Chapter 8: The Woman Who Never Signed
Nia's arms tightened around Aaliyah.
"No," she whispered.
"No, baby. You don't understand.""
Aaliyah pulled away from her mother.
"Yes, I do!""
Her voice shook, but she didn't look away.
"Daddy said there was another woman who loved him. He said she was sick, and that's why she couldn't come home.""
Nia's face crumpled.
Damon stared at her.
"You knew?""
Nia didn't answer.
Renee stepped closer.
"Mrs. Bell, who was the woman in Room Twelve?""
Nia looked toward the departure boards, then at the travelers gathered near the information booth. She seemed to be calculating how much she could safely reveal in a public place.
Finally, she turned back.
"Her name was Simone.""
"Simone who?""
"Simone Bell.""
Damon shook his head.
"Marcus didn't have another wife.""
Nia's eyes filled.
"She was his sister.""
The words silenced everyone.
Renee looked at Aaliyah.
"Your father's sister?""
Aaliyah nodded.
"She was in the hospital because somebody hurt her.""
Nia pressed a hand over her mouth.
Damon took a step backward.
"Marcus told me his sister died when they were young.""
"That's what he told everyone," Nia replied.
"He thought it would protect her.""
"Protect her from whom?""
Nia looked directly at Webb.
"From the people who were using her.""
Webb let out a frustrated breath.
"This is ridiculous. We're standing in a public terminal discussing a supposed witness who may not even exist.""
Renee turned toward him.
"Then you'll have no objection to Detective Harris verifying her identity.""
Webb smiled thinly.
"Harris is on his way. He'll settle this.""
But his right hand had begun trembling.
Nia noticed.
So did Renee.
"Tell me what happened to Simone," Renee said.
Nia took a shaky breath.
"Simone worked as a records clerk for a private security contractor. She discovered that protected witness information was being copied and sold. At first, she thought it was a computer error. Then she found records showing that the same people who were supposed to protect witnesses were accessing their addresses.""
"Marcus helped her investigate?""
"Yes. He was the only person she trusted.""
"Why wasn't she listed in the report?""
"Because the report was never supposed to exist.""
Nia looked down at Aaliyah.
"Simone was injured in a car accident after she tried to take evidence to the authorities. She survived, but she couldn't remember everything. Marcus brought her to St. Agnes under a different name.""
Renee felt her stomach tighten.
"And Room Twelve?""
"That was her room.""
Aaliyah nodded vigorously.
"Daddy told me to be quiet when we visited her. He said she was sleeping.""
Renee searched her memory.
A small hospital room.
A woman with dark curls lying beneath a white blanket.
A child's hand resting against the bed.
And Marcus whispering, If she wakes up, don't let anyone tell her she's alone.
Renee pressed her fingers against her temple.
"I remember her.""
Nia looked at her sharply.
"What?""
"I remember a woman in that room. I thought she was a witness.""
"She was.""
"Why did Marcus tell me she was his wife?""
"He didn't.""
Renee froze.
Nia's voice dropped.
"He told you she was his sister. Someone changed the transcript of that conversation.""
Damon looked at the recorder in his hand.
"Then the fourth file might contain the truth.""
Renee took the device and examined the display.
The file labeled for Aaliyah remained unopened.
She pressed play.
A soft click sounded.
Then Marcus's voice filled the space between them.
"If this recording reaches Renee, it means the first report has already been altered.""
Renee looked at Nia.
Marcus continued.
"Simone is not the person they think she is. She's not a witness to the sale of information. She's the reason I discovered it.""
A pause.
"She found a list of names connected to the protected witness database. One of those names belonged to a child who was never supposed to exist in the system.""
Aaliyah stared at the recorder.
"That's me," she whispered.
Nia shook her head.
"No, sweetheart.""
But the recording continued.
"The child was entered under a false identity to conceal her connection to a witness who had been murdered years earlier. Simone found the record and realized the same people who had buried that case were now targeting her.""
Renee's breathing quickened.
Marcus's voice grew strained.
"If they discover that Aaliyah remembers what happened in Room Twelve, they'll know she saw the person who came to kill Simone.""
Aaliyah began trembling.
"I saw him.""
Nia knelt beside her.
"Baby, look at me.""
"I saw him, Mommy.""
"Tell me what you remember.""
Aaliyah shut her eyes.
"He wore a blue tie. He smelled like peppermint. He had a little silver pin on his jacket.""
Renee looked toward Webb.
His jacket had no pin.
Officer Price wore a plain uniform.
Damon had no tie.
The recording crackled.
Marcus continued.
"Renee, I need you to understand why I asked you to take Aaliyah home. She was the only person who saw the man enter Simone's room. But I didn't tell you who he was because I couldn't trust the communications system.""
Renee stared at the recorder.
"Then why did I authorize the transfer?"" she whispered.
The next words answered her.
"You didn't.""
Renee stopped breathing.
Marcus's voice became almost inaudible.
"Someone copied your credentials and used them to authorize the transfer. I saw the order after it was issued. I tried to stop it, but by then they'd already moved Simone.""
The recording ended with a burst of static.
Renee looked up.
For the first time that morning, she felt something other than fear.
Hope.
If Marcus's recording was authentic, she hadn't knowingly sent him to his death.
But someone had used her name to do it.
And that someone knew exactly how to make the evidence point toward her.
A voice called from behind them.
"Officer Carter.""
Detective Harris approached through the crowd, carrying a thin document folder. He was a Black man in his fifties with silver at his temples and a calm expression that looked increasingly strained.
Two uniformed officers followed him.
Harris stopped beside Webb.
"Sergeant.""
Webb nodded.
"Detective.""
Renee stepped forward.
"I need you to explain the transfer order.""
Harris opened the folder.
"Your credentials were used to authorize the movement of Marcus Bell from St. Agnes Hospital to a secure facility.""
"Did I sign it?""
"The electronic signature is yours.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Harris looked at her.
"No. We haven't established whether you personally approved it.""
"Then why did you tell dispatch I did?""
"Because the system showed your authorization.""
"The system also shows that my vehicle traveled somewhere I never took it.""
Harris's expression tightened.
"That's under review.""
"And the hospital report says Officer Price never entered the pediatric wing.""
Harris looked toward Price.
"Is that true?""
Price shook his head.
"I was assigned to hospital security, but I never entered Room Twelve.""
Aaliyah stepped out from behind Nia.
"You're lying.""
Harris turned toward her.
"Aaliyah, I'm Detective Harris. I'm here to help.""
"No, you're not.""
The detective crouched slightly.
"Why do you say that?""
"Because Daddy said you were the person who told the bad man where Simone was.""
The terminal seemed to go silent.
Harris slowly stood.
"Who told you that?""
"My daddy.""
"Did he tell you my name?""
Aaliyah shook her head.
"He said the man had a silver pin.""
Harris's right hand moved instinctively to his lapel.
A tiny silver pin caught the daylight.
Renee saw it.
Nia saw it.
Damon saw it.
Aaliyah began crying.
"That's him!""
Harris looked down at his jacket.
For the first time, his calm expression disappeared.
Webb stepped away from him.
"Detective," Webb said slowly, "you told me the child couldn't identify the suspect.""
Harris looked up.
"You were supposed to keep her quiet.""
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Every face turned toward him.
Harris immediately raised both hands.
"That came out wrong.""
"No," Renee replied.
"I think it came out exactly right.""
Harris reached toward his folder.
Renee blocked his hand.
"Don't touch it.""
His eyes hardened.
"Officer Carter, you're relieved of duty pending investigation.""
"You don't have the authority to relieve me here.""
"I do when you're obstructing an active case.""
"Then verify your order.""
Harris smiled without warmth.
"You really think a child can bring down an entire operation?""
Nia pulled Aaliyah close.
"She doesn't have to bring anything down. You did that yourself.""
Harris turned toward her.
"You should have stayed hidden, Nia.""
Nia lifted her chin.
"I tried. You found me anyway.""
He reached inside his jacket.
Officer Brooks moved immediately.
"Detective, hands visible!""
Harris froze.
The folder slipped from his other hand, scattering papers across the polished floor.
One sheet slid beneath Renee's shoe.
She bent to pick it up.
It was an internal transfer record.
At the top was Marcus Bell's name.
Below it was a destination address.
Renee recognized the street immediately.
It was the location where Marcus had supposedly died.
But the date was wrong.
The transfer had been authorized two hours after his death was officially recorded.
And beneath the authorization was a handwritten note:
*SUBJECT MOVED BEFORE DEATH CONFIRMATION. CHILD RETAINED AS LEVERAGE.*
Renee felt the air leave her lungs.
Marcus had been alive when they moved him.
The official timeline was a lie.
She looked up at Harris.
"What does 'child retained as leverage' mean?""
Harris said nothing.
Then Nia reached into her handbag and pulled out a folded hospital bracelet.
She held it toward Renee.
"That's not Aaliyah's," she whispered.
"It's Simone's.""
Renee examined the label.
The patient's name was printed in black.
*SIMONE BELL.*
Underneath it was a second line.
*DISCHARGE AUTHORIZED BY: DR. MALCOLM PRICE.*
Renee slowly turned toward Officer Price.
But Price was no longer standing beside Webb.
He was walking toward the main exit.
Damon shouted, "He's leaving!""
Officer Brooks moved to intercept him.
Price broke into a run.
He pushed through the crowd, knocking a suitcase aside, and disappeared through the glass doors.
Renee started after him, but Aaliyah seized her hand.
"Don't go!""
Renee stopped.
Aaliyah's face was white with terror.
"He knows where Simone is.""
Nia's knees nearly buckled.
"What do you mean, baby?""
Aaliyah looked at her mother.
"The man with the peppermint smell told Daddy something before he died.""
"What?""
Aaliyah's voice dropped to a whisper.
"He said Simone wasn't in the hospital anymore.""
She swallowed.
"He said she was in the second house.""
Damon unfolded Marcus's note again.
His eyes moved to the last line.
Find the woman who never signed the report.
He looked at Renee.
"The second house isn't a building.""
Renee frowned.
"What is it, then?""
Damon pointed to the name on the hospital bracelet.
"Simone was discharged under a different identity. The second house is the name of the witness-protection location where they sent her.""
Nia shook her head.
"That's impossible. I was told she died.""
Renee looked at the transfer record.
The address was followed by a code.
A code she recognized from the missing communications log.
She read it aloud.
"Safehouse Twelve.""
The station screens flickered again.
A new message appeared.
*SIMONE BELL IS ALIVE.*
Then another line appeared beneath it.
*AND SHE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR RENEE CARTER.*
Aaliyah looked at Renee.
"Can we find her?""
Renee stared at the screen.
"Yes," she whispered.
"We're going to find her.""
Then her radio crackled.
Denise Walker's voice returned, barely audible.
"Renee, don't go to Safehouse Twelve.""
"Why?""
"Because that's where they took Marcus.""
A pause.
"And if you go there, you'll finally learn who ordered his death.""
The transmission broke.
Then a final message appeared on Renee's phone.
A photograph of Simone Bell, alive and sitting in a bright room.
Beside her stood a man in a dark jacket.
His face was turned toward the camera.
May you like
Renee recognized him instantly.
It was Marcus Bell.
