Chapter 7 - The Daughter Without a Grave
The first file opened automatically.
A hospital photograph filled the monitor.
Claire lay unconscious in a bed twelve years earlier. A newborn rested in a transparent bassinet beside her.
The date matched the night Eleanor claimed the baby died.
Claire leaned closer.
The infant wore a white identification bracelet.
BABY ASHCROFT.
A nurse stood beside the bassinet. Her face was turned partly toward the camera.
Mrs. Finch.
Claire stared at the image.
The housekeeper had been at the hospital.
The next document was a transfer order.
It authorized the removal of a premature infant to a private neonatal facility owned by Vale Biomedical.
The physician’s signature belonged to Samuel Vale, Adrian’s father.
Below it was Eleanor’s signature.
The transfer destination had been blacked out.
Claire opened the third file.
A video began.
Her father sat behind the desk in his London office.
He looked exhausted.
“If Claire is seeing this,” Thomas said, “then Eleanor has failed to keep the first child hidden.”
Claire gripped the edge of the desk.
Thomas continued.
“The child survived. Eleanor arranged the false death because the baby carried a rare genetic marker connected to Samuel Vale’s research. She believed the child could unlock a treatment worth billions.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“Samuel refused to surrender the infant. He tried to return her to Claire and Adrian. Eleanor threatened to destroy his company and expose illegal clinical testing conducted by his partners.”
Thomas looked directly into the camera.
“I helped Eleanor conceal the transfer.”
Claire stepped back as though he had struck her.
Her father’s recorded voice weakened.
“I told myself I was protecting Claire from a scandal. The truth is that I was protecting our name.”
A sound came from outside the room.
Mia screamed.
Claire ran into the corridor.
The reinforced glass was rising.
She reached Mia and pulled her into her arms.
The little girl clung to her.
“What happened?”
“Nothing you need to carry.”
“Do I have a sister?”
Claire looked toward the camera.
Whoever controlled the underground rooms had allowed Mia to hear everything.
“Maybe.”
“Is she alive?”
“I don’t know.”
The corridor lights flickered.
A new voice came through the speaker.
This time, it was not distorted.
It was Eleanor.
“Claire, listen to me.”
Claire looked up.
“You took Mia.”
“No.”
“You had Mrs. Finch attacked.”
“I told you, no.”
“Then who is controlling this place?”
“I don’t know. Your father constructed parts of it without my knowledge.”
Claire almost smiled.
“Now you expect me to believe you were excluded from a secret.”
Eleanor’s voice sharpened.
“The files are incomplete.”
“They show my baby alive.”
“The child was critically ill.”
“You told me she was dead.”
“I spared you.”
“You stole her.”
“I ensured she received treatment.”
“Where is she?”
Silence.
Claire held Mia tighter.
“Tell me where my daughter is.”
“I cannot.”
“Cannot or will not?”
“The people who took her believed she was more valuable than either of us. By the time I learned where Samuel had hidden her, he was dead and Adrian was gone.”
“Adrian says you forced him to disappear.”
“Adrian says what keeps him alive.”
Claire looked at the dark screen where his face had appeared.
“What does that mean?”
“He is not being held by me.”
“Who is holding him?”
Eleanor lowered her voice.
“The person behind the camera.”
A steel door at the end of the corridor opened.
Chief Mercer entered with his weapon raised.
“Step away from the terminal.”
Claire placed herself between him and Mia.
“How did you get in?”
“Victor provided the access sequence.”
“Victor said Eleanor controlled the system.”
“Victor says many things.”
Mercer looked toward the cameras.
“Whoever is watching, release the exterior doors and surrender.”
The speaker remained silent.
He approached Claire.
“You authorized access to confidential corporate records.”
“I authorized access to evidence of crimes.”
“You do not know whether the files are genuine.”
“My father recorded a confession.”
“Your father was heavily medicated during his last year.”
“Everyone uses the dead man’s illness when his words become inconvenient.”
Mercer’s expression hardened.
“I am taking you and Mia upstairs.”
A door opened behind him.
Victor appeared with Richard and Daniel.
Richard looked at Claire.
“Mother is gone again.”
Mercer turned.
“What?”
“The chapel was empty when the officers entered. They found ropes and another recording device.”
Claire looked at the camera.
Eleanor’s voice had stopped.
Daniel noticed the monitor.
“What did you find?”
Claire hesitated.
Mia answered.
“I have a sister.”
Richard’s face went blank.
Victor closed his eyes.
Daniel whispered, “You knew.”
Victor did not deny it.
Claire approached him.
“Where is she?”
“The child’s location was restricted to Eleanor, Samuel Vale, and Thomas.”
“They are dead or lying.”
“Thomas left another key.”
Claire remembered the photograph in the metal box.
Adrian beside the pool after his supposed death.
She removed it from her pocket.
On the back, faint numbers had appeared where rainwater touched the paper.
7 - 14 - 3 - 22.
Victor studied them.
“It is a boardroom access code.”
Richard shook his head.
“There are only six archives.”
Victor looked at Claire.
“There were only six that Eleanor knew about.”
The terminal beeped.
A new folder appeared.
ARCHIVE EIGHT.
The distorted voice returned.
“Do not open it.”
Claire stared at the screen.
“Why?”
“Because Eleanor wants you to.”
A gunshot thundered through the corridor.
May you like
Victor fell.
Behind him stood Eleanor, holding Mercer’s spare weapon.
