Chapter 2: The Hospital Call
The phone rang again.
Naomi stared at the screen.
*St. Catherine Medical Center.*
For three weeks, that number had become familiar.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Prescription departments.
Insurance offices.
She knew every extension that could belong to her mother's hospital room.
But this call was different.
Something in Principal Harris's face told her that.
“Answer it,” Naomi whispered.
Principal Harris picked up the office phone.
“This is Principal Harris.””
A pause.
Her expression tightened.
“Yes. She's here.””
Naomi stepped closer.
“Is my mother okay?””
Principal Harris covered the receiver.
“I don't know yet.””
Naomi's stomach dropped.
“Let me talk to them.””
The principal hesitated, then handed her the phone.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice answered.
“Naomi Storm?””
“Yes.””
“This is Elena from the patient services desk.””
Naomi gripped the edge of the desk.
“What happened?””
“Your mother's treatment team asked us to contact you immediately.””
“Why?””
There was a pause.
“We received a message regarding your mother this morning.””
Naomi's breathing stopped.
“What kind of message?””
Elena lowered her voice.
“A threatening one.””
Principal Harris straightened.
Naomi swallowed.
“Was my mother's name on it?””
“Yes.””
“Did it say anything about her treatment?””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
Naomi closed her eyes.
“What did it say?””
Elena sounded uneasy.
“It said that someone knew which room your mother was in.””
The office suddenly felt too small.
Naomi looked at Principal Harris.
“What room?””
Elena gave the number.
Naomi recognized it immediately.
Room 426.
Her mother's room.
The room with the window facing the parking garage.
The room Naomi had visited every afternoon after school.
The room where her mother kept a tiny paper cup filled with colored straws because she hated the hospital's plain plastic ones.
Naomi's fingers went numb.
“Who sent it?””
“We don't know.””
“Was it a phone number?””
“No. It came through an anonymous patient portal message.””
Naomi looked at Principal Harris.
“She knows my mom's room.””
Principal Harris's face hardened.
“Can you tell us when the message was sent?””
Elena answered.
“Six fourteen this morning.””
Naomi looked at the clock.
10:37 a.m.
Four hours.
Four hours since someone had sent a threat to the hospital.
Four hours since Naomi had walked into school.
Four hours since Callie had stolen her phone.
Four hours since Callie had known exactly what message to read.
Naomi suddenly remembered something.
“Wait.””
“What?”” Principal Harris asked.
Naomi covered the phone.
“Callie said something this morning.””
“What?””
“She said she knew what was going to happen.””
Principal Harris's eyes narrowed.
Naomi turned back to the phone.
“Can the hospital save that message?””
Elena answered immediately.
“Yes.””
“Don't delete anything.””
“We haven't.””
“Please send it to the police.””
There was a silence.
Then Elena said, “We've already contacted security.””
Naomi's throat tightened.
“Is my mother safe?””
A longer pause.
“She is being monitored.””
That wasn't the answer Naomi wanted.
“Can I come there?””
Principal Harris stepped closer.
“Not yet.””
Naomi looked at her.
“My mother is in danger.””
“And that's exactly why we need to know what happened before we send you there.””
Naomi felt tears burning her eyes.
“What if someone is there?””
“We have security on her floor,” Elena said gently.
“Your mother isn't alone.””
Naomi nodded, though nobody could see.
“Okay.””
The call ended.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Principal Harris spoke.
“Naomi, I need you to tell me everything Callie has ever done to you.””
Naomi gave a humorless laugh.
“That's going to take a while.””
“Start with the beginning.””
Naomi sat down.
She stared at the floor.
“She started this school year.””
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
“Did you know her before?””
“No.””
“Did she ever ask you for anything?””
Naomi hesitated.
“She borrowed money once.””
Principal Harris's gaze sharpened.
“When?””
“About a month ago.””
“How much?””
“Twenty dollars.””
“Did she pay you back?””
“No.””
“Was there an argument?””
“No. I didn't care about the money.””
“Then why would she target you?””
Naomi shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Principal Harris pulled a chair around and sat opposite her.
“Think carefully.””
Naomi did.
Nothing made sense.
The jokes.
The clothes.
The braids.
The phone.
The messages.
Her mother's hospital room.
It felt like pieces of a puzzle someone had deliberately scattered.
Then a memory surfaced.
“Wait.””
“What?””
“Three weeks ago.””
Naomi pulled out her phone.
She opened her messages.
“There was a strange number.””
Principal Harris leaned closer.
Naomi scrolled.
“One night, around midnight.””
She found it.
A message from an unknown number.
*Tell your mother to stop asking questions.*
Principal Harris stared.
“Did you reply?””
“No.””
“Anything else?””
Naomi scrolled farther.
Two more messages.
*She's not as safe as you think.*
Then:
*We know where she is.*
Principal Harris went still.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?””
Naomi's voice dropped.
“Because I thought it was spam.””
“You didn't tell your mother?””
“She already had enough to worry about.””
“That wasn't spam.””
“I know that now.””
Principal Harris stood.
“I need a copy of these.””
Naomi handed over the phone.
The principal photographed the messages.
Then her office door opened.
Mr. Bennett stepped inside.
His face looked exhausted.
“Is Naomi okay?””
Principal Harris nodded.
“For the moment.””
He looked confused.
“What does that mean?””
“She received threatening messages about her mother.””
Mr. Bennett's eyebrows lifted.
“What?””
“And the hospital received one this morning.””
He looked at Naomi.
“Oh, Naomi.””
She looked away.
Mr. Bennett lowered his voice.
“Does this have anything to do with Callie?””
“We don't know yet.””
A knock sounded at the door.
Everyone turned.
Callie stood outside.
Two staff members were behind her.
Her arms were crossed.
Her red hair was slightly messy.
Her face looked frightened.
But Naomi noticed something else.
Callie wasn't looking at her.
She was looking at the phone in Principal Harris's hand.
Principal Harris stepped into the doorway.
“Callie.””
Callie swallowed.
“Yes?””
“Come inside.””
Callie entered slowly.
The door shut behind her.
Principal Harris remained standing.
“Do you know why you're here?””
Callie looked at Naomi.
“Because she attacked me.””
Naomi's jaw tightened.
“That's not why you're here.””
Principal Harris raised a hand.
“Let me handle this.””
Callie sat down.
Principal Harris placed her hands on the desk.
“Do you know anything about threatening messages sent to Naomi's mother?””
Callie's face went blank.
“No.””
“Do you know the hospital where Naomi's mother is being treated?””
“No.””
Naomi watched her carefully.
Callie looked toward her.
Then away.
Principal Harris continued.
“Do you know the room number?””
“No.””
“Have you ever visited St. Catherine Medical Center?””
“No.””
“Have you sent anything to Naomi's mother?””
Callie shook her head.
“No.””
Principal Harris stared at her.
“Then why did you say, on video, that you had sent a message containing the hospital address?””
Callie froze.
Naomi's heart pounded.
“I didn't.””
“Mason Reed recorded you.””
“That wasn't what I meant.””
“What did you mean?””
Callie opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Principal Harris's voice hardened.
“Callie, this is your opportunity to explain.””
Callie looked at Naomi.
For one second, something almost like fear crossed her face.
Then it disappeared.
“I was angry.””
“At whom?””
“You.””
Naomi frowned.
“Why?””
Callie's eyes stayed on her.
“You think everyone is against you.””
Naomi stood.
“What did I ever do to you?””
Principal Harris gestured for her to sit.
“Naomi.””
Naomi sat back down.
Callie's hands were shaking now.
“I didn't send the message.””
“Then who did?””
“I don't know.””
“Why would you say that you did?””
“I was trying to scare her.””
Naomi felt sick.
“So you lied about threatening my mother?””
Callie nodded faintly.
“I didn't know she was actually in danger.””
Principal Harris studied her.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I didn't know.””
Naomi stared at her.
“Then how did you know the hospital address?””
Callie said nothing.
The room became silent.
Principal Harris pushed the phone across the desk.
“Because it's time you understand something.””
She tapped the screen.
“We have a recording.””
Callie glanced at it.
“And we have messages.””
Callie's face changed.
Principal Harris noticed.
“What's wrong?””
“Nothing.””
“You recognized something.””
“No.””
“You just looked at the phone like you were afraid of what was on it.””
Callie shook her head.
“I've never seen those messages.””
Principal Harris leaned closer.
“Callie.””
Callie looked up.
“Who are you protecting?””
Callie's eyes filled with tears.
Naomi stared.
The redhead who had laughed at her clothes that morning suddenly looked much younger.
Much less powerful.
Much more terrified.
“I can't tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because he'll know.””
The room went silent.
Naomi stood again.
“Who?””
Callie looked at her.
“Don't.””
“Who is 'he'?””
“I said don't.””
Principal Harris's voice became calm.
“Callie, is someone threatening you?””
Callie didn't answer.
“Is someone threatening your family?””
Nothing.
“Is someone making you hurt Naomi?””
Callie finally whispered:
“He said if I didn't do what he wanted…”
Her voice broke.
“What?”” Naomi asked.
Callie looked toward the closed office door.
Then she said the words so quietly they almost disappeared.
“He'd make sure your mother never left that hospital.””
Naomi felt all the air leave her lungs.
Principal Harris immediately reached for the phone.
“Where is this person?””
“I don't know.””
“Who is he?””
“I don't know his real name.””
“Then what do you call him?””
Callie hesitated.
“A name.””
“What name?””
Callie looked directly at Naomi.
Then at the phone.
Then back at Principal Harris.
“Storm.””
Naomi went cold.
“My last name?””
Callie nodded.
“He told me to use it because he wanted you to think this was about you.””
Principal Harris's expression changed.
“What does that mean?””
Callie began to cry.
“It wasn't supposed to go this far.””
Naomi's voice was barely audible.
“Then what was the plan?””
Callie wiped her cheeks.
“He told me to make you angry.””
“Why?””
“So you'd stop asking questions.””
“What questions?””
Callie looked toward Principal Harris.
Then she whispered,
“The ones your mother already asked.””
Before anyone could respond, Principal Harris's office computer chimed.
An incoming email.
She turned toward the screen.
There was no sender name.
Only one line.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THIS ALONE.*
And beneath it was a photograph.
A photograph taken inside Naomi's mother's hospital room.
Taken less than five minutes ago.
Naomi stared at the screen.
Her mother was visible in the bed.
And standing in the reflection of the dark window behind her was a man Naomi had never seen before.
He was holding a piece of paper.
May you like
On it were four words.
*I KNOW WHERE NAOMI IS.*
