Chapter 9 - The Answer Margaret Never Gave
Daniel pressed a dish towel against his mother’s shoulder.
“Stay with me.”
“I’m fine,” Margaret gasped.
“You’ve been shot.”
“Then I’m not fine.”
Rachel almost laughed from pure shock.
Another round shattered the dining room window.
“Back door,” Daniel said.
They moved low.
Rachel carried Lily. Daniel pulled Margaret. Sophie clutched Bunny under one arm and Rachel’s coat with the other.
They escaped through the garage and into a neighbor’s yard.
Sirens began in the distance.
Margaret grabbed Rachel’s wrist.
“Not the police.”
Rachel stared at her.
“Why does everybody keep saying that?”
“Because Arden owns people.”
“Who owns Arden?”
Margaret’s grip weakened.
“Victor Lang.”
Daniel stopped.
Rachel saw recognition.
“Who is that?”
Daniel’s voice went flat.
“My former boss.”
Margaret whispered, “Claire found out he was buying city contracts through fake companies. Judges. Detectives. Inspectors. She copied everything.”
“And Sophie?” Rachel demanded.
Margaret looked at the child.
“Claire needed a safe place for the final key.”
“What key?”
“She said it had to be someone Lang would never connect to her.”
Rachel’s anger rose.
“She used my daughter?”
Margaret nodded weakly.
Rachel wanted to scream.
Before she could, Daniel’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man said, “Daniel.”
Daniel went pale.
Rachel heard the voice through the speaker.
“Victor.”
“Your mother always was tougher than she looked.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around the phone.
“You shot her?”
“No. I sent someone to retrieve my property.”
Rachel shouted, “Sophie is not your property.”
Silence.
Then Victor laughed softly.
“So Rachel finally knows.”
“Knows what?”
“You married the wrong man to protect the right child.”
Daniel frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Victor ignored him.
“Rachel, ask Daniel why Claire chose Sophie.”
“He says he doesn’t know.”
“That may be the first honest thing he’s told you.”
The line went dead.
Rachel stared at Daniel.
Then Sophie tugged her sleeve.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Bunny has a zipper.”
Rachel looked down.
“No, it doesn’t.”
Sophie pushed aside worn fur near the rabbit’s back.
A tiny hidden zipper appeared beneath the seam.
Rachel opened it.
Inside was a hospital bracelet.
The printed name was faded but readable.
BABY GIRL MORGAN.
Date of birth: Sophie’s birthday.
Hospital: St. Vincent’s.
And beneath the bracelet was another tag.
BABY GIRL HALE.
Same date.
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