Chapter 12: The Price of Getting My Daughter Back
I couldn't hear anything except the sound of my own heartbeat.
Maya was in the photograph.
Her head rested against the window of a moving car. Her pink cardigan was visible, and her stuffed rabbit sat beside her.
The image looked recent.
Very recent.
I called her phone.
It rang once.
Then went to voicemail.
I called the house.
No answer.
I turned toward Vanessa.
"Where is she?""
Vanessa stared at the photograph.
"She was with Mrs. Patterson.""
I called my neighbor.
She answered immediately.
"Marcus? Is everything all right?""
"Where's Maya?""
There was a pause.
"She left with you, didn't she?""
My knees weakened.
"No.""
Mrs. Patterson gasped.
"Oh my God.""
"When did you last see her?""
"About twenty minutes ago. A woman came to the door and said you had sent her.""
"What woman?""
"She showed me a message on her phone. It had your name.""
I closed my eyes.
Someone had impersonated me.
"Did Maya know her?""
"She said the woman knew her mother.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"What did she look like?""
"Dark hair. Maybe forty. She wore a gray coat.""
I turned toward Rebecca.
"Call the police. Now.""
Rebecca was already dialing.
Thomas took the photograph from me.
"Send me the original message. Don't delete anything.""
I forwarded it.
Then another message arrived.
*The ledger for Maya. One exchange. No police.*
A location followed.
An abandoned warehouse near the river.
I looked at Thomas.
"We're going.""
He shook his head.
"Not without a plan.""
"That's my daughter.""
"I understand. But whoever took her wants that ledger. If you walk in alone, you could lose both the evidence and Maya.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Then tell me what to do.""
Thomas spoke quickly.
"We'll coordinate with the police. They'll establish a perimeter. You take a copy of the ledger, not the original. We need to keep the evidence secure.""
Rebecca nodded.
"And Marcus, don't negotiate anything without us knowing.""
I agreed.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
"You're coming with us.""
She seemed startled.
"Why?""
"Because Edward knows you. If he thinks you're cooperating, he may lower his guard.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"He'll kill me.""
I stepped closer.
"He's already threatening my daughter.""
She looked down.
Then she nodded.
The warehouse stood beside an old industrial road.
Broken windows lined the upper walls. Rusted metal doors hung unevenly from their hinges.
The police established positions around the property.
Thomas gave me a small recording device.
"Keep this in your pocket. Don't make sudden movements.""
Rebecca stayed near the command vehicle.
I held the copied ledger inside a leather folder.
Vanessa walked beside me.
Her hands trembled.
At the entrance, a man stepped out.
Gregory Walsh.
He looked thinner than in the photographs, and his shirt was stained.
"Marcus.""
"Where's my daughter?""
Gregory glanced at the folder.
"Do you have it?""
"Where is Maya?""
He swallowed.
"She's inside. She's unharmed.""
"If you've touched her—"
"I haven't.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Gregory, what have you done?""
He looked at her.
"I'm trying to survive.""
"You helped Edward steal from a child.""
Gregory shook his head.
"You don't understand what he's capable of.""
I moved closer.
"Then tell me.""
Gregory looked toward the warehouse.
"Edward has been planning this for years. Your father discovered the financial scheme. Lily found the original evidence. They both became problems.""
"Did Edward poison them?""
Gregory hesitated.
"I handled the financial records. I didn't handle the medication.""
"Who did?""
He looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
"Don't.""
Gregory lowered his voice.
"Dr. Cole.""
"Who delivered it?""
He said nothing.
Vanessa began crying.
I looked at him.
"Who?""
Gregory finally answered.
"Edward.""
The words landed like a hammer.
My father had trusted Edward.
Lily had trusted my father.
Vanessa had trusted both men.
And Maya had been left in the middle of their lies.
"Where's my daughter?""
Gregory pointed toward a side door.
"Inside.""
I pushed past him.
The warehouse was dim.
A single light hung above a metal table.
Maya sat in a chair beside it.
Her hands were free.
Her stuffed rabbit rested in her lap.
The moment she saw me, she jumped up.
"Dad!""
I ran toward her and dropped to my knees.
She threw her arms around my neck.
"You're here!""
I held her so tightly that she began laughing and crying at the same time.
"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here.""
"That lady said you were coming.""
"What lady?""
Maya pointed toward the back of the warehouse.
A woman stepped out.
Dark hair.
Gray coat.
Forty years old.
I recognized her from Mrs. Patterson's description.
Rachel.
I stared at her.
"Why?""
Rachel looked devastated.
"I'm sorry.""
I stood.
"You took my daughter?""
"I didn't hurt her.""
"You brought her here!""
Rachel began crying.
"Edward said he would destroy my husband if I didn't help him.""
Vanessa stepped into the room.
"Rachel, how could you?""
Rachel covered her mouth.
"I didn't have a choice.""
I pointed toward Maya.
"You always have a choice when a child is involved.""
Rachel looked down.
Then she handed me a folded piece of paper.
"Edward wanted the original ledger. He said he would leave the country after the exchange.""
I took it.
Inside was a handwritten instruction.
*Bring the original ledger to the blue room at 8:17 p.m.*
My father's stopped clock.
I looked at Rachel.
"Where is Edward?""
She shook her head.
"He's not here.""
"Then why bring us here?""
"Because he wanted to see whether you'd come.""
A loud metallic bang echoed from outside.
Thomas shouted through his radio.
"Movement on the east side!""
Rachel suddenly grabbed my arm.
"Marcus, listen to me. Edward has another copy of the ledger.""
I stared at her.
"Where?""
"In a safety deposit box.""
"Which bank?""
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"Your father's old bank.""
I felt a chill.
"Why didn't you tell the police?""
"Because the box is registered under Lily's name.""
I looked toward Vanessa.
She shook her head.
"I didn't know.""
Rachel continued.
"There's a second document inside. It proves Edward changed the medical records after your father's death.""
My grip tightened around the paper.
"How do you know?""
"Because I helped him.""
The room went silent.
Vanessa stared at her sister.
"You did what?""
Rachel began sobbing.
"I changed the dates on the transfer documents. I helped move the money. I thought Edward was only trying to recover what he believed belonged to him.""
I looked at her.
"And now?""
"Now I know what he did to Lily.""
Before I could respond, Thomas entered with two officers.
"Everyone stay where you are.""
He looked at Maya.
"Is she okay?""
I nodded.
"She's safe.""
Thomas turned toward Rachel.
"You're coming with us.""
Rachel didn't resist.
As the officers escorted her outside, she suddenly turned back.
"Marcus!""
I looked up.
She shouted one final warning.
"Don't go to the bank alone. Edward knows about the safety deposit box. And the person who has access to it isn't Vanessa.""
I frowned.
"Who is it?""
Rachel's face crumpled.
"Your daughter.""
I looked down at Maya.
She was holding a small silver key.
I'd never seen it before.
"Sweetheart, where did you get that?""
She opened her little hand.
"Grandma Lily gave it to me.""
My heart stopped.
"How?""
Maya reached into her cardigan pocket and pulled out a folded note.
"Mommy said to give it to you when you found the blue room.""
I unfolded the paper.
Lily's handwriting.
Marcus, the final evidence is in the safety deposit box. Maya is the only person authorized to open it. I arranged everything before I died.
I read the final lines.
But there is something you must understand before you open it.
The person who signed the document transferring the estate was not Edward.
I looked at the signature.
It was Vanessa's.
And beneath it, Lily had written:
*She didn't act alone.*
I slowly raised my eyes toward my wife.
Vanessa was staring at the key in Maya's hand.
Then she whispered:
"Marcus, there's something I never told you about the night Lily died.""
She took a shaky breath.
"I wasn't the only person in her hospital room.""
And before I could ask who else had been there, my phone rang.
The caller ID displayed a name I hadn't seen in five years.
May you like
*Robert Carter.*
My dead father's phone number.
