Chapter 8 - The blackout lasted eleven seconds.Eleven seconds was enough.
When the cameras came back, Ashley was gone.
The interview room door was still locked.
The officer outside swore nobody had entered.
Detective Brooks looked at Michael.
“Don't move.”
Michael ignored her.
“How did she get out?”
Nobody knew.
Then an officer shouted from the hallway.
“Detective!”
They ran.
A maintenance door stood open.
Its electronic lock had been disabled.
Michael stared at the panel.
Someone had known exactly when the system would fail.
This was coordinated.
Detective Brooks ordered the building sealed.
Michael pulled out his phone.
His sister had sent three messages.
Call me.
Please.
I need to tell you something.
Michael called.
No answer.
He called again.
Voicemail.
His blood ran cold.
He turned to Detective Brooks.
“I need to go.”
“We have officers going to your sister's house.”
Michael shook his head.
“She has Emma's emergency location card.”
“What card?”
“Emma carries a tracker.”
Detective Brooks looked at him.
“You said Ashley took Emma earlier.”
“I was wrong.”
“Why?”
“Because if Ashley had her, she would've had access to the tracker.”
His phone vibrated.
The tracking app updated.
Emma's location appeared.
Not Michael's sister's house.
Not the police station.
The abandoned warehouse district near the river.
Michael stared at the screen.
Detective Brooks saw it.
“Let's go.”
They drove through heavy rain.
Michael sat in the passenger seat.
Daniel was in another vehicle behind them.
The warehouse was empty.
The tracker signal came from inside.
Michael entered first.
“Emma?”
Nothing.
Then he saw a small red backpack on the floor.
Emma's.
He picked it up.
Inside was her stuffed rabbit.
His chest tightened.
A sound echoed from the second level.
A child crying.
Michael ran upstairs.
Emma was there.
Sitting on a wooden crate.
Alone.
He pulled her into his arms.
“Oh God.”
She clung to him.
“They brought me here.”
“Who?”
“A man.”
“Which man?”
“I don't know.”
“Was Ashley with him?”
“No.”
Michael froze.
“Where was Ashley?”
Emma shook her head.
“She wasn't there.”
“Then who was?”
Emma pointed across the warehouse.
A figure stood in the darkness.
Michael reached for the weapon under his coat.
“Come into the light.”
The man stepped forward.
Richard Vale.
Michael's blood ran cold.
Richard looked almost sad.
“You shouldn't have found the closet.”
Michael stepped between Richard and Emma.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
Richard raised both hands.
“I've never hurt Emma.”
“You had her kidnapped.”
“I had her moved.”
“Why?”
“Because someone inside your family was planning to kill her.”
Michael's voice sharpened.
“Who?”
Richard looked toward the entrance.
Daniel had arrived.
Richard smiled.
“There he is.”
Daniel stopped.
Richard said:
“Tell him.”
Daniel's face was pale.
Michael looked between them.
“Tell me what?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Sarah wasn't killed in the accident.”
Michael felt the world go quiet.
Richard spoke.
“She was poisoned first.”
Michael stared.
“What?”
“Sedative. Her body was already compromised when the crash happened.”
Michael looked at Daniel.
“You knew.”
Daniel nodded.
“I knew after the autopsy.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the people involved threatened Emma.”
Richard shook his head.
“I didn't threaten anyone.”
Michael turned toward him.
“Then who did?”
Richard hesitated.
This time, genuine fear crossed his face.
“Your sister.”
Michael stopped.
“No.”
Richard nodded.
“She was the one who helped Ashley get close to you.”
Michael felt sick.
“You're lying.”
“Then ask her.”
Michael's phone rang.
His sister.
Finally.
Michael answered.
Silence.
Then her voice.
“Michael.”
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“Why did Richard say you helped Ashley?”
Her breathing changed.
“Because he's trying to turn you against me.”
“Did you know Ashley before I met her?”
Silence.
Michael closed his eyes.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
The word crushed him.
“Why?”
“I wanted to protect Emma.”
“From what?”
“From someone who was already inside the family.”
“Who?”
His sister began crying.
“Michael, listen to me. Sarah wasn't killed because of the trust.”
“Then why?”
“Because she discovered who Emma's real mother was.”
Michael froze.
He looked at Emma.
His daughter.
His sister whispered:
“Sarah was not Emma's biological mother.”
The warehouse seemed to tilt.
Michael could barely speak.
“What did you say?”
“She raised her.”
“But Sarah was her mother.”
“On paper.”
Michael stared at Emma.
The little girl looked confused.
His sister continued.
“There is another woman.”
Michael's voice shook.
“Who?”
“Rebecca.”
He remembered the photograph.
The woman beside Sarah.
The woman Sarah had told him to find.
His sister whispered:
“Rebecca is Emma's biological mother.”
Michael couldn't breathe.
Then he looked at Richard.
Richard's face told him one thing.
May you like
He already knew.
And that meant the secret was much older than Ashley.
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