Chapter 7 - Vanessa’s Confession)
Naomi refused to let Daniel meet Vanessa in person.
Instead, federal agents detained her outside Mercer House and transported her to a secure interview facility.
Daniel watched through one-way glass.
Vanessa no longer looked like the bride from St. Augustine’s.
The expensive wedding makeup had been washed away.
Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose knot.
She wore borrowed gray sweats.
A bruise colored one cheek where Daniel had slapped her.
He felt no pride in it.
Only exhaustion.
Naomi entered the interview room.
“Ms. Whitmore, you requested Daniel Mercer.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“I requested protection.”
“From whom?”
“Warren Colby.”
“Why?”
“Because he knows I failed.”
Naomi sat.
“Failed at what?”
Vanessa looked toward the mirrored glass.
She knew Daniel was behind it.
“I was supposed to recover Rachel’s archive.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Naomi remained calm.
“Start at the beginning.”
Vanessa stared at the table.
“My father worked for Charles Mercer.”
Daniel looked at Martin.
Vanessa continued.
“Not publicly. He handled problems.”
“Haven?”
Her eyes flicked upward.
“You know the name.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know enough to get yourself killed.”
“Tell me what Haven is.”
Vanessa smiled without humor.
“Haven is what powerful people build when laws become inconvenient.”
Naomi said nothing.
“It began in the late eighties. Private settlements. Confidential payoffs. Political damage control. Nothing unusual for wealthy families.”
“And later?”
“It evolved.”
“Into murder?”
Vanessa’s silence answered.
Naomi leaned back.
“Did you kill Rachel Mercer?”
“No.”
“Did you participate in her death?”
Vanessa looked toward the mirror again.
“I was ordered to approach her.”
“By Colby?”
“No.”
“Who?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“You don’t understand how Haven works. Colby is management. Pike is operations. Neither is the top.”
“Who is?”
“I never knew.”
Daniel’s frustration surged.
Naomi asked, “Why approach Rachel?”
“She found transfers she wasn’t supposed to see. I was told to scare her away from the investigation.”
“How?”
“Tell her Daniel could lose control of Mercer Industries if the Foundation scandal became public. Suggest Emma’s future could be affected.”
Daniel’s fists clenched.
Vanessa continued quickly.
“I never threatened Emma physically.”
“You used a child to intimidate her mother.”
“Yes.”
“Then Rachel died.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“I told them she wouldn’t stop.”
“Who is them?”
“Colby.”
“And?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Pike.”
“Then?”
“Pike said they would handle it.”
“How?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Naomi’s tone sharpened.
“But you knew.”
Vanessa looked sick.
“I knew what Haven did.”
Daniel turned away from the glass.
Martin watched him.
Vanessa had not pushed Rachel’s car off the road herself.
But she had helped deliver Rachel into the hands of people who might.
Naomi continued.
“After Rachel died, why did you approach Daniel?”
Vanessa stared at the table.
“I was told the archive had never been recovered.”
“You were assigned to search his home?”
“Yes.”
“By becoming his girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
Daniel felt the humiliation physically.
Every dinner.
Every kiss.
Every quiet conversation after Emma went to bed.
A performance.
“How long was the assignment supposed to last?” Naomi asked.
“Three months.”
Daniel looked back.
Naomi paused.
“You stayed almost two years.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“That wasn’t the plan.”
“Why?”
No answer.
“Did you develop feelings for him?”
Vanessa laughed once, painfully.
“I know how pathetic that sounds.”
“You intended to marry him.”
“I intended to leave.”
“When?”
“After I found the archive.”
“But you never did.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Vanessa’s voice became almost inaudible.
“Because I loved them.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Vanessa looked toward the mirror.
“Daniel will never believe that.”
He did not.
She continued.
“I loved Emma too. That’s why I panicked when I found her opening the recess.”
“You locked a child inside a wall.”
“I know.”
“You left her there.”
Vanessa flinched.
“I needed ten minutes.”
“For what?”
“To get the box out of the house before Colby arrived.”
“Why?”
“Because if he realized Emma knew about it, he would have killed her.”
The room went silent.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Naomi leaned forward.
“You locked Emma inside to protect her?”
“I locked her inside because I was terrified and stupid and because I thought I could come back before anyone noticed.”
“Then you went to your wedding.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
Naomi stared at her.
“Where is Rachel’s metal box?”
Vanessa’s face changed.
“I gave it to Colby.”
Daniel swore.
Naomi asked, “What was inside?”
“Nothing.”
“Emma says you were looking for a copy.”
“The archive.”
“Which she had.”
Vanessa nodded.
“Apparently.”
“Why come back to Mercer House?”
“To surrender.”
“Why now?”
“Because Colby called me after the church.”
“What did he say?”
Vanessa’s face drained.
“He said I had forty-eight hours to fix the problem.”
“What problem?”
“Emma.”
Behind the glass, Daniel stepped forward.
Naomi remained very still.
“And if you didn’t?”
“He said he would send Pike.”
“Where is Pike now?”
“I don’t know.”
Naomi stared at her.
Vanessa suddenly leaned forward.
“You have to move Emma.”
“She is secure.”
“You think.”
Naomi’s eyes narrowed.
Vanessa whispered, “Pike helped design federal safe-house protocols when he was attached to a joint task force fifteen years ago.”
Daniel’s blood went cold.
Naomi stood immediately.
Behind the glass Martin grabbed his phone.
Then the facility alarms began.
Daniel spun.
A federal agent ran into the observation room.
“Communications with the safe residence just went down.”
May you like
Daniel’s face emptied.
“Emma.”
