Chapter 12 - Elise's Locket)
Daniel remembered the locket immediately.
Small.
Silver.
Oval.
Elise had worn it almost every day after Lily was born.
Inside were two photographs.
Daniel on one side.
Lily on the other.
At least that was what Daniel believed.
He had never known Elise had modified it to hide a memory card.
Rachel explained what happened.
Elise had discovered irregular transfers connected to Owen.
She copied statements and emails onto a microSD card.
She planned to take the evidence to Evelyn.
Vanessa confronted her at the foundation office.
During the argument, Elise's locket chain snapped.
Vanessa picked it up.
Elise demanded it back.
Vanessa claimed she had dropped it into Elise's handbag.
The locket was never seen again.
The following evening, Elise entered the hospital.
By morning, she was dead.
Daniel paced the apartment.
"You knew the locket was missing."
"Yes."
"You knew Vanessa had touched it."
"Yes."
"And when I started dating Vanessa you said nothing."
Rachel's eyes filled.
"I did not recognize her at first."
Daniel stared.
"What?"
"Vanessa used a different last name. Different hair. Elise knew dozens of volunteers."
"But eventually?"
"Eventually I realized."
"When?"
Rachel looked ashamed.
"After you proposed."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"You should have told me."
"I know."
"Why did you not?"
"Because by then Vanessa had become part of Lily's life. You were happy again."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"There it is."
"What?"
"Everyone deciding silence is kindness."
Rachel lowered her eyes.
Daniel looked at Noah.
At Lily.
At the investigation files.
Every disaster in the Carter family seemed to grow in silence.
Elise staying quiet until she had enough proof.
Voss taking money and saying nothing.
Linda falsifying records.
Rachel withholding suspicions.
Daniel ignoring Noah's warnings.
Vanessa hiding evidence.
Owen building an empire inside everyone else's reluctance to speak.
Daniel stopped pacing.
"No more."
Rachel looked up.
"No more what?"
"No more protecting people from the truth."
He called Evelyn.
"We need the locket."
"We need Vanessa."
"I know."
"Police are searching."
"She will not contact them."
"No."
"She will contact me."
"Probably."
Daniel looked at the black USB.
"Then give her a reason."
They released a controlled statement through Carter Development.
Aaron's evidence had been recovered.
Northstar transfers were frozen.
Daniel would cooperate fully with law enforcement.
No mention of Elise's missing locket.
No mention of Vanessa's calls.
Then Daniel personally recorded a short message.
Not public.
Sent through the same anonymous number Vanessa had used earlier.
"I know about the locket."
He waited.
Twenty three minutes.
A reply.
YOU DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH.
Daniel typed.
Then tell me.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Returned.
Finally:
ELISE GAVE ME A CHANCE TO WALK AWAY.
Daniel stared.
He replied.
And you did not.
Vanessa answered.
NO.
Where is the locket?
No response.
Daniel waited.
Then:
OWEN THINKS I HAVE IT.
Do you?
YES.
Daniel's heart hammered.
Meet me.
NO POLICE.
Not possible.
THEN YOU NEVER SEE IT.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Evelyn shook her head.
"She is desperate."
"So am I."
"That makes both of you dangerous."
Daniel typed:
You attacked Noah. You tried to take the kids. I will never protect you from that. But if the locket proves what happened to Elise, give it to police.
Vanessa responded immediately.
I CANNOT.
Why?
BECAUSE IT PROVES WHAT I DID TOO.
Daniel felt his stomach twist.
What did you do?
The answer came after nearly a minute.
I HELPED OWEN GET INTO HER HOSPITAL ROOM.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Daniel typed with shaking fingers.
Why?
Vanessa replied.
HE SAID HE NEEDED TO TALK TO HER BEFORE SHE WENT TO EVELYN.
Did you know he would hurt her?
NO.
Did he?
I DO NOT KNOW.
Where were you?
PARKING GARAGE.
What happened when Owen came out?
HE WAS SCARED.
Daniel stared.
Vanessa continued.
HE TOLD ME TO GO HOME.
Then?
THE NEXT MORNING ELISE WAS DEAD.
Why did you marry me?
The three dots appeared.
For a long time there was no answer.
Finally:
AT FIRST BECAUSE OWEN TOLD ME TO.
Daniel closed his eyes.
A second message.
LATER BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAVE WITHOUT LOSING EVERYTHING.
Daniel felt no sympathy.
He typed one question.
Where is the locket?
Vanessa sent coordinates.
An abandoned church twenty miles north.
Evelyn immediately called police.
Vanessa sent another message.
COME ALONE OR I BURN IT.
Daniel knew he could not go alone.
Police knew too.
They designed a compromise.
Daniel would appear alone.
Officers would remain outside visible range.
He arrived at dusk.
The abandoned church had been closed for six years after storm damage.
Broken windows.
Overgrown grass.
A leaning wooden sign.
Daniel entered through a side door.
Vanessa stood near the front pew.
No rust red jumpsuit now.
She wore jeans and a dark coat.
Her hair was tied back.
She looked exhausted.
Daniel stopped ten feet away.
"The locket."
Vanessa held up the silver chain.
Daniel's chest tightened.
He recognized it instantly.
Elise.
For three years, he had imagined the locket lost.
Now it hung from Vanessa's hand.
"Give it to me."
"No."
"Vanessa."
"You do not understand what is on it."
"Then tell me."
"Owen did not kill Elise."
Daniel stared.
"How do you know?"
"Because the recording is on the card."
"What recording?"
Vanessa looked at the locket.
"Elise recorded everything."
Daniel stepped closer.
"What happened in the hospital?"
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"Owen confronted her."
"And?"
"He demanded the evidence."
"And?"
"She refused."
Daniel could barely breathe.
"Did he hurt her?"
"No."
"Then why did she die?"
Vanessa's voice cracked.
"Because Elise had already discovered someone altered her medication before Owen arrived."
Daniel frowned.
"Who?"
Vanessa looked toward the dark entrance.
Then whispered.
"Dr. Voss."
Daniel felt the world tilt.
"Voss said he did not give it."
"Of course he did."
"Why?"
"Because Owen paid him to make Elise too sick to attend the meeting with Evelyn."
Daniel stared.
"Too sick."
"Not dead."
Vanessa nodded.
"He wanted her hospitalized for a few days."
"But something went wrong."
"Yes."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Voss had lied again.
Vanessa continued.
"Owen went to the hospital to get the evidence before Elise recovered."
"She did not recover."
"No."
"And you knew."
"Not until later."
"How much later?"
Vanessa looked at him.
"Two years."
Daniel's eyes hardened.
"Before Aaron died."
"Yes."
"You knew what Aaron was investigating."
"Yes."
"And you still helped Owen."
Vanessa began crying.
"I was terrified."
Daniel shook his head.
"No. You were choosing yourself."
The church door slammed.
Vanessa spun.
A man stood in the entrance.
Owen Pike.
He held a handgun at his side.
Daniel felt his entire body go cold.
May you like
Owen smiled.
"Finally."
