanned the shadows.
“Where are you?”
“Not there.”
Of course.
“You sent me here as a distraction.”
“Maybe.”
Alexander’s heart dropped.
From what?
He thought of Lily.
Police surrounded the estate.
Still.
“Where is Hope?”
“You want her?”
“Yes.”
“Then give me something.”
“What?”
“The trust.”
Alexander frowned.
“What trust?”
“Don’t insult me.”
“The shares.”
Marcus’s voice hardened.
“Transfer control.”
“To you?”
“To Hope’s legal guardian.”
“You aren’t her legal guardian.”
“I’m her husband’s presumed father.”
“That sentence doesn’t even make sense.”
“You know what I mean.”
Alexander understood.
Marcus wanted recognition as Hope’s legal father, which could let him challenge control of her trust.
“DNA proves you aren’t her father.”
“DNA can disappear.”
“Not anymore.”
Marcus went silent.
Alexander pushed.
“You lost.”
“Did I?”
A baby cried through the phone.
Alexander’s entire body locked.
Hope.
“Let me hear her.”
More crying.
Then Marcus spoke softly.
“Transfer the shares.”
“I can’t.”
“Then learn.”
“You hurt her and you get nothing.”
Marcus laughed.
“That’s why I won’t hurt her.”
Alexander listened carefully.
Background noise.
A bell.
A horn.
Then a repetitive metallic clang.
Hayes’s team was listening.
“Give me twenty-four hours.”
“You have six.”
“To transfer hundreds of millions?”
“Figure it out.”
The call ended.
Alexander stood alone in the mill.
Hayes entered minutes later.
“Did you hear the background?”
“Yes.”
“Our audio team is working it.”
Alexander looked at the ruined flash drive.
“This wasn’t just about evidence.”
“No.”
“It’s the trust.”
“Yes.”
Alexander suddenly understood another piece.
“Camille knew.”
Hayes looked at him.
“Knew what?”
“She knew Marcus wanted Hope for the trust.”
“Maybe.”
“No.”
Alexander paced.
“She helped create this.”
“Then why would Marcus need the safe-deposit box?”
“To destroy proof of his crimes.”
Hayes nodded.
“And why kidnap Hope now?”
“Because DNA exposed him.”
Alexander’s phone rang.
His attorney.
He answered impatiently.
“What?”
The man sounded shaken.
“Alexander, we have a legal filing.”
“What filing?”
“Emergency petition in family court.”
Alexander frowned.
“From who?”
“Marcus Vale.”
His blood chilled.
“For what?”
“Temporary custody of Hope.”
Alexander almost laughed.
“He kidnapped her.”
“We can’t prove that yet.”
“He’s missing.”
“The filing was submitted electronically through counsel.”
Alexander rubbed his face.
“What’s the argument?”
His attorney hesitated.
“He claims Hope is his legal daughter and that you used your wealth and influence to abduct her from his custody after Rachel’s death.”
Alexander stared at Hayes.
“He’s turning it around.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“The petition includes documents showing Rachel signed a marital acknowledgment of paternity.”
“That was before she knew.”
“I understand.”
“What else?”
“A statement.”
“From who?”
The attorney paused.
“Camille Laurent.”
Alexander stopped.
“What does Camille say?”
“That Rachel was emotionally unstable.”
Hayes’s face hardened.
Alexander whispered.
“Of course.”
The attorney continued.
“She claims Rachel repeatedly threatened to disappear with the children.”
“She claims you and Rachel resumed a secret relationship.”
“That is a lie.”
“I know.”
“And?”
“She claims the DNA test on Hope may have been manipulated.”
Alexander laughed in disbelief.
“Anything else?”
The attorney went quiet.
“What?”
“There is one allegation that could become difficult.”
“Say it.”
“Camille says you knew about Lily years ago.”
Alexander froze.
“And chose not to contact her.”
The old lie.
Resurrected.
Now in court.
“Why would she say that?”
“Because if the court believes you abandoned one child, Marcus’s attorney can argue you are using Hope’s DNA for financial reasons.”
Alexander almost threw the phone.
Then Lily’s voice came from behind him.
“Daddy?”
He turned.
Daniel had brought her with an officer because she refused to remain at the estate.
Alexander crouched.
“What are you doing here?”
Lily looked scared.
“Someone called me.”
His blood ran cold.
“What?”
“On Aunt Rebecca’s phone.”
“When?”
“Before we left.”
“What did they say?”
Lily held out a folded piece of paper.
She had written the words herself.
Alexander read them.
Ask Daddy what happened at Harbor Point.
He stared.
“What is Harbor Point?”
Daniel’s face changed.
Alexander noticed.
“What?”
His brother looked pale.
“Harbor Point.”
“Yes.”
Daniel swallowed.
“That’s where Dad’s helicopter crashed.”
Silence.
Their father had survived the stroke.
He had later died in a helicopter accident during physical rehabilitation travel.
Alexander stared at the note.
A new thought entered his mind.
A terrible one.
“Daniel…”
His brother already understood.
May you like
“What if Dad’s death wasn’t an accident either?”
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