Chapter 10 - The Baby They Wanted)
David did not remember crossing the room.
One moment he was beside Hall.
The next he had both hands against the table, staring at Richard’s image on the screen.
“Why Liam?”
Richard’s face was grim.
“Because he is Jonathan Mercer’s grandson.”
“That means nothing.”
“To normal people, no.”
“To Northstar?”
“Bloodlines mattered to the original program.”
David looked disgusted.
“You’re talking like we’re breeding animals.”
“That is close to how some of them thought.”
Maya whispered, “They think trauma responses can be inherited.”
Hall looked up.
“Epigenetic research.”
Richard nodded.
“The legitimate science exists. Their conclusions went far beyond legitimate science.”
David’s anger sharpened.
“They wanted to experiment on my son.”
“I think Evelyn wanted him protected.”
“You think?”
Richard hesitated.
“That is the part I cannot determine.”
David stared.
“So my biological mother may be saving him or stealing him.”
“Yes.”
“Useful distinction.”
Richard accepted the sarcasm.
Hall received a message.
He read it twice.
Then turned the screen toward David.
Bank records.
Eleanor had withdrawn two hundred thousand dollars three days after Liam was born.
David’s eyes narrowed.
“Where did it go?”
“Private courier service.”
“What did they deliver?”
Hall opened another record.
A package from New York to Miami.
Recipient:
Evelyn Mercer.
David looked at Eleanor through the glass.
She had been moved to a separate interview room.
“Bring her in.”
Eleanor entered under escort.
David placed the record in front of her.
“You were communicating with Evelyn.”
Eleanor stared at it.
“Yes.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“Again.”
“Yes.”
“What did you send?”
“Nothing that could hurt you.”
“Stop deciding that.”
She closed her eyes.
“Copies.”
“Of?”
“Some documents from the case.”
“Why?”
“Because she threatened Liam.”
Maya’s face changed on the video screen.
David leaned closer.
“What threat?”
“She sent me a photograph.”
“Of what?”
“Liam.”
“When?”
“Hours after he was born.”
David’s blood went cold.
Eleanor continued.
“He was in the hospital nursery. Someone photographed him through the glass.”
Maya began shaking.
Richard swore quietly.
Eleanor’s voice broke.
“She said if I didn’t cooperate, the next photograph would be of an empty bassinet.”
David stared at her.
“So you gave her documents.”
“Yes.”
“You took formula from Liam.”
Eleanor winced.
“That had nothing to do with this.”
“Then explain it.”
“I was terrified.”
“So you punished Maya?”
“I was angry at everyone.”
“Not good enough.”
“I know.”
It was the first time she did not defend herself.
David sat back.
“Why Miami?”
“Evelyn told me to bring the case.”
“Why Chloe and Mark?”
“Chloe invited herself.”
“And Mark?”
“I thought he could protect her.”
“Yet you suspected him.”
“Yes.”
David rubbed his face.
Every answer created another contradiction.
“What happened at the hotel?”
Eleanor looked toward Chloe.
“Mark told me the meeting was a trap.”
“What meeting?”
“With Evelyn.”
“You were going to meet her?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“The morning the case disappeared.”
“Did she come?”
“No.”
“Then who entered the suite?”
Eleanor looked at Chloe.
Chloe lowered her eyes.
“I did.”
David frowned.
“Why?”
“Mark told me to remove one envelope before Mom handed over the case.”
“What envelope?”
Chloe looked toward David.
“The one addressed to you.”
Jonathan’s letter.
David understood.
“You were trying to save it.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Mark took it.”
“Why?”
“He said someone was coming.”
“Then he disappeared.”
“He told me to follow separately.”
David looked at her.
“And you did.”
“Yes.”
“Why the photograph making it look like kidnapping?”
Chloe looked ashamed.
“That wasn’t Mark.”
Hall leaned forward.
“Then who sent it?”
“I don’t know.”
Silence filled the room.
Someone had been watching Mark and Chloe.
Someone close enough to photograph them.
Someone who wanted David to believe Mark was dangerous.
Richard spoke quietly from the screen.
“Evelyn.”
David looked at him.
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
Richard’s eyes hardened.
“But I know her methods.”
Before David could reply, an alarm sounded in the police building.
Hall stood.
A uniformed officer entered quickly.
“Detective, we have a breach.”
“What kind?”
“The evidence system.”
Hall’s face changed.
“Which evidence?”
The officer looked toward David.
“The Carter case.”
Hall ran toward the evidence room.
David followed.
The black case remained.
The documents remained.
The hard drive did not.
Someone had removed it without entering the room.
Hall stared at the empty evidence slot.
“Impossible.”
David looked toward the ceiling camera.
“Unless it was never there.”
Hall froze.
“What?”
David remembered something.
Mark carrying the case.
Eleanor looking at the camera.
The photographs.
The false passports.
A thought formed.
“What if the case in Miami wasn’t the real case?”
May you like
Eleanor whispered behind him:
“It wasn’t.”
