Chapter 16 - The Person Sophie Chose
Nora denied knowing anything.
Roman believed her.
That was what made the clue complicated.
Arthur had not given Nora the location.
He had designed Sophie’s memories so Nora could unlock them.
Why Nora?
Roman asked Sophie.
“What do you remember about meeting Nora?”
“I was three.”
“What happened?”
“I was sick.”
Nora smiled faintly.
“High fever.”
Sophie nodded.
“Grandma wasn’t there.”
“Mom wasn’t there.”
“Nora stayed all night.”
Roman looked at Nora.
“Did Arthur know about you?”
She shook her head.
“Not that I know.”
Claire disagreed.
“He did.”
Everyone turned.
“How?”
Claire remembered something.
“When Sophie was four, Arthur contacted me.”
“He asked about the new caretaker.”
“I said Nora.”
“He asked three questions.”
Roman waited.
“Did Sophie trust her?”
“Did Nora know who Roman was?”
“Would Nora leave if offered money?”
Nora stared.
“What did you tell him?”
“That Sophie trusted you.”
“That you had started asking questions.”
“And that Helena offered you fifty thousand dollars to leave.”
Nora looked at Helena.
“You knew?”
Helena nodded.
“She refused.”
Roman asked.
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand.”
Nora smiled bitterly.
“She raised it to one hundred.”
Roman looked at Nora differently.
Everyone else had been bound by blood, money, guilt, or secrets.
Nora had stayed because a child needed her.
Arthur had noticed.
Sophie touched Nora’s hand.
“One heart.”
Nora’s eyes filled.
“What are we supposed to do?”
Sophie closed her eyes.
“Follow.”
“Follow what?”
“The heart.”
Roman suddenly remembered the dollhouse.
In the miniature Vale House, one room had contained a tiny heart painted beneath the carpet.
He had seen it without understanding.
They retrieved the dollhouse again.
Nora examined it.
The heart lay beneath the miniature kitchen.
She pressed it.
A small panel opened.
Inside was a strip of paper.
Coordinates.
Roman entered them into a map.
A location appeared.
St. Gabriel Children’s Hospital.
Roman stared.
Sophie had been born there.
They drove immediately.
The coordinates did not point to the hospital itself.
They pointed to an old chapel beside it.
The chapel had been closed for years.
Inside, Nora walked toward the altar.
Sophie suddenly remembered.
“Behind Mary.”
A statue stood beside the wall.
Roman moved it.
A steel box was embedded inside the stone.
No keyhole.
Four buttons.
Horse.
Music note.
Moon.
Heart.
Sophie pressed them in order.
The box opened.
Inside was the master ledger.
Roman stared.
Nine years of lies.
Deaths.
Disappearances.
All inside one black book.
Evelyn put on gloves.
“No one touches anything.”
Claire started crying.
“It’s over.”
Roman looked at her.
“No.”
He knew better now.
“Nothing is over yet.”
His phone rang.
Helena.
Roman answered.
“What?”
Her voice was frantic.
“Where’s Sophie?”
“With me.”
“Roman, listen to me.”
“What happened?”
“The clinic was breached.”
Roman’s stomach dropped.
“By Victor?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Helena began breathing hard.
“Arthur.”
Roman stared.
“My father?”
“He came for me.”
“Where are you?”
“I got away.”
“What did he want?”
“The ledger.”
Roman looked at the black book inside the chapel wall.
Arthur had built the puzzle.
Arthur had supposedly wanted the ledger found.
Why would he now try to take it?
Helena whispered.
“Roman.”
“What?”
“Victor was telling the truth.”
“About what?”
“Your father killed Dr. Hill.”
Roman closed his eyes.
“And?”
“He killed Marianne too.”
Claire gasped.
Helena continued.
“He has been eliminating everyone who can prove he created the Circle.”
Roman stared at the ledger.
The hero of the story had never been a hero.
Arthur had hidden evidence not only to expose others.
He had hidden it to control them.
Sophie tugged Roman’s sleeve.
He looked down.
She whispered.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“Grandpa is here.”
Roman turned.
Arthur Vale stood at the chapel entrance.
Alive.
May you like
Gun in his hand.
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