Chapter 8: What Happened at the Blue House
Daniel couldn't speak.
Naomi stood beneath the swinging basement light, soaked from the rain, her eyes fixed on him.
Ava whispered, “Mommy?””
Naomi flinched.
“Don't.””
Ava took one step forward.
Naomi raised the gun.
“Stay there.””
Daniel immediately moved in front of Ava.
“Naomi, it's me.””
“I know.””
“Put the gun down.””
“I can't.””
“You're safe.””
Naomi laughed bitterly.
“No one is safe.””
Leah stepped between them slightly.
“Naomi, my name is Leah.””
“I know.””
Leah's stomach dropped.
“You know me?””
“Daniel talked about you.””
Daniel looked confused.
“When?””
“Before everything happened.””
Naomi's eyes softened for half a second.
Then hardened again.
“Where is Marcus?””
“Gone,” Daniel said.
Naomi lowered the gun slightly.
“He'll come back.””
“Why?””
“Because he thinks Ava remembers.””
Ava whispered, “I do.””
Naomi's eyes filled with tears.
“What do you remember?””
“The blue house.””
Naomi closed her eyes.
Leah looked between them.
“Someone please tell me what happened there.””
Naomi sat down on the bottom stair.
For several seconds, she simply stared at the floor.
Then she spoke.
“Daniel and I had a daughter before Ava.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“She was born premature.””
Leah listened.
“She survived.””
Daniel whispered, “You told me she died.””
“I was told she died.””
Naomi looked at him.
“That's the difference.””
“What was her name?””
“Grace.””
Ava stepped closer.
“Was she my sister?””
“Yes.””
Ava's eyes filled with tears.
“What happened to her?””
Naomi's voice broke.
“She disappeared from the hospital.””
Daniel looked horrified.
“Who took her?””
“I don't know.””
“You never told me.””
“I tried.””
“No.””
“I called you.””
“You never called.””
“I did!””
Her voice echoed through the basement.
“You were already gone.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I was standing outside your hospital room.””
“No, Daniel.””
Naomi wiped her cheek.
“You were at the blue house.””
Daniel froze.
“What?””
“The night Grace disappeared, your mother called you.””
“I never went there.””
“She said she had Grace.””
Daniel stared at her.
“I never saw Grace.””
“I know.””
Naomi looked toward Ava.
“Because by the time you arrived, they had already taken her.””
Leah frowned.
“Who?””
Naomi hesitated.
“Your mother.””
Daniel shook his head.
“My mother loved you.””
“She loved control.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You're lying.””
Naomi slowly reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small cassette tape.
“I recorded her.””
Daniel stared.
“She confessed?””
“She told me everything.””
“Why didn't you show the police?””
“Because she had proof that I had abandoned Ava.””
Leah looked confused.
“How?””
Naomi looked at Daniel.
“She made it look like I was unstable.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
“She forged medical records.””
“Yes.””
“She told the hospital I was dangerous.””
“Yes.””
“She convinced me Ava was dead.””
Naomi nodded.
“And when I discovered the truth, Marcus came after me.””
Leah looked at the basement wall.
“The photographs.””
“Marcus watched us.””
Ava whispered, “He took me to the blue house.””
Naomi looked at her.
“When?””
Ava's eyes unfocused.
“I don't know.””
“Was I there?””
Ava shook her head.
“Not at first.””
“Who was?””
Ava swallowed.
“Grandma.””
Daniel stared at Naomi.
“Your mother.””
“Yes.””
Ava continued.
“She told me Daddy didn't want me.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Naomi looked at him.
“She wanted you to hate me.””
“Why?””
“Because she wanted your company.””
Daniel opened his eyes.
“What?””
“She had debts.””
Leah's expression changed.
“And the store?””
Naomi nodded.
“Your mother wanted Daniel's business.””
Daniel shook his head.
“That doesn't explain everything.””
“No.””
Naomi looked toward the photographs.
“It doesn't explain Marcus.””
Everyone went silent.
“Marcus helped her.””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“My brother?””
“He was there the night of the fire.””
“What fire?””
“The blue house.””
Ava began trembling.
Naomi stood.
“We were hiding there.””
She looked at Daniel.
“Your mother found us.””
Daniel stared.
“She started the fire.””
Leah covered her mouth.
“She tried to kill you?””
Naomi shook her head.
“She wanted the evidence destroyed.””
“What evidence?””
Naomi pointed at the wall.
“The original birth records.””
Daniel looked at Ava.
“Why would she care about those?””
“Because they proved Ava wasn't dead.””
Ava whispered, “I remember the fire.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“I was in the basement.””
Daniel crouched.
“What happened?””
“Grandma locked the door.””
Naomi covered her mouth.
“I couldn't get to you,” she whispered.
“I heard Mommy.””
Daniel asked, “What did you hear?””
Ava's eyes filled.
“She said, ‘Take Daniel's daughter and run.’”
Leah looked at Naomi.
“Who did she say that to?””
Naomi's face went pale.
“Marcus.””
Daniel stood.
“Why would Marcus take Ava?””
Naomi looked at him.
“Because Marcus wasn't helping your mother.””
Daniel stared.
“What do you mean?””
“He was helping someone else.””
“Who?””
Naomi opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, the cassette recorder on the table clicked.
A man's voice came through the speaker.
Daniel's voice.
Eight years younger.
Panicked.
“Mom, what did you do?””
Daniel stepped backward.
“That isn't possible.””
The recording continued.
A woman's voice answered.
“Your daughter is gone, Daniel. And if you want your wife to stay alive, you will never look for her.””
Daniel's face drained of color.
Leah stared at him.
“You were there.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't remember.””
The tape crackled.
Then another voice appeared.
Marcus.
“Daniel doesn't need to remember.””
Naomi suddenly dropped the gun.
“He heard everything.””
Daniel looked at her.
“What?””
Naomi whispered:
“Your mother didn't erase your memory.””
She pointed toward the tape.
“Someone else did.””
The basement door slammed shut above them.
Ava screamed.
Naomi looked toward the stairs.
“He's here.””
A man's voice echoed from the darkness.
“Naomi.””
Marcus.
“You've finally told him.””
Then the lights came on.
May you like
And standing at the top of the stairs was Daniel's mother.
A woman who had supposedly been dead for six years.
