Chapter 6 - The Baby's FatherMegan sat across from Alex in the interrogation room.
She looked exhausted.
Her baby slept in a portable crib nearby.
“You knew my father,” Alex said.
Megan didn't answer.
“You knew Thomas Warren.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He helped Claire.”
“Helped her do what?”
“Escape.”
Alex leaned forward.
“From whom?”
Megan's fingers tightened around the cup of water.
“Her husband.”
Alex blinked.
“Claire was married?”
“Yes.”
“Daniel?”
“No.”
Megan whispered the name.
“Elias Cross.”
Alex searched his memory.
The name sounded familiar.
A businessman.
Owner of several private security firms.
One of the largest contractors near the county rail yards.
He was also dead.
Three years ago.
Car accident.
Megan continued.
“Elias wasn't Eva's father.”
“Then who was?”
She looked at the baby.
“I don't know.”
Alex stared.
“You carried his child.”
“I know who her mother was.”
“You said Claire asked you to protect Eva.”
“She did.”
“Why would Claire trust you?”
Megan finally looked up.
“Because I was her sister.”
Alex went completely still.
“Claire had another sister?”
Megan nodded.
“My name was Megan Cross.”
“Was?”
“I changed it.”
“When?”
“The day Claire died.”
Alex stood.
“You changed your name to Megan Hale.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Elias was looking for me.”
Alex remembered the warning.
The hidden files.
The photographs.
The railroad crossings.
Suddenly Jet began barking outside the room.
Alex opened the door.
The dog was staring at the crib.
His fur stood up.
The baby had woken.
Jet walked toward her.
He sniffed the blanket.
Then he began scratching at the crib.
Alex checked the baby.
Nothing.
He lifted the blanket.
A tiny object was sewn into the fabric.
A memory card.
Alex stared.
“Where did this come from?”
Megan shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Alex inserted it into a secure reader.
One video file appeared.
Recorded two years ago.
The screen showed Claire.
She looked frightened.
Behind her was a railway platform.
Platform 9.
Claire looked directly at the camera.
“If something happens to me, don't trust Elias.”
She swallowed.
“He doesn't want the children.”
Alex frowned.
Claire whispered:
“He wants what they saw.”
The video cut.
Then returned.
Claire was crying.
“One child escaped.”
She looked off-camera.
“A little boy.”
A voice shouted in the background.
Claire turned.
Before she could say anything else, the recording ended.
Alex stared at the black screen.
“A little boy.”
Megan whispered.
“Claire said there was another witness.”
Alex looked toward Jet.
The dog was growling at the door.
A uniformed officer entered.
“Trooper Warren, you need to come with me.”
Alex stood.
“Why?”
“There's been an incident.”
“What incident?”
“Someone attacked the courthouse.”
Alex followed him.
Outside, the sky was gray.
The officer handed Alex a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a child's drawing.
A black Lab.
A railroad crossing.
A man.
And a woman wearing a blue scarf.
Underneath, written in red crayon:
THE DOG REMEMBERS.
Alex looked at Jet.
The dog was staring at the drawing.
And suddenly, for the first time since this began, Alex understood.
Jet wasn't reacting to the future.
He was reacting to the past.
He had seen something.
Something no human witness had remembered.
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And somehow…
the dog knew exactly where it was buried.
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