Chapter 11: The Man Who Came for the Music Box
I was already running toward the parking lot when Detective Foster caught my arm.
"Marcus, stop.""
"My daughter is in danger.""
"We're sending officers to Rachel's house.""
"I can get there faster.""
She stepped in front of me.
"And if you drive into an ambush, who protects Maya then?""
I forced myself to stop.
Daniel grabbed his keys.
"She's right. We'll go with the officers.""
Three patrol cars were dispatched.
The drive felt endless.
I kept calling Rachel.
No answer.
Then Maya's phone rang.
I answered immediately.
"Sweetheart?""
"Dad!""
"Where are you?""
"In the bathroom. Aunt Rachel locked the door.""
"Good. Stay there.""
I heard a loud bang.
Then Rachel's voice.
"Get away from the house!""
Another bang followed.
The call disconnected.
I felt my hands go numb.
When we arrived, the front door was open.
A patrol officer was already inside.
Rachel stood in the hallway, pale and shaking.
"Where's Maya?""
She pointed upstairs.
I ran.
Maya was sitting on the bathroom floor with her knees against her chest.
When she saw me, she burst into tears.
I lifted her into my arms.
"I'm here. You're safe.""
She buried her face against my shoulder.
"Someone broke the window.""
I looked around.
The bathroom window was shattered.
A piece of paper lay on the floor.
I picked it up.
It contained one sentence.
*THE MUSIC BOX FOR THE ORIGINAL RECORDS.*
Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Did they take anything?""
Maya shook her head.
"They wanted Mommy's music box.""
I looked at the broken pieces we had carefully stored in a cloth bag.
The music box was still in Daniel's car.
Whoever had come knew about the hidden compartment.
And they knew Emily had placed something inside it.
Detective Foster entered the room.
"Everyone needs to leave this house. We're treating this as an attempted break-in.""
Rachel hugged Maya.
"I'm so sorry.""
Maya shook her head.
"You didn't do anything.""
I held her hand.
"We're going somewhere safe.""
As we walked downstairs, I noticed something on the hallway table.
A small silver button.
It had fallen from someone's coat.
I picked it up.
There was a symbol engraved on it.
A capital R inside a circle.
Daniel stared at it.
"Richard.""
We moved Maya to a secure location arranged through the detective.
Once she was settled, I returned to Daniel's office.
He placed the music box on the table.
"We need to understand what they think is inside it.""
I examined the broken mechanism.
The little compartment where Emily had hidden the first letter was empty.
But something about the wooden base bothered me.
I turned it over.
There were four tiny screws.
One looked newer than the others.
I removed it carefully.
A narrow metal strip slid out.
Inside was a microfilm cartridge.
Daniel stared.
"Emily hid more than a letter.""
I held the cartridge toward the light.
There was a label.
*ORIGINAL DELIVERY RECORDS — DO NOT COPY.*
Detective Foster arrived minutes later.
She took photographs before allowing Daniel to examine the contents.
The microfilm contained several hospital documents.
One showed the original birth registrations.
Another showed a transfer authorization signed by Richard Cole.
But the most important document was a handwritten statement from a nurse.
It read:
On October seventeenth, three infants were present in the maternity unit. One was born to Emily Reed, one to Vanessa Cole, and one was transferred from St. Anne's Hospital following an emergency delivery.
At 2:15 a.m., Richard Cole requested access to the newborn records.
At 3:05 a.m., one infant was removed from the ward without the biological mother's authorization.
I read the statement twice.
"Which infant?""
Detective Foster examined the next page.
The answer was written in red ink.
*INFANT C — FEMALE — ORIGINAL IDENTIFICATION UNKNOWN.*
A second note had been added.
*TRANSFERRED TO PRIVATE GUARDIANSHIP UNDER THE NAME MAYA COLE.*
I stared at the paper.
"That's Maya.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not necessarily. The document proves someone registered a child under that name. It doesn't establish the child's biological identity.""
Detective Foster nodded.
"Which is why we need the original DNA and medical records.""
I looked at the photograph of Emily.
She had known something was wrong.
She had hidden the evidence because she couldn't trust anyone.
Then Daniel turned over the final microfilm page.
There was a handwritten statement from Emily.
I discovered that Richard removed Infant C from the hospital. Vanessa knew about the transfer. But neither of them knows that I found the second registration.
I frowned.
"Second registration?""
Daniel read the next line.
The child listed as Maya Cole was never Vanessa's daughter.
My stomach tightened.
The final sentence was even worse.
*THE REAL MAYA WAS TAKEN HOME BY SOMEONE ELSE.*
Detective Foster arranged an emergency review of the original hospital records.
She also requested DNA samples from everyone involved.
Lucy agreed immediately.
Noah agreed after speaking with her.
Daniel looked at me.
"Marcus, we need Maya's sample, too.""
I nodded.
"Of course.""
Then my phone rang.
A blocked number.
I answered.
"Marcus Reed.""
A woman's voice whispered:
"Don't let them test Maya.""
I recognized it.
Patricia Mills.
"Why?""
"Because the records are not what you think.""
"Then tell me the truth.""
She began crying.
"I didn't know Richard had taken the child. I thought he was transferring her to a safe guardian.""
"Who?""
"Emily.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"Emily knew the baby was in danger. She asked me to change the records so the child could be protected.""
I gripped the phone.
"Are you saying Maya was adopted by Emily?""
"No.""
Patricia took a shaky breath.
"Emily was protecting someone else's baby.""
"Whose?""
She whispered:
"Lucy Hart's.""
I stared at Daniel.
He slowly stood.
Patricia continued.
"Lucy gave birth to twins that night. A boy and a girl.""
My heart stopped.
"Twins?""
"Yes. Noah was one of them.""
I looked at the microfilm.
The third infant.
The missing baby.
Patricia whispered:
May you like
"Vanessa only knew about the boy.""
Then the call ended.
