Chapter 10 - THE MOTHER THEY UNDERESTIMATED
Claire did not collapse.
Everyone expected her to.
Daniel reached for her.
She stepped away.
Her voice became frighteningly quiet.
“Find my daughter.”
Thomas immediately called a number.
Claire slapped the phone from his hand.
“No private cleanup.”
“I can help.”
“You helped create this.”
She turned to Daniel.
“Police.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
Claire looked at him.
“If you say no again, I will put you through that window.”
“They have people inside law enforcement.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should.”
Mark stepped forward.
“We call federal authorities.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“Which ones?”
That was the problem.
They had evidence of kidnapping but no idea whom Halcyon controlled.
Claire called local police anyway.
Then state police.
Then the FBI.
She told everyone everything.
No secrets.
No negotiations.
Daniel initially resisted releasing the adoption documents publicly.
Claire turned on him.
“Our daughter is four years old.”
He stopped arguing.
Within two hours, Lily’s photograph was everywhere.
Television.
Social media.
Amber Alert.
Highway signs.
Claire stood in front of cameras outside Helen’s home.
A reporter asked, “Do you believe this is connected to the Whitmore family?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at her.
Claire continued.
“And if anyone in the Whitmore family knows where my daughter is, this is their final opportunity to tell the truth.”
The statement spread nationally.
Margaret called three minutes later.
“You idiot.”
Claire answered on speaker.
“Where is Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know something.”
“You have no idea what you’ve done.”
“Where is my daughter?”
“Claire, listen to me.”
“No.”
Margaret shouted, “I was protecting her!”
Claire went silent.
Daniel stepped toward the phone.
“Protecting who?”
Margaret realized her mistake.
Claire spoke slowly.
“Lily?”
“No.”
“Rachel?”
Margaret breathed.
Then whispered, “Daniel’s mother.”
Daniel froze.
Claire looked at him.
Margaret continued.
“Rebecca is alive.”
Daniel’s knees nearly buckled.
“Where?”
“I don’t know now.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I moved her.”
“When?”
“Thirty-six years ago.”
“Why tell Samuel she died?”
“Because Samuel was being watched.”
“By Halcyon?”
Margaret became silent.
Claire grabbed the phone.
“Where is Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then give me something useful.”
Margaret hesitated.
“There’s an old Whitmore property near Shenandoah.”
Daniel frowned.
“What property?”
“Your father purchased it through a shell company.”
“Why?”
Margaret whispered, “Transfers.”
Thomas looked up.
Claire saw recognition in his face.
“Address.”
Margaret gave it.
Police arrived while they were speaking.
Claire handed the information over.
State officers moved first.
Daniel wanted to go.
Police refused.
Claire ignored them and drove anyway.
Daniel followed.
The property was an abandoned summer camp surrounded by forest.
By the time Claire arrived, officers had secured several buildings.
No Lily.
Then an agent found tire tracks behind an old dining hall.
The tracks led to a maintenance road.
Claire followed until officers stopped her.
A black SUV stood abandoned beside a creek.
Back door open.
Inside lay Lily’s stuffed rabbit.
Claire picked it up.
“Lily!”
Her scream disappeared into the trees.
Then, from somewhere deeper in the forest, came a child’s cry.
May you like
“Mommy!”
Claire ran.
