Chapter 7 - the mother who died twice)
Evelyn Mercer slept for eighteen hours.
Daniel refused to take her to a hospital.
At first Owen thought this was insane.
Then Daniel explained why.
“She died in 2005.”
Owen stared.
They were gathered in Daniel's office.
Lily sat beneath a blanket on the sofa.
A cold pack rested against her cheek.
Police had been called regarding Vanessa.
Daniel told them she had assaulted Lily and fled.
That part was true.
He did not mention glowing eyes.
Self-opening locks.
Or his dead mother crawling from a pantry.
Daniel's attorney Marcus had arrived within an hour.
He looked at Evelyn and nearly fainted.
Now Evelyn rested inside a locked guest bedroom upstairs with a private physician Marcus trusted.
Owen sat across from Daniel.
“How can Grandma be alive?”
“I don't know.”
“You recognized her.”
“Yes.”
“You told us she died.”
“I believed she did.”
Lily whispered, “Like Mom?”
Daniel looked at her.
The question hurt.
“Your mother died, sweetheart.”
“So did Grandma.”
Daniel had no answer.
Owen opened his laptop.
“We should watch the camera.”
Daniel hesitated.
Vanessa's words returned.
They're lying to turn you against me.
He hated himself for ever considering that possibility.
“Show me.”
Owen played the recordings.
Vanessa at night.
Vanessa taking Lily downstairs.
Vanessa demanding information about Claire.
The slap.
Daniel watched all of it without speaking.
Then Owen showed him the frame containing Claire.
Daniel leaned forward.
“Stop.”
Owen froze the image.
Daniel stared.
His fingers began trembling.
“Dad?”
“Zoom in.”
Owen did.
Daniel stood.
“That's Claire.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Daniel pointed.
“The necklace.”
“Her locket.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Look at the chain.”
Owen enlarged it.
A small key hung beside the locket.
Daniel whispered, “I gave her that key the week before she died.”
“To what?”
Daniel looked toward the ceiling.
“The red room.”
Lily sat up.
“Mom said red door.”
Daniel's face changed.
“What exactly did she say?”
Lily repeated the dream.
Claire warning about Vanessa.
The red door.
Daniel's eyes burning.
Daniel slowly sat.
Marcus entered.
“Evelyn is awake.”
Daniel stood so quickly his chair nearly fell.
They went upstairs.
Evelyn looked older than the woman Daniel remembered.
Much older.
Her white hair reached her shoulders.
Deep lines marked her face.
But her eyes were the same.
Daniel stopped in the doorway.
Evelyn smiled weakly.
“My boy.”
Daniel did not move.
“You're dead.”
“So were you supposed to be.”
Marcus closed the door.
Owen and Lily exchanged a glance.
Daniel heard it.
“What does that mean?”
Evelyn looked at the children.
“They shouldn't hear this.”
“They hear everything.”
“Daniel.”
“They've spent four years living inside secrets. No more.”
Evelyn studied him.
Then nodded.
“Your family is older than Mercer Development.”
“I know.”
“You know the public story.”
“What other story is there?”
Evelyn looked toward the window.
“The first Mercer came to America in 1731. Elias Mercer.”
Daniel knew the portrait.
Stern man.
Black coat.
Red stone ring.
“He built the original house in Virginia.”
“He built it over something.”
“What?”
“A door.”
Lily whispered, “The red door?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Yes.”
Daniel felt heat behind his eyes.
“What is behind it?”
“We never knew its true name.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“We called it the Hollow Father.”
Owen almost laughed because the name sounded ridiculous.
Then Evelyn continued.
“It learns families. It studies love. It waits until grief creates an opening. Then it offers people what they want most.”
Daniel knew before she said it.
“Claire.”
Evelyn nodded.
“It can sound like the dead.”
Lily's face crumpled.
“Then that wasn't Mom?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“I didn't say that.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You're contradicting yourself.”
“Because there are two things beneath this house.”
Silence.
“One is the Hollow Father.”
“And the other?”
Evelyn looked directly at Daniel.
“Your wife.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Owen whispered, “Claire?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Claire found the red room before Vanessa could stop her.”
Daniel grabbed the bedrail.
“Vanessa knew Claire?”
“Vanessa worked for the people guarding the door.”
“What people?”
“The Ash Circle.”
Marcus turned away.
Daniel noticed.
“You know that name.”
Marcus said nothing.
“Marcus.”
The attorney looked at him.
“I knew your father belonged to a private organization.”
Daniel's voice dropped.
“You knew?”
“I didn't know what they actually did.”
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“We kept telling ourselves that secrecy protected the family.”
She looked at Lily.
“It only protected the people hurting it.”
Daniel's hands shook.
“Where is Claire?”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Beneath the pantry.”
Daniel turned toward the door.
Evelyn grabbed his wrist.
“Don't.”
“My wife is alive.”
“Maybe.”
Daniel looked back.
“What does that mean?”
“The woman you find may be Claire.”
May you like
Evelyn's fingers tightened.
“Or it may be the thing that has spent four years learning how to become her.”
