Chapter 9 - Blood in Room 214)
The blood belonged to Diane Foster.
Not Grace.
That fact was supposed to comfort Caroline.
It did not.
Agents found signs of a struggle.
A broken lamp.
A chair knocked over.
A smear of blood beside the bathroom.
But no body.
No child.
No Diane.
Security footage showed Diane entering the motel at 6:12 a.m. holding a little girl’s hand.
Grace.
Caroline watched the footage twice.
Then five times.
Then ten.
Grace wore a pink coat.
She carried a stuffed rabbit.
Her hair was tied into two uneven ponytails.
She looked alive.
Completely, beautifully alive.
Caroline pressed her fingers against the screen.
“That’s my daughter.”
Nobody corrected her.
At 8:03, another vehicle arrived.
A black sedan.
The driver wore a baseball cap.
The camera never captured his face.
At 8:17, the feed went dark.
Someone had disabled the hallway cameras.
At 8:26, the sedan left.
No one saw who was inside.
The license plate was stolen.
Caroline asked the question everyone avoided.
“Luke?”
Reed answered.
“We don’t know.”
But Caroline knew.
Luke had learned Grace survived.
The hospital tightened security immediately.
Two officers remained outside Caroline’s room.
No visitor entered without identification.
Dr. Carter ordered a temporary alias placed on Caroline’s patient record.
That evening, Caroline called Luke.
Agent Reed objected.
Detective Alvarez objected.
Dr. Carter objected.
Caroline did it anyway.
Luke answered on the first ring.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Her entire body went cold.
“Where is she?”
Silence.
Then Luke chuckled.
“You’ve been busy.”
“Where is Grace?”
“So you remember the name.”
“I know she’s alive.”
“Do you?”
Caroline closed her eyes.
“Diane took her.”
“You should have left that alone.”
“Where is my daughter?”
Luke sighed.
“You always make things difficult.”
“You pushed me down the stairs.”
A pause.
“Did Evelyn tell you that?”
“I remembered.”
The silence lasted longer this time.
Caroline felt something powerful beneath her fear.
Luke was afraid of her memory.
“You thought you erased me.”
His voice changed.
“You need to stop talking.”
“You drugged me.”
“Caroline.”
“You stole my daughter.”
“Caroline.”
“You’re going to prison.”
Luke laughed.
“No.”
“You attacked me in front of physical evidence. The police have photographs. Medical records.”
“All circumstantial.”
“The medications.”
“Marcus prescribed them.”
“The forged psychiatric petition.”
“You are unstable.”
“You’re the one hiding.”
Luke went silent.
Caroline continued.
“Arthur picked me for you.”
That got him.
She heard his breathing stop.
Then his voice became very quiet.
“Who told you about my father?”
“Marcus.”
“Marcus should have stayed silent.”
Caroline looked toward Reed.
He was recording everything.
“Where is Arthur?”
“Closer than you think.”
“And Grace?”
Luke breathed into the phone.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You were never supposed to see her.”
Caroline gripped the phone.
“But you might get your chance.”
“What does that mean?”
“Leave the hospital tonight.”
Reed shook his head violently.
Caroline ignored him.
“Where?”
“I’ll call again.”
“You expect me to walk into a trap?”
“No.”
Luke’s voice softened.
“I expect you to behave like a mother.”
The line disconnected.
Agent Reed immediately called his team.
Caroline lowered the phone.
Dr. Carter looked furious.
“You are not leaving this hospital.”
Caroline stared toward the window.
“He has Grace.”
“We don’t know that.”
“He wants me outside.”
“Which means he wants you.”
Caroline looked at her unborn son.
“Or him.”
Three minutes later, Caroline’s phone rang again.
Different number.
She answered.
No voice.
Only crying.
A child.
Caroline stopped breathing.
Then a little girl whispered:
May you like
“Mommy?”
The call ended.
