Chapter 9 - Margaret speaks)
Margaret Blackwood was arrested the next morning.
The vehicle intervention document was enough to reopen Daniel Carter’s death as a homicide investigation.
Her attorneys called the papers fabricated.
Federal investigators disagreed.
Claire requested ten minutes with Margaret.
Hayes refused.
Claire asked again.
Eventually, through counsel and behind glass, Margaret agreed.
She entered the interview room wearing a beige detention uniform instead of diamonds.
Yet she still managed to look aristocratic.
Claire sat opposite her.
“Where is Emily?”
Margaret’s face did not move.
“So you found Room 17.”
“Where is my daughter?”
“Your daughter is Sophie.”
“I gave birth to two children.”
Margaret looked toward the camera.
Claire slammed her palm against the table.
“WHERE IS SHE?”
Margaret finally looked at her.
“You want a simple villain.”
“I already have one.”
“Do you?”
Claire leaned forward.
“You approved Daniel’s death.”
Margaret’s jaw tightened.
“I approved containment.”
“His brakes were sabotaged.”
“I did not order murder.”
“You signed the authorization.”
“I signed hundreds of authorizations.”
Claire stared at her.
Margaret realized immediately how terrible that sounded.
She looked away.
Claire continued.
“What happened to Emily?”
Margaret was silent.
“Did you take her?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Margaret looked back.
“Daniel.”
Claire froze.
“Liar.”
“Ask yourself why his office remained untouched.”
“You controlled the building.”
“Arthur did.”
“My husband knew our second daughter was alive?”
Margaret said nothing.
Claire stood.
Margaret spoke quickly.
“Daniel made a choice.”
Claire stopped.
“He discovered the hospital transfer before they completed it.”
“What transfer?”
“Emily had been designated.”
“For what?”
Margaret gave a humorless smile.
“Continuity.”
Claire sat again.
“Explain.”
Margaret folded her hands.
“Nathaniel Blackwood created a succession architecture. Certain children born within connected families were evaluated as possible trust substitutes.”
“Children were stolen?”
“Not usually.”
Claire nearly exploded.
Margaret continued.
“Some guardians consented. Some births were arranged. Some records were manipulated.”
“My baby?”
“Was never supposed to be permanently removed.”
Claire stared.
“What does that mean?”
“She was meant to be placed with another family under supervision.”
“Why?”
Margaret looked toward the mirrored glass.
“Because Daniel had become useful.”
Claire felt sick.
“You were using his child to control him.”
Margaret did not deny it.
“But Daniel interfered.”
“What did he do?”
“He switched the transfer documents.”
Claire’s heart pounded.
“With whom?”
Margaret smiled faintly.
“That is where everything went wrong.”
Claire slammed both hands on the table.
“Where is Emily?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel hid her.”
Claire stared.
Margaret leaned closer.
“For eight years, people have been searching for your second daughter.”
“Who?”
Margaret’s eyes hardened.
“The person Preston was working for.”
“Name.”
“No.”
“Name.”
“If I give you that name, Sophie will not survive the week.”
Claire’s skin turned cold.
Margaret continued quietly.
“Preston did not frame Sophie over a necklace.”
“I know.”
“He was trying to see whether Daniel had given her something.”
“The box.”
“No.”
Margaret shook her head.
“The necklace was bait.”
“For Sophie?”
“For you.”
Claire became still.
“Why me?”
“Because only Daniel knew where Emily went.”
Margaret smiled sadly.
“And everyone believes he told his wife.”
“I knew nothing.”
“Then somebody wasted four years watching the wrong woman.”
Claire remembered the SUV.
The photographs.
The man with Daniel’s watch.
“Who entered Sophie’s apartment?”
For the first time, genuine fear crossed Margaret’s face.
“What man?”
“He had Daniel’s watch.”
Margaret stared.
“What did he look like?”
Claire described him.
Margaret’s lips parted.
“No.”
“You know him.”
Margaret stood so abruptly the guard moved toward her.
“No.”
“Who is he?”
Margaret backed away.
“You need to take Sophie and disappear.”
Claire stood.
“WHO IS HE?”
Margaret’s face had gone gray.
Then she whispered:
“Arthur.”
May you like
Vanessa’s father.
The man officially dead for two years.
