Chapter 7: The Place Patricia Never Wanted Them to Find
“Where is Richard taking Danielle?””
Malcolm stood in the middle of the mansion's grand foyer, gripping his car keys so tightly that their edges pressed into his palm.
Naomi stood beside the staircase, her beige dress catching the afternoon sunlight. She looked smaller than Malcolm had ever seen her, stripped of the confidence she usually wore like expensive jewelry.
“To the old Bennett property,” she whispered.
Malcolm stared at her.
“The lake house?””
Naomi nodded.
“Your mother owned more than the mansion and the lake house. There was another property. A small estate outside the city, inherited from her father. Richard handled the paperwork when she disappeared.””
“I've never heard of it.””
“That's because Patricia made sure you wouldn't.””
Malcolm stepped closer.
“Why?””
“Because she believed someone was using the property to hide financial records. She thought the person was connected to Richard's office.””
“Then why would he take Danielle there?””
Naomi's eyes filled with tears.
“Because Danielle knows what Patricia left behind.””
Malcolm pulled out his phone and dialed Officer Harris.
The call went straight to voicemail.
He tried again.
Nothing.
“Damn it.””
Naomi reached for her own phone.
“There's someone we can call.””
“Who?””
“Your mother's former assistant. Lorraine.””
Malcolm stopped.
“Lorraine hasn't worked for this family in years.””
“She never stopped working for Patricia.””
He stared at her.
“You're telling me there are people connected to my mother who have been hiding things from me for four years?””
Naomi lowered her head.
“Yes.””
“And you expect me to trust you now?””
“No,” she said quietly.
“I expect you to save Danielle.””
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Malcolm looked toward the living room, where Eli sat on the sofa clutching his smartwatch.
The boy had heard enough to understand that something terrible was happening.
Malcolm crossed the room and knelt before him.
“Buddy, I need you to stay here with a security guard until I come back.””
Eli shook his head immediately.
“No. I want Danielle.””
“I know.””
“Then bring her home.””
Malcolm placed both hands on his son's shoulders.
“I will do everything I can.””
Eli looked down at the watch.
“Danielle said if you found the silver snake, you would know who to trust.””
Malcolm froze.
“What silver snake?””
Eli tapped the watch screen.
“She told me it was a secret clue. She said I should only tell you after you saw the nursery video.””
Malcolm glanced at Naomi.
Her face had gone white.
“Eli,” Malcolm asked carefully, “did Danielle show you anything?””
The boy nodded.
“She showed me a picture of a man with a snake ring. She said he wasn't a friend, even if he smiled.””
Malcolm's jaw tightened.
“Did she say anything else?””
Eli hesitated.
“She said Grandma Patricia gave her something before she disappeared.””
“What?””
Eli turned his wrist, examining the smartwatch.
“A key.””
Malcolm's eyes widened.
“Where is it?””
Eli tapped the watch's side button twice.
A small compartment beneath the strap clicked open.
Inside was a tiny brass key, no longer than a fingernail.
Malcolm stared at it.
The same style of key as the one Naomi had dropped in the foyer.
But this one had a tiny serpent engraved into its head.
Naomi covered her mouth.
“Patricia's cabinet,” she whispered.
Malcolm looked at her.
“You said you had the key.””
“I had the key to the cabinet. That one is different.””
He lifted the tiny object.
“What does it open?””
Naomi shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Malcolm slipped it into his pocket.
Then he stood.
“Stay with Eli. Lock the doors. Don't let anyone inside unless they identify themselves through the security system.””
Naomi nodded.
As Malcolm reached the front door, she called after him.
“Malcolm!””
He turned.
Her voice trembled.
“If you find Patricia, don't ask her why she left you.””
He stared at his wife.
“Why not?””
Naomi's eyes filled with fresh tears.
“Because she didn't leave willingly.””
Malcolm left before she could say anything else.
The drive to the old Bennett property took twenty minutes.
The mansion's gates opened automatically, and his black SUV rolled onto the sunlit road. Trees swept past the windows. His phone sat in the passenger seat, displaying Danielle's photograph.
Her face was calm, but her eyes looked exhausted.
Malcolm called the police station again.
This time, someone answered.
“County police.””
“This is Malcolm Bennett. I need information about Danielle Carter, who was arrested today.””
“Sir, I can't release details over the phone.””
“She was framed. Someone is trying to move her before she can speak.””
“Sir, if you have evidence of a threat, you need to—”
The call ended abruptly.
Malcolm looked at the screen.
No signal.
He was approaching the private road leading to the old estate.
The gate stood open.
That alone was enough to make his stomach tighten.
Patricia had installed a heavy iron gate years ago and kept it locked even when the property was empty. Malcolm remembered her insisting that nobody should enter without her permission.
Now the gate hung crookedly from one hinge.
He drove through.
The house appeared beyond a line of tall oak trees, its pale stone walls illuminated by the afternoon sun. The windows were shuttered, and weeds had grown along the front steps.
Malcolm parked beside the entrance.
A black sedan stood near the garage.
He recognized the license plate from the photograph in his mother's old paperwork.
Richard Cole's car.
Malcolm stepped out.
The front door was unlocked.
Inside, the estate smelled of dust, polished wood, and stale air. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating furniture covered with white sheets.
“Richard!”” Malcolm shouted.
No answer.
He moved through the hallway toward a set of double doors at the rear of the house.
A muffled voice came from the room beyond.
Danielle.
“I'm telling you, I don't have it.””
A man's voice answered.
“You've had four years to hand it over.””
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
Malcolm pressed his palm against the door.
Then he heard Richard say something that made him stop breathing.
“Your mother gave you the wrong name, didn't she?””
A chair scraped across the floor.
Danielle whispered, “She told me never to tell Malcolm.””
Richard laughed.
“Then perhaps it's time you understood why she chose you.””
Malcolm pushed the doors open.
Richard stood beside an antique desk, his silver serpent ring gleaming in the sunlight. Danielle sat in a wooden chair with her wrists tied, her brown-and-white uniform rumpled but intact.
Richard turned slowly.
“Mr. Bennett.””
Malcolm stepped into the room.
“Take your hands off her.””
Richard smiled.
“I'm afraid you've arrived at a very inconvenient moment.””
Danielle lifted her tearful eyes toward Malcolm.
“Malcolm, don't listen to him.””
Richard reached into his jacket.
Malcolm moved forward.
“Whatever you have, put it down.””
Richard withdrew a folded document instead of a weapon.
He placed it on the desk and smoothed it with two fingers.
“Before you rescue your nanny, perhaps you should read this.””
Malcolm glanced at the page.
It bore his mother's signature.
Below it was a name he had never seen before.
*DANIELLE PATRICIA BENNETT.*
Malcolm looked from the document to Danielle.
Her face crumpled.
Richard leaned forward.
“You've spent three years trusting a woman whose real identity you never bothered to investigate.””
Danielle began to cry.
“Malcolm, please. Let me explain.””
Richard smiled wider.
May you like
“Go ahead, Danielle. Tell him who you really are.””
And for the first time since Malcolm had entered the room, Danielle looked more frightened of his reaction than of the man who had tied her to the chair.
