Chương 10
“She knew Lily’s name.”
Claire looked at Sarah.
Sarah was staring at Melina as if she had been waiting for something.
“What was her name?”
Melina hesitated.
“Rebecca.”
Sarah whispered, “No.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
Sarah looked at her.
“There was a Rebecca in Dad’s notebook.”
Daniel went still.
Claire felt the yard tilt again.
“What did he write?”
Sarah swallowed.
“She was the home-health aide who started coming three weeks before he died.”
Melina took a step backward.
“No.”
Sarah’s voice shook.
“He wrote that she came when Daniel was there.”
Daniel stared at her.
“I never met anyone named Rebecca.”
Sarah looked at him.
“Dad wrote otherwise.”
“You think your father’s notes are gospel?”
“No.”
“I do not know a Rebecca.”
Claire watched him carefully.
His anger looked real.
That did not make him innocent.
It only made the shape of the truth harder.
“Melina.”
Claire’s voice came out low.
“Did you meet this nurse in person?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
“When?”
“Last week.”
Daniel stared at his mother.
“You let some woman into our house and never told me.”
“She said Claire might be released unexpectedly.”
Claire felt something cold move through her chest.
“What did she want?”
Melina looked at Lily.
“She said she needed to see the child.”
Claire took one step forward.
“Why?”
“She said Lily might have been exposed.”
“Exposed to what?”
Melina’s face crumpled for the first time.
Not dramatically.
Just enough that the certainty left it.
“I don’t know.”
Claire stared at her.
“You locked my daughter in a kennel because a stranger told you she was dangerous.”
“No.”
Melina shook her head.
“That came later.”
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“What came later?”
Melina looked at Lily.
“The biting.”
Daniel’s head snapped toward her.
“What biting?”
Claire instinctively pulled Lily closer.
Melina pointed toward her own forearm.
“She bit Rebecca.”
Claire looked down at Lily.
Lily’s frightened eyes filled.
“I didn’t.”
Melina said, “I saw the mark.”
“I didn’t.”
Lily’s voice broke.
“She put blood on herself.”
Claire crouched immediately.
“What do you mean?”
Lily began crying.
“The lady made a cut.”
“With what?”
Lily touched her own wrist.
“Tiny knife.”
Ethan’s face hardened.
Daniel whispered, “Jesus Christ.”
Claire’s mind moved faster now.
Not toward ghosts.
Toward people.
Toward staging.
Toward fear being manufactured.
She looked at Melina.
“Did you see Lily bite her?”
Melina said nothing.
“Did you actually see it?”
“No.”
“So this woman showed you a mark and told you Lily did it.”
“She was bleeding.”
“That is not what I asked.”
Melina’s eyes filled with panic.
Claire stood.
“Where is Rebecca now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Call her.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“She stopped answering.”
“When?”
Melina’s mouth trembled.
“This morning.”
Sarah’s eyes went to the upstairs window.
Daniel followed her gaze.
Ethan said, “Nobody goes inside alone.”
Claire looked at him.
He nodded toward Lily.
“Get her somewhere safe first.”
Claire looked down.
Lily’s face was pressed against her side.
She was still barefoot.
Still shaking.
Still waiting for adults to become competent.
Claire unlocked her phone.
This time Daniel did not stop her.
Neither did Melina.
Claire dialed emergency services.
When the dispatcher answered, Claire gave the address.
Her voice surprised her by sounding calm.
She said there had been suspected child abuse.
She said an unknown adult may have had unauthorized access to the home.
She said her daughter had visible bruising.
She said there might be evidence inside.
Then Lily pulled gently at her sleeve.
Claire looked down.
“What is it?”
Lily pointed toward Sarah’s phone.
“The picture.”
Sarah frowned.
“What about it?”
Lily stared at the grainy image still visible on the screen.
“That’s not the lady.”
Claire’s pulse stopped for a beat.
“Are you sure?”
Lily nodded.
“The lady has Grandma’s necklace.”
Melina went perfectly still.
Claire turned toward her.
“What necklace?”
Daniel’s face drained of color.
He looked at his mother’s throat.
The silver chain she always wore was missing.
Claire had not noticed.
“Mom.”
Melina lifted one hand to her bare neck.
Daniel’s voice went quiet.
“Where is your necklace?”
Melina’s hand remained at her throat.
“I took it off.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You never take it off.”
“It was irritating my skin.”
Claire looked at the pale indentation around Melina’s neck where the chain had rested for years.
“When?”
“This morning.”
“What did you do with it?”
“I put it upstairs.”
“Where?”
Melina hesitated.
“My bathroom.”
Daniel’s voice sharpened.
“You don’t have a bathroom upstairs.”
Melina looked at him.
For a second, no one moved.
Then Sarah whispered, “Oh my God.”
Melina’s face tightened.
“I meant Claire’s bathroom.”
Claire’s skin prickled.
“You were in my bathroom this morning.”
“I used it.”
“Why?”
“The downstairs one was occupied.”
“By who?”
Melina glanced toward the house.
Daniel followed her eyes.
“Mom.”
“I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember who was in the bathroom?”
“I was distracted.”
Claire still had the dispatcher on the phone.
A voice asked whether anyone was in immediate danger.
Claire looked at the dark kitchen doorway.
“I don’t know.”
She gave the dispatcher the names of everyone present and said they were remaining outside.
The dispatcher told her officers were on the way.
Claire ended the call and slipped the phone into her coat pocket before remembering Lily was wearing the coat.
The phone nearly fell through the oversized pocket.
Lily caught it against her hip.
That tiny competent movement made Claire’s chest ache.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
Lily handed it back.
Claire crouched and took both of Lily’s hands.
“I need you to stay with me.”
Lily nodded.
“No going inside.”
Another nod.
Claire looked at Sarah.
“Do you have anything in your car she can drink?”
“Water.”
“Food?”
“A granola bar.”
“Nothing with nuts.”
Sarah blinked.
“She’s still allergic?”
Claire’s irritation flared.
“Yes, she’s still allergic.”
Sarah absorbed it without answering.
“I have crackers.”
“Get those.”
Sarah turned toward the side gate.
Lily grabbed Claire.
“No.”
Sarah stopped immediately.
Claire said, “It’s okay.”
May you like
Lily shook her head.
“Don’t let her go.”
