Chapter 10 - Room 614)
Winnie was not alone.
Two uniformed officers remained at the Hale house.
Claire was sleeping in the guest room.
Daniel called anyway.
No answer.
He called again.
Claire picked up.
"Hello?"
"Check Winnie."
A pause.
"What?"
"Now."
Daniel heard footsteps.
A door opening.
Then Claire gasped.
"She is not in bed."
Daniel could not speak.
Brooks took the phone.
"Search the room. Officers are coming upstairs."
Daniel heard voices through the speaker.
A minute felt like an hour.
Then Claire shouted.
"Closet."
Daniel grabbed the phone.
"What?"
"She is in the closet."
Winnie's voice came through.
"Dad?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Why are you in the closet?"
"A woman called."
Daniel looked at Brooks.
"What woman?"
"She said she was Sybil."
"What did she say?"
"She told me not to look out the window."
Daniel's stomach tightened.
"Did you?"
"No."
"Good."
Winnie paused.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"I think she wanted me to."
Brooks took the phone.
"Keep everyone away from windows."
Daniel understood.
The call had been a distraction.
Someone wanted the house occupants positioned.
Or frightened.
Or watching something.
Police searched the property.
Nothing was found.
Meanwhile Brooks traced the burner signal.
The Ashbury Hotel had closed three years earlier for renovation.
Most of the building remained empty.
Daniel and Brooks arrived with officers shortly before three in the morning.
Room 614 was on the sixth floor.
The hallway smelled of plaster and paint.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, a lamp burned.
A blue leather case sat on the bed.
Sybil was nowhere in sight.
Daniel approached the case.
Brooks stopped him until officers photographed it.
Inside were bank ledgers.
Passports.
Cash.
A second burner phone.
And a small digital recorder.
No Sybil.
Daniel pressed play on the recorder.
A woman's voice filled the room.
Sybil.
"Daniel, if you are hearing this, I probably failed."
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed.
The recording continued.
"I did not meet you by accident."
He closed his eyes.
"I met Rebecca first."
Brooks listened silently.
"She contacted me because I worked for Adrian Vale. At the time I believed Vale was investigating financial crimes. He told me Martin Hale was stealing from your family's foundation. That part was true. What he did not tell me was that Vale was using Martin to move money for a network much larger than the foundation."
Daniel stared at the recorder.
"Rebecca discovered it. She asked me to help her."
Sybil's voice shook.
"I did."
The recording paused briefly.
"Then Rebecca died."
Daniel looked away.
"Vale told me it was an accident. I did not believe him. I tried to leave. He threatened my sister. He threatened my parents. Then he disappeared and was declared dead."
Brooks folded his arms.
Sybil continued.
"I thought it was over. I stayed near the Hale family because Rebecca made me promise something."
Daniel leaned closer.
"She made me promise Winnie would be safe."
His eyes filled.
The room seemed to disappear.
"I met you at the fundraiser because I needed access to the foundation records. I did not expect to love you."
Daniel almost stopped the recording.
He forced himself to continue.
"I know how that sounds."
A weak laugh.
"I know nothing I say can excuse what I did to Eleanor."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"When Eleanor discovered the transfers, she also found evidence that Vale was alive. I panicked. I needed the key to Rebecca's hidden files before Vale's people found them. Eleanor refused. Martin told me Vale was watching the house."
Daniel looked at Brooks.
"Martin."
Sybil's recording continued.
"I locked Eleanor in the attic because I thought I was protecting her."
Daniel whispered, "You drugged her."
The recorder could not answer.
"I told myself it would be one night. Then two. Then I realized I could not release her without exposing everything. Every day made the next day worse."
Sybil began crying on the recording.
"I am sorry."
Daniel looked at the blue case.
There was still no forgiveness in him.
Explanation was not forgiveness.
"Martin is not the person in charge. Vale is alive. And he knows about Winnie."
Daniel stood.
Brooks moved closer.
Sybil's voice lowered.
"Rebecca found something inside the foundation records that had nothing to do with money. Children's names. Birth dates. Adoption records. Medical files."
Daniel frowned.
"Winnie was on the list."
The recorder slipped in his hand.
"No."
Brooks looked sharply at him.
Sybil continued.
"Rebecca believed that was why they followed her on November fourth."
Daniel pressed pause.
His breathing was shallow.
"What list?"
Brooks shook his head.
"I do not know."
Daniel pressed play.
"If you found the hidden room, there is a photograph taped beneath the bottom drawer."
The recording ended.
Daniel and Brooks returned to the house before dawn.
They entered the hidden room.
Daniel removed the bottom desk drawer.
A photograph was taped underneath.
He peeled it free.
It showed a hospital nursery.
Rows of newborn babies slept behind glass.
A date had been written on the back.
December 14, 2012.
Five years before Winnie was born.
Under the date were six names.
One had been circled.
Rebecca Hale.
Daniel stared at it.
"Rebecca did not have a child in 2012."
Brooks took the photograph.
"No."
Daniel turned it over again.
There was another sentence written beneath the names.
Only one family refused.
Daniel looked at Brooks.
"Refused what?"
Before Brooks could answer, Eleanor called from the hospital.
Daniel put her on speaker.
"Mom?"
"Daniel, someone came into my room."
Brooks signaled an officer.
"Who?"
"I pretended to be asleep."
"Did you see them?"
"No. But they left something."
"What?"
"A photograph."
Daniel looked at the one in his hand.
"What photograph?"
Eleanor's voice became very quiet.
"Winnie as a newborn."
Daniel could barely breathe.
May you like
Eleanor continued.
"On the back it says she was never supposed to stay with us."
