Chapter 2 - SOMEONE KNEW
Amy’s blood turned cold.
She read the message again.
Vanessa knows about the baby.
The car had barely reached Park Avenue.
“Stop.”
The driver looked at her in the mirror.
“Ma’am?”
“Pull over.”
He eased toward the curb.
Amy immediately called the number.
It rang twice.
Then disconnected.
She called again.
Straight to voicemail.
No greeting.
No name.
Nothing.
She typed:
Who is this?
Three dots appeared.
Stopped.
Appeared again.
Then:
Someone who should’ve warned you sooner.
Amy’s pulse jumped.
How does Vanessa know?
No answer.
She looked down at her purse.
The ultrasound photo was inside.
She had told no one except Claire and her doctor.
Not Daniel.
Not Margaret.
Not Daniel’s assistant.
Nobody.
Her phone vibrated again.
Don’t trust anyone at Harrison Foundation. Especially not Daniel’s CFO.
Amy stared at the screen.
The CFO was Ryan Mercer.
Daniel’s closest friend.
Best man at their wedding.
Godfather to Margaret’s youngest grandson.
A man who had eaten Thanksgiving dinner at Amy’s table for six years.
“Jesus.”
The driver glanced back.
“Everything okay?”
“No.”
She almost told him to take her back.
Almost.
But back to what?
Daniel?
Vanessa?
A ballroom full of people who smiled at her while apparently half of Manhattan knew more about her marriage than she did?
No.
“Keep going.”
“To JFK?”
Amy hesitated.
Then remembered the message.
Don’t go to the airport.
“Not yet.”
She gave him the address of a twenty-four-hour diner in Queens.
Her phone rang.
Daniel.
She declined it.
He called again.
Declined.
Then Margaret.
Amy let that one ring too.
A voicemail arrived.
“Amy, please call me. Daniel is losing his mind. I don’t know what happened between you two, but don’t disappear tonight. Please.”
Amy closed her eyes.
Daniel was losing his mind.
Interesting.
He had spent years telling her not to overreact whenever she asked where he was.
Now she had been gone twelve minutes.
Her phone buzzed with a third call.
Claire.
Amy answered immediately.
“Did you send me a message from another number?”
“What?”
“Did you tell anyone I’m pregnant?”
There was a pause.
“Amy, no.”
“Think.”
“I am thinking.”
“Claire.”
“No. I swear.”
Amy looked out the window.
The city blurred past.
“Someone just told me Vanessa knows.”
“What?”
“And they told me not to go to the airport.”
“Where are you?”
“In a car.”
“Don’t tell me over the phone.”
That stopped her.
“What?”
Claire’s voice lowered.
“Something weird happened this morning.”
Amy sat straighter.
“What happened?”
“I got an email from someone asking if I still owned the apartment above the bookstore.”
Amy’s stomach tightened.
“Who?”
“They said they were interested in renting it.”
“And?”
“They asked if it had private parking.”
Amy swallowed.
Only Claire knew Amy was going there.
“Did you answer?”
“No.”
“Who sent it?”
“Some Gmail address. Fake name.”
Amy stared at the city lights.
“Claire, I think someone’s watching us.”
“I think you need to get somewhere safe.”
The driver turned onto the bridge.
Amy looked at his reflection.
Suddenly every stranger seemed suspicious.
“Change of plans,” she said.
The driver looked back.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
She gave him a hotel name near LaGuardia.
Not the airport.
A small business hotel Daniel would never choose.
Then she texted Claire.
Delete anything with my travel details.
Claire replied immediately.
Already did.
Amy’s phone rang again.
Daniel.
This time she answered.
“What?”
His voice hit her hard.
“Amy, where are you?”
“Why?”
“Because you disappeared.”
“I left.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
“What happened with Vanessa?”
Amy went quiet.
Daniel exhaled sharply.
“Nothing is going on.”
“Don’t.”
“I’m serious.”
“She texts you after midnight.”
Silence.
There it was.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
Amy’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“So you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Amy—”
“‘Miss you already.’ ‘Wish we were still in Chicago.’ ‘She has no idea, does she?’ Want me to keep going?”
Daniel said nothing.
“Yeah,” Amy whispered. “That’s what I thought.”
“I can explain.”
“I’m sure you can.”
“It isn’t what you think.”
“You know what’s funny? I don’t even know what I think anymore.”
“Amy, please come home.”
“No.”
Another silence.
Then Daniel’s tone changed.
Softer.
More careful.
“Are you alone?”
Amy froze.
“Why?”
“Just answer me.”
“No.”
“Are you with Claire?”
Amy’s heart lurched.
She had never told him Claire was involved.
“Why would you ask that?”
Daniel didn’t answer fast enough.
Amy felt ice crawl up her spine.
“How do you know about Claire?”
“Amy—”
“How do you know?”
“I saw a message once.”
“When?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember?”
“It was months ago.”
Amy pulled the phone away for a second.
A message from the unknown number appeared.
He’s lying. Ask him who accessed your medical insurance records last Friday.
Amy stopped breathing.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Did anyone at your company access my health insurance records?”
Silence.
Then Daniel said one word.
“Fuck.”
May you like
And Amy knew.
Someone had.
