Chapter 4 - The Empty Car Seat
Ethan read the forged document twice.
Then he tore his eyes away from the page and looked at his mother through the glass wall of the consultation room.
“She forged Rachel’s signature.”
Detective Ortiz corrected him.
“Someone forged it.”
“No. I know my mother.”
“That may be true. I still need evidence.”
The document was terrifyingly detailed. It listed Rose by the temporary name Baby C Hart, included my date of birth, Ethan’s social security number, our home address, and the exact time of the C-section.
Information only the hospital, our insurance company, and immediate family should have known.
The notary stamp belonged to a woman named Celeste Ward.
Ortiz called the name into dispatch.
Thirty seconds later, her expression hardened.
“Ward died eleven months ago.”
Ethan stared at the paper.
“So the notary is fake too.”
“Or stolen.”
A security officer entered.
“We found the vehicle Vale used.”
My entire body went rigid.
“Rose?”
“No baby in the car.”
Ethan was already moving.
“I’m coming.”
The detective stopped him.
“You’re staying with your wife.”
“My daughter—”
“Will not be found faster because you run into a garage full of police.”
He looked at me.
I wanted him beside me. I also wanted him tearing the city apart.
“Go,” I said.
“Rachel—”
“Go find her.”
He kissed my forehead, then Caleb’s, and left with a security escort.
For the next twenty minutes, time became torture.
I watched the clock.
I watched Ava breathe.
I watched Lily breathe.
I kept staring at the empty space where Rose’s bassinet had been.
Then my phone rang.
Ethan.
I answered before the first ring finished.
“Tell me.”
His breathing was hard.
“They found Marissa’s SUV on level two.”
“And Rose?”
“Not there.”
My throat closed.
“There’s a car seat in the back. Empty.”
“What else?”
Silence.
“Ethan.”
“There was formula. A diaper bag. Newborn clothes. A prepaid phone.”
“This was planned.”
“Yes.”
Then I heard a police radio behind him.
A guard said something I couldn’t understand.
Ethan suddenly shouted, “Where?”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Rachel, I have to go.”
“Ethan!”
“They found blood near the south stairwell.”
The call ended.
I stared at the black screen.
Caleb slid his little hand into mine.
“Rosie’s okay,” he whispered.
I wished I had his faith.
Five minutes later, Detective Ortiz returned.
“There’s something you should know before rumors reach you.”
I could barely speak.
“The blood?”
“It belongs to an adult. We don’t know whose yet.”
I exhaled so hard I almost sobbed.
Ortiz continued.
“They also found the laundry bag.”
“Empty?”
“Yes.”
“Then where is my daughter?”
She looked toward the hallway.
“We believe Vale transferred the baby to another person inside the hospital.”
“Who?”
“We’re checking every badge hit between 5:40 and 6:10.”
A nurse burst into the room.
“Detective! The pharmacy elevator.”
Ortiz stood.
“What about it?”
“It doesn’t appear on the maternity elevator log.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s on a separate system.”
The administrator paled.
“That elevator goes straight to the ambulance bay.”
Ortiz ran.
My phone rang again.
This time the number was blocked.
I answered.
For two seconds, there was only static.
Then a woman whispered, “If you want your baby alive, tell your husband to stop the police.”
----------------------------------------
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://metro.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
