Chapter 10: Someone Was in My Daughter's Room
I dropped the phone.
Lily's scream came again.
“DADDY!””
I ran toward the stairs so quickly that my shoulder struck the hallway wall. Behind me, I heard Daniel shouting my name, followed by Michael telling Noah to stay with Rachel.
When I reached Lily's bedroom, the door was open.
The curtains were moving.
One of the windows stood halfway open.
Lily was crouched beside her bed, clutching her damaged blue doll.
I dropped to my knees.
“Sweetheart! Are you hurt?””
She shook her head violently.
“Someone was here!””
I pulled her into my arms.
“Where?””
She pointed toward the closet.
“He opened that door. He was looking under my bed.””
I turned toward the closet.
The door was slightly ajar.
“Did you see his face?””
Lily nodded.
“He had a black hat.””
I looked beneath the bed.
Nothing.
Then I noticed something on the carpet.
A small piece of paper.
I picked it up.
It was a photograph of Emily.
The picture had been taken inside her hospital room.
Someone had drawn a red circle around her medication bottle.
On the back, four words were written.
*SHE NEVER TOOK THESE.*
My blood ran cold.
“Marcus!””
Daniel appeared in the doorway.
He looked at Lily, then at the open window.
“Get her downstairs. I'll check outside.””
I carried Lily into the hallway.
As I reached the staircase, Michael appeared at the bottom.
“There's a man near the garage,” he said.
“He ran when I approached.””
“Did you see him?””
“Only from behind.””
Daniel came back moments later.
“He's gone.””
I placed Lily beside Noah in the living room.
“Stay with him, sweetheart. Don't open the door for anyone.””
She nodded.
Then she whispered, “Daddy, was the bad man looking for Mommy's letter?””
I knelt.
“Why do you think that?””
“Because he opened my drawer.””
She pointed toward the stairs.
I remembered Emily's letter.
The one addressed to Lily.
I had left it on the coffee table.
Now it was gone.
I searched beneath the sofa, inside the drawers, and around the fireplace.
Nothing.
Vanessa stood near the kitchen entrance.
Her face was pale.
“What happened?”” she asked.
I turned toward her.
“Someone entered Lily's bedroom.””
She covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.””
I studied her expression.
“Did you know someone was coming?””
“No!””
“Then why did you look at the window before I mentioned it?””
Her eyes widened.
“I was looking at the door!””
I took a step toward her.
“Vanessa, someone has been following this family. Someone knows about Emily's recordings. Someone just entered my daughter's room.””
She began crying.
“I didn't do this, Marcus.””
“Then help me understand what you've been doing.””
She looked at Daniel.
He shook his head.
“Tell him about the medication.””
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What medication?””
She sat down.
“Emily was prescribed several medications during her treatment.””
“I know.””
“Some of them were changed.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Your father arranged for a private nurse to oversee her medication. He said the hospital staff couldn't be trusted with everything.””
“Who was the nurse?””
“I don't remember her full name.””
“Vanessa!””
“Her name was Olivia.””
The room became silent.
Olivia.
Our former nanny.
The woman who had just called me.
I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.
She answered immediately.
“Marcus?””
“Where are you?””
“Somewhere safe.””
“Did you enter my daughter's bedroom?””
“No!””
“Someone just searched it.””
Olivia started crying.
“Then they've found out.””
“Found out what?””
“Emily kept a second recording.””
I looked toward Rachel.
She had been listening silently.
“Where?”” I demanded.
Olivia took a breath.
“Inside the hospital records archive. There is a box marked with Emily's medical identification number.””
“Why didn't you tell me before?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of whom?””
There was a long silence.
Then Olivia whispered:
“Your father's private physician.””
Rachel stepped forward.
“Dr. Harold Pierce?””
Olivia went silent.
Rachel closed her eyes.
“That confirms it.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Dr. Pierce handled Emily's medication records. He also signed the original death certificate.””
I felt sick.
“Are you saying he deliberately changed her medication?””
Rachel shook her head.
“I'm saying we need the original records before making accusations.””
Olivia interrupted.
“He did more than change the medication. I saw him remove bottles from Emily's room and replace them.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Why didn't you report him?””
“I did.””
“To whom?””
“The hospital administrator. But two days later, my report disappeared. Then I was offered money to leave town.””
“By Vanessa?””
“No.””
Olivia hesitated.
“By someone who said he was acting on behalf of your father.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was staring at the floor.
“Did you accept the money?””
Olivia whispered, “Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
“Why?””
“Because I had a daughter to raise. I was afraid they would hurt her.””
“Where are you now?””
“At the old hospital. I'm waiting near the records archive.””
Rachel immediately grabbed her coat.
“Don't move. We're coming.””
The call ended.
I looked at Lily.
She was sitting beside Noah, carefully repairing the doll's burned ribbon with a piece of blue thread.
For a moment, the sight broke my heart.
Emily had made that doll so Lily would always have something to hold when she missed her.
Now even that small comfort had become part of a dangerous secret.
I turned toward Daniel.
“Stay with Lily.””
He nodded.
Michael stepped forward.
“I'm coming with you.””
Rachel gathered the documents.
Vanessa suddenly stood.
“I'm coming too.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
“Marcus, please. I know something about Dr. Pierce.””
“What?””
She looked at Rachel.
Then at me.
“Your father didn't hire him because he was a good doctor.””
She swallowed.
“He hired him because Dr. Pierce had already been dismissed from another hospital for falsifying patient records.””
I felt the room tilt.
“Why would Emily's doctor be someone with that history?””
Vanessa's voice cracked.
“Because your father wanted someone who would follow instructions.””
I turned toward the door.
“Then we're going to find him.””
As we stepped outside, my phone vibrated again.
An unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Lily sitting on the living room sofa.
Taken from outside our front window.
Underneath it was a message.
*STOP LOOKING FOR THE RECORDS. THE NEXT VISIT WON'T BE A WARNING.*
I immediately turned back toward the house.
May you like
Someone was still watching us.
And whoever it was knew exactly where my daughter was.
