Chapter 6 - HANNAH’S LIE
Daniel stared at her.
“What did you do?”
Hannah’s eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t kidnap him.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Ruiz stepped closer.
“Ms. Cole, I need you to be careful about what you say next.”
Hannah ignored her.
She looked only at Daniel.
“Six years ago, I didn’t come to this house looking for a housekeeping job.”
Daniel felt something inside him break.
“Why did you come?”
“I came because of Noah.”
Noah stared at her.
“You knew me?”
Hannah nodded.
“I worked nights at St. Catherine’s Hospital.”
Daniel’s face changed.
The hospital where Noah had supposedly died.
“I was a laundry attendant. Temporary staff. Nobody important.”
“Keep going.”
“The night Noah was declared dead, I saw Dr. Pike in the service elevator.”
She swallowed.
“Noah was with him.”
Daniel’s mouth opened.
Hannah continued.
“He was sedated. Wrapped in a hospital blanket. There was another man with them.”
“Who?”
“I didn’t know then.”
“Now?”
“Andrew.”
Daniel looked away.
Hannah stepped closer.
“I followed them to the underground loading area. They put Noah into a private ambulance.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I tried.”
Daniel exploded.
“YOU TRIED?”
Noah jumped.
Ruiz said, “Mr. Mercer.”
Daniel lowered his voice, but it was worse now.
“You saw my living son the night I was told he died.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me bury him.”
“I called hospital security. The next morning, I went to police.”
“And?”
“Dr. Pike said I was lying.”
Hannah’s voice shook.
“The hospital said I’d been fired two weeks earlier for stealing medication.”
“Had you?”
“No.”
Ruiz asked, “Do you have proof?”
“No.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.”
Hannah flinched.
“Three days later, somebody broke into my apartment. They beat my brother so badly he spent a month in the hospital.”
Noah moved closer to her.
Hannah continued.
“There was a note on my kitchen table.”
Daniel said nothing.
“It said if I talked about the Mercer boy again, my brother would die.”
Daniel’s anger faded slightly.
“So you came here.”
“Yes.”
“To spy on us.”
“Yes.”
“For six years?”
“I thought if Noah was alive, somebody in this family knew.”
Daniel looked at his son.
“And you found him tonight?”
“No.”
Hannah’s voice cracked.
“I heard him tonight.”
Daniel stared at her.
“I spent years searching rooms, checking cars, watching staff changes. I never found that space.”
Ruiz looked toward the hidden room.
“Someone built it recently?”
Hannah shook her head.
“Old servants’ architecture. It was sealed on both sides.”
Noah suddenly spoke.
“I knew Hannah was looking.”
Everyone turned.
“How?” Daniel asked.
Noah pointed at her shoes.
“She always walked slow near the walls.”
Hannah gave a broken laugh.
Noah hugged her.
Daniel watched them.
His anger became shame.
Before he could speak, Ruiz’s radio cracked.
“Detective, we have a vehicle leaving the east gate.”
Ruiz grabbed the radio.
“Who?”
“Black Mercedes. Registered to Celeste Mercer.”
Daniel ran for the window.
Outside, headlights cut through the trees.
Then the night exploded.
BOOM!
A ball of fire rose beyond the gate.
Noah screamed.
Daniel shielded him.
Ruiz shouted for officers.
For one terrible moment, Daniel believed Celeste had just died.
Then a police officer ran in from outside.
“Detective!”
“What?”
“The Mercedes was empty.”
Ruiz frowned.
“Then what exploded?”
The officer looked at Daniel.
“Mr. Mercer’s personal car.”
Daniel went cold.
May you like
The officer continued.
“And somebody placed a body in the driver’s seat.”
