Chapter 5 - the second voice)
Rachel had spent years working in emergency medicine.
She had learned that fear often arrived after danger.
During an actual crisis, the mind became precise.
Check the airway.
Control bleeding.
Call for help.
Move.
It was afterward, when the room became quiet, that the body began to shake.
That was what happened when Officer Hale told Rachel someone had discussed getting her "out of the way."
For several seconds, she felt nothing.
Then her hands began trembling.
Margaret saw.
She moved beside Rachel.
"Sit."
"I'm fine."
"Sit."
Rachel sat.
Daniel stood across the room looking horrified.
"Who was the man?"
Hale answered.
"We're working on that."
"Play me the recording."
"Not yet."
"It's my house."
"It's evidence."
Daniel paced.
"Could it be someone from Vanessa's family?"
"Possibly."
"Her father?"
"He's dead."
"Her uncle?"
"Maybe."
Rachel lifted her head.
"Vanessa has a brother."
Daniel stopped.
"Half brother."
"Name?"
"Trevor Shaw."
Hale wrote it down.
Rachel had met Trevor only twice.
Once at Daniel and Vanessa's wedding.
Once at Christmas.
Mid thirties.
Smooth smile.
Expensive watch.
Always talking about investment opportunities.
Vanessa told everyone he worked in medical distribution.
Rachel remembered disliking the way Trevor had asked Daniel detailed questions about company ownership after only fifteen minutes of conversation.
"Does he live nearby?" Hale asked.
Daniel shook his head.
"Richmond, I think."
Rachel said.
"He was here last month."
Daniel turned.
"What?"
"I saw him at the gas station near your neighborhood."
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
"You didn't tell me."
"Why would I?"
Daniel rubbed his mouth.
"He told Vanessa he hadn't been in Maryland since Christmas."
Hale immediately radioed another officer.
Rachel watched him.
"Can you compare Trevor's voice to the recording?"
"We can obtain samples."
Daniel looked at Rachel.
"If Vanessa and Trevor planned this..."
Rachel finished for him.
"Then Emily may not have been the first stage."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Officer Hale asked Daniel to list every financial interest Vanessa would gain if he died or became incapacitated.
The list was longer than Rachel expected.
Life insurance.
Business continuation coverage.
The family trust.
A jointly owned house.
Investment accounts.
Retirement assets.
A minority share of Carter Design and Engineering.
Daniel's company was successful but not enormous.
Still, the combined value of everything could exceed twelve million dollars.
Then came the strangest piece.
Three months earlier, Vanessa had encouraged Daniel to create a charitable foundation in Noah's name.
Rachel frowned.
"Why?"
Daniel shrugged.
"Tax planning. Legacy."
"Who manages it?"
"I do."
"Who takes over if you can't?"
Daniel's silence answered.
Rachel said.
"Vanessa."
He nodded.
Hale asked.
"How much is currently in it?"
"Eight hundred thousand."
Margaret whispered.
"That woman has been building a map to your money."
Daniel looked away.
At 1:30 p.m., police located Vanessa.
She was sitting in her car behind a shopping center six miles from the house.
She had changed clothes.
She had two suitcases.
And she had over eighteen thousand dollars in cash.
Rachel heard the update from Officer Hale.
"Is she under arrest?"
"She's being detained."
"For what?"
"At minimum, child endangerment is being investigated. There may be additional charges as evidence develops."
Daniel asked.
"Can I see her?"
"No."
"Can she see Noah?"
"Not currently."
Margaret looked relieved.
Rachel did not.
Because Vanessa had not fled immediately after they left the house.
She had gone somewhere.
Changed clothes.
Collected cash.
Maybe contacted someone.
Rachel's phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Again.
Hale immediately moved beside her.
The message said.
YOU FOUND EMILY'S BOX. GOOD.
Rachel showed Hale.
He nodded.
"Reply."
Earlier he had told her not to.
Now he wanted engagement.
Rachel typed.
WHO ARE YOU?
The answer came almost instantly.
SOMEONE WHO WAS TOO LATE FOUR YEARS AGO.
Rachel swallowed.
WHO?
No response.
Hale said.
"Ask how they knew about the toolbox."
Rachel typed.
HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT EMILY'S EVIDENCE?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then returned.
I DIDN'T. I KNEW SHE LEFT SOMETHING FOR YOU.
Rachel typed.
DID YOU SEND THE VIDEO?
YES.
WHO RECORDED IT?
No answer.
Then.
EMILY.
Rachel stared.
The video had clearly been recorded by Emily herself.
That part made sense.
But how had the unknown sender obtained it?
She asked.
HOW DID YOU GET IT?
The answer took longer.
VANESSA THOUGHT SHE DELETED EVERYTHING.
Hale said quietly.
"Ask where they got the hidden phone."
Rachel typed.
DID YOU HIDE THE PHONE IN THE FREEZER?
YES.
WHO ARE YOU?
A full minute passed.
Then a photograph arrived.
Not a face.
A hospital employee badge.
The name was partly covered by a thumb.
But the photograph showed a woman Rachel recognized.
Blonde hair.
Green eyes.
Late thirties.
Rachel whispered.
"Claire."
Margaret leaned in.
"Who?"
Rachel looked at Hale.
"Claire Benson."
The name pulled something old from her memory.
Claire had been a pharmacy technician at St. Matthew's years earlier.
Not on Rachel's floor.
In outpatient pharmacy.
Rachel had spoken to her maybe ten times.
Then Claire disappeared from the hospital.
Rachel had heard she moved.
The next message arrived.
I WORKED WITH VANESSA.
Rachel's heart accelerated.
Hale said.
"Keep her talking."
Rachel typed.
WHERE ARE YOU?
I WON'T SAY YET.
WHY?
BECAUSE TREVOR IS LOOKING FOR ME.
Hale's expression changed.
Rachel typed.
IS TREVOR THE MAN ON THE RECORDING?
YES.
Daniel swore.
Rachel asked.
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
The response was immediate.
BECAUSE I RECORDED THEM.
Rachel looked up.
Claire had recorded Vanessa and Trevor.
Claire had hidden the phone.
Claire had put the note in Noah's clothing.
Rachel typed.
WERE YOU IN THE HOUSE THIS MORNING?
YES.
Margaret stared.
"I never saw her."
Rachel asked.
WHEN?
The answer.
BEFORE YOU ARRIVED.
Then another message.
I WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED MARGARET FROM VANESSA'S PHONE.
Margaret froze.
"What?"
Rachel read it aloud.
Margaret shook her head.
"Vanessa spoke to me."
The next text arrived.
NO. I PLAYED A RECORDING OF HER CRYING FROM LAST WEEK. YOU SPOKE. SHE DIDN'T ANSWER MUCH. YOU ASSUMED IT WAS HER.
Margaret stared at nothing.
Rachel remembered her mother saying Vanessa had been crying.
Maybe Margaret had done most of the talking.
Rachel typed.
WHY?
BECAUSE NOAH WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD BY BREAKFAST IF I DIDN'T.
Daniel sat down hard.
Rachel's fingers shook.
WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO?
Three dots.
Then.
SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE STOPPED BREATHING IN HIS SLEEP.
Margaret began to cry.
Rachel typed.
WHY THE BIN?
I DON'T KNOW. THAT WASN'T THE PLAN.
Another message.
SOMETHING CHANGED AFTER I LEFT.
Rachel stared at Noah through the glass window of the observation room.
Vanessa had deviated from a plan.
Why?
Claire answered before Rachel could ask.
SHE FOUND THE RECORDER MISSING.
Rachel looked down.
The recorder.
The diaper bag.
Vanessa's panic.
Claire continued.
SHE KNEW SOMEONE HAD BEEN INSIDE THE HOUSE. SHE PANICKED.
Hale said.
"Ask where Claire is."
Rachel did.
This time the answer came.
ST MATTHEW'S PARKING GARAGE. LEVEL 4.
Hale immediately radioed units.
Claire sent one final message.
I WILL TALK TO YOU.
Then.
BUT NOT DANIEL.
Daniel looked at Rachel.
"Why not me?"
Rachel did not answer.
Five minutes later, Officer Hale received confirmation.
Claire Benson had been found in the parking garage.
Alive.
Terrified.
And carrying an envelope labeled with Daniel Carter's name.
When Hale returned thirty minutes later, his face was grim.
Rachel stood.
"What did she say?"
"She says she started working for Vanessa three years before Emily died."
Daniel looked stunned.
"Doing what?"
Hale paused.
"Obtaining prescription medication without proper records."
Margaret whispered.
"Oh God."
Hale continued.
"Claire says Vanessa paid her to alter pharmacy pickups and records."
Rachel asked.
"Emily's medication?"
"Yes."
Daniel sat down again.
Hale looked at him.
"Claire also claims Vanessa and Trevor used multiple people's identities to obtain medications over several years."
"Mom's name," Rachel said.
"Correct."
"Why?"
"To make the supply harder to trace."
Daniel's voice cracked.
"And Emily?"
Hale's answer was careful.
"Claire says she didn't know Vanessa intended to harm Emily until after Emily died."
Rachel asked.
"Then why wait four years?"
"Fear. Guilt. And because Trevor threatened her family."
Margaret looked through the glass at Noah.
"What changed now?"
Hale held up the envelope.
"Claire says Vanessa contacted her again six months ago."
"For what?"
"To get medication."
Rachel's stomach tightened.
"For Daniel?"
Hale nodded.
"And possibly for Noah."
Daniel stood so quickly the chair scraped backward.
"No."
Hale continued.
"Claire refused. That's when she began recording them."
Rachel looked at the diaper bag.
"She knew what they were planning."
"Some of it."
"Why didn't she go directly to police?"
"She says she tried anonymously once and became frightened when Trevor appeared outside her apartment the next day."
Margaret whispered.
"So she decided to warn us."
Hale nodded.
Rachel stared at the envelope.
"What's inside?"
Hale's face became unreadable.
"Something Claire says Daniel needs to see."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Then give it to me."
Hale did not.
"Why not?"
"Because Claire says it may explain why Vanessa chose your family in the first place."
Daniel froze.
Rachel frowned.
"Chose?"
Hale looked at her.
"Claire says Vanessa's relationship with Emily was never accidental."
The room became still.
Officer Hale continued.
"She says Vanessa met Emily because she was trying to get close to Daniel."
Daniel stared at him.
"But I didn't know Vanessa then."
"She knew you."
"How?"
Hale opened the envelope.
Inside was an old newspaper clipping.
Rachel recognized the photograph.
Daniel at twenty six.
Standing beside their father.
The headline covered Carter Engineering winning a major city contract.
Across Daniel's face, someone had drawn a red circle.
Beside it was Vanessa's handwriting.
May you like
MARRY HIM.
The clipping was dated two years before Vanessa ever introduced herself to Emily.
