Chapter 6 - the open nursery window)
Police reached Daniel's mansion before Eleanor.
The nursery window overlooked a side garden enclosed by a ten foot stone wall.
There were no signs anyone had climbed it.
Detective Reed examined the window.
Was it locked.
Daniel said yes.
Who has keys to the house.
Me. My mother. Staff.
Vanessa.
Daniel hesitated.
Yes.
Security cameras.
Offline.
Since when.
This morning.
Why.
Daniel looked toward the floor.
The system has been malfunctioning.
Eleanor entered the room carrying Claire's notebook.
Reed saw her face.
What did you find.
Later. Find Sophie first.
They searched the estate.
No sign.
Then one officer found muddy footprints near the service entrance.
Another found a discarded pink sock.
Daniel nearly collapsed.
Eleanor picked up the sock.
She recognized it.
But something bothered her.
It was dry.
The garden had been wet from rain.
If Sophie had been carried through the mud, the sock should have been wet too.
She looked at Reed.
This was placed here.
Reed took the sock.
Why.
To make us think someone carried her outside.
Daniel stared at them.
Then where is she.
Eleanor turned toward the house.
Inside.
They searched again.
Closets.
Guest bedrooms.
Storage rooms.
Basement.
Nothing.
Then Eleanor heard a sound.
Faint.
Three knocks.
Pause.
Three knocks.
She followed it toward the rear kitchen.
Three knocks.
The sound came from behind a pantry wall.
Daniel frowned.
There is nothing there.
Eleanor remembered the renovations Richard had made twenty years earlier.
There was.
A service elevator.
The old dumbwaiter shaft.
Daniel pulled away shelving.
Behind it was a narrow door.
Locked.
Police forced it open.
Inside the dark service shaft sat Sophie.
She was crying silently.
Her wrists were wrapped in a soft scarf to keep her from climbing.
Eleanor lifted her.
Who put you here, baby.
Sophie buried her face in Eleanor's neck.
Daniel began crying.
Detective Reed crouched.
Sophie, did someone bring you here.
The little girl nodded.
Who.
She whispered one word.
Nessa.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Vanessa was arrested that evening.
She denied everything.
Her attorney produced evidence that she had been at a spa across town when Sophie disappeared.
Security footage showed Vanessa entering at 10:03 and leaving at 12:41.
Sophie disappeared around 11:20.
Vanessa could not have physically hidden her.
Someone else had.
Police questioned Natalie.
She denied involvement.
House staff passed preliminary interviews.
No unknown visitors appeared on surviving exterior cameras.
Vanessa was released pending investigation.
Outside the station, reporters gathered.
She said only one sentence.
Eleanor Whitmore is using a confused child to destroy me.
Eleanor watched the broadcast from Daniel's house.
Daniel turned off the television.
I am sorry.
For what.
All of it.
That is not specific enough.
He looked at her.
For choosing Vanessa over you.
Over Claire.
Over Sophie.
Eleanor nodded.
Better.
Daniel sat.
I do not understand how she got inside my head.
You wanted what she offered.
What.
Permission.
Daniel frowned.
Permission to feel like every selfish choice was justified because you were grieving, pressured, misunderstood, lonely.
He lowered his eyes.
You do not get to call yourself manipulated and pretend you had no agency.
I know.
Do you.
Daniel looked toward the nursery.
I think I am starting to.
That night Sophie slept in Eleanor's arms.
At 2:13 in the morning Eleanor woke when the child murmured.
Water.
Eleanor looked down.
Sophie was dreaming.
No water.
Eleanor stroked her hair.
What water, sweetheart.
The child's eyes remained closed.
Nessa says Daddy will choose.
Eleanor froze.
Choose what.
Sophie whimpered.
Door.
Water door.
Eleanor's chest tightened.
The bathroom.
Vanessa had mentioned something about a water door.
Eleanor gently woke Sophie.
Baby, did Vanessa take you to the bathroom.
Sophie opened frightened eyes.
Bad room.
What happened there.
Nessa says Daddy must learn.
Learn what.
Sophie shook her head.
Eleanor did not push.
The next morning she inspected the mansion bathroom.
The enormous glass enclosure had been designed as an indoor therapy pool by Richard after Eleanor's knee surgery.
It could be sealed and filled rapidly.
There was an emergency release.
And beside it hung a black and orange safety hammer.
Eleanor called Daniel.
Has Vanessa ever put Sophie in here.
No.
Are you sure.
Daniel stared at the enclosure.
Then his face changed.
Vanessa suggested using it for Sophie's swim lessons.
When.
Three weeks ago.
Did you.
Once.
Was the door locked.
No.
Eleanor noticed a small camera mounted above the sink.
Is that part of the security system.
Daniel looked.
Yes.
Working.
I think so.
They reviewed stored footage.
Most recordings had been deleted.
But one clip remained.
Vanessa stood alone inside the bathroom.
She looked directly toward the camera.
Then she tested the glass enclosure lock.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
She walked to the emergency hammer.
Touched it.
Then moved it farther up the wall.
Out of Sophie's reach.
Daniel stared.
Why would she do that.
Eleanor answered.
May you like
Because what happened in the pantry was not the plan.
It was practice.
