Chapter 4 - The First Warning
The anonymous messages continued.
Tuesday:
CHECK THE GARAGE CAMERA FROM MAY 17.
Wednesday:
VANESSA ISN’T THE ONLY ONE HE’S LYING TO.
Thursday morning:
ASK WHAT HAPPENED TO MICHAEL TRENT.
Claire searched the name.
Michael Trent had worked at Mercer-Bell.
Vice president of finance.
He had resigned eight months earlier after what the company described as a mental-health crisis.
Claire remembered him.
Quiet.
Meticulous.
Kind.
Daniel hated him.
She called Rebecca.
“Find Michael Trent.”
Two hours later Rebecca called back.
“He didn’t resign.”
“What happened?”
“He was hospitalized.”
“For what?”
“Drug intoxication.”
Claire stopped walking.
“What drug?”
“I’m still working on that.”
“Where is he now?”
“Nobody seems to know.”
That afternoon Claire checked the garage footage.
Their security system automatically deleted recordings after ninety days.
May 17 was gone.
But cloud backups existed under Daniel’s administrator account.
Claire guessed the password on her fourth attempt.
Vanessa’s birthday.
The footage appeared.
11:42 p.m.
Daniel’s car entered.
Daniel stepped out.
Then another man emerged from the passenger side.
Dr. Evan Kessler.
They carried something between them.
A large black duffel bag.
Daniel opened the trunk.
Kessler placed the bag inside.
Claire zoomed in.
Something fell from Kessler’s pocket.
He picked it up.
A small white packet.
Claire’s skin prickled.
At 11:49, Daniel and Kessler left again.
Daniel’s car returned at 2:03 a.m.
Daniel was alone.
Claire remembered that night.
Daniel had told her he was in Milwaukee.
She called Rebecca.
“Something happened May seventeenth.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because Michael Trent was hospitalized May eighteenth.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“What did he overdose on?”
“Ketamine and a prescription sedative.”
Claire thought about the pharmacy receipt.
“Could someone put that in a drink?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Rebecca continued.
“Claire, cancel Friday.”
“No.”
“Why are you still considering going?”
“Because Daniel thinks I don’t know anything.”
“That advantage isn’t worth your life.”
Claire stared through the window at the street.
Across from her house, a gray sedan was parked beneath a tree.
She had seen it yesterday.
And the day before.
“Rebecca.”
“What?”
“I think someone’s watching the house.”
“Get away from the windows.”
Claire stepped backward.
The sedan started.
It drove away.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
HE KNOWS YOU CHECKED THE CAMERA.
Claire’s stomach tightened.
May you like
Another message followed.
FRIDAY IS TOO LATE.
