Chương 15
Vanessa continued.
“Preston found your mother’s letter months ago.”
Richard stopped breathing.
“He knew who Madison was?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Before the policy increase.”
The entire story inside my head rearranged itself.
Preston had not discovered fifty million dollars and decided I was worth more dead.
Fifty million was only the first number he thought he could collect.
Vanessa stared at Richard.
“He knew Madison was your daughter before Madison knew you would ever come looking for her.”
I felt suddenly cold despite the heated room.
Richard’s voice barely moved.
“What exactly did he intend to do with the child?”
Vanessa looked at Eli.
“Make you buy your grandson back.”
Richard’s face did not move.
For the first time since he had climbed onto that ledge, he looked genuinely old.
Ortiz stepped between Vanessa and the bed.
“Explain exactly what you mean.”
Vanessa swallowed.
“Preston said Richard would pay anything for Madison once he knew she was his daughter.”
My skin went cold.
“And if I was dead?”
“He said the baby would be enough.”
Richard turned away.
His hand went to the window frame.
He gripped it so hard his knuckles whitened.
Vanessa kept talking because stopping would have been worse.
“He thought if Madison died and he kept custody, he could force Richard into some kind of private settlement.”
“For what?” Ortiz asked.
“Access.”
“To his grandson?”
“Yes.”
I looked down at Eli.
He was asleep again.
His mouth made small sucking movements.
The idea that Preston had ever looked at him and seen leverage made something in me become very still.
Not rage.
Something cleaner.
“Did he tell you how much?”
Vanessa nodded.
“Two hundred million.”
Evelyn whispered, “Jesus.”
Richard finally turned around.
“He believed I would pay him two hundred million dollars for permission to see a child.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“He believed you would pay to keep the circumstances quiet too.”
Richard laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“He never met me.”
“No.”
“He met enough men like him to assume everyone had a price.”
That sounded less like anger than disappointment.
I understood it.
For years, Preston had mistaken cynicism for intelligence.
Ortiz looked at me.
“Madison, I need to ask you something difficult.”
“I’m getting used to those.”
“Would Preston have any legal reason to believe he would automatically retain custody if you died?”
“He was the father.”
“That is not the same question.”
I thought about it.
Then I remembered the folder.
A blue folder in Preston’s office.
Estate documents.
Guardianship forms.
Something he had asked me to sign after an argument about who should raise the baby if we both died.
“I signed a guardianship nomination.”
Richard turned.
“For whom?”
“For Preston’s sister if both of us died.”
Ortiz frowned.
“Does he have a sister?”
“No.”
Everyone stared at me.
My stomach dropped.
“He told me it was standard language.”
Richard closed his eyes briefly.
“Do you have a copy?”
“Maybe in my email.”
Ortiz nodded.
“We’ll find it.”
Vanessa said, “He talked about changing it.”
“To what?”
She looked at Evelyn.
“His mother.”
Evelyn stood.
“No.”
Her voice shook.
“No, absolutely not.”
Ortiz looked at her.
“Did you know about that?”
“No.”
“Would you have agreed?”
“No.”
Evelyn turned to me.
“I swear to you.”
I believed her.
That surprised me.
Not because Evelyn had suddenly become trustworthy.
Because horror had stripped something performative out of her.
She looked at Eli and looked sick.
I said, “I believe you.”
She sat down again.
The relief on her face hurt to see.
Ortiz’s phone rang.
She answered immediately.
“Yes.”
Her expression changed.
“Where?”
She listened.
“Is he armed?”
Another pause.
“Do not approach.”
Richard stepped closer.
Ortiz ended the call.
“They found Preston.”
My heart stopped and restarted painfully.
“Where?”
“Not far from the hospital.”
Richard’s voice hardened.
“How close?”
“Parking garage across the street.”
Vanessa stood.
“He came here.”
Ortiz pointed at the chair.
“Sit.”
Vanessa sat.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
I looked at the locked door.
“Does he know my room?”
“We don’t know.”
“He knows I’m alive.”
“Probably.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It isn’t meant to be.”
She stepped into the hall and spoke to the officers outside.
Within seconds, the corridor changed.
Footsteps.
Radios.
A nurse pushing a cart away faster than necessary.
Richard moved toward my bed.
“No.”
He stopped.
“What?”
“Don’t stand over me like that.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“I know.”
“Then let me.”
“Protect Eli.”
That landed.
Richard looked at the bassinet.
I held Eli tighter.
“No one takes him from this room.”
Richard nodded.
“I can do that.”
Ortiz returned.
“We’re moving you.”
“Where?”
“Secure floor.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“I just had surgery.”
“I know.”
“I’m not walking.”
“We have a bed.”
“That was a joke.”
“I’m aware.”
She was not smiling.
Two nurses arrived.
One disconnected the monitor while another checked my IV.
Everything became suddenly practical.
Blankets.
Lines.
Medication.
A clipboard someone nearly dropped.
Eli was placed into his bassinet.
I hated losing contact with him even for seconds.
Richard stayed beside it.
Evelyn moved toward the door.
Ortiz stopped her.
“You stay with us.”
“What about Vanessa?”
“She comes too.”
Vanessa stood slowly.
“You shouldn’t move Madison because of me.”
Nobody answered.
That silence told her everything.
The hallway seemed endless.
Hospital staff pressed themselves against walls as we passed.
Some knew something was happening.
Most did not.
One man in blue scrubs held a cup of soup and stared at our strange procession.
I wondered absurdly whether it was tomato.
The elevator doors opened.
Ortiz entered first.
Richard rolled Eli beside me.
Vanessa and Evelyn followed.
One officer remained outside.
Another stepped in.
The doors began closing.
Then a shout came from down the corridor.
“Madison!”
My entire body locked.
Preston.
The doors were almost shut when he appeared at the far end of the hall.
He was running.
Blood streaked one side of his face.
May you like
His coat was gone.
His white shirt was torn at the shoulder.
