Chapter 12 - RACHEL’S GRAVE
Hale tore the note from my hand.
“You’re not going.”
“She wants me there.”
“Exactly.”
“She might have Lily.”
“And she might have a rifle pointed at the entrance.”
“So what do we do?”
“We control the meeting.”
Vanessa had chosen 10:00 a.m.
Rachel’s cemetery was small.
One road in.
One road out.
Trees surrounded the older graves.
Police placed officers around the perimeter.
I wore a wire.
Hale gave me simple instructions.
“Do not chase her.”
“If she has Lily—”
“Do not chase her.”
“If she threatens her?”
“Keep her talking.”
I looked at him.
“You have kids?”
“Two.”
“What would you do?”
His jaw tightened.
“My job.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“No.”
He met my eyes.
“It isn’t.”
At 9:58, I walked toward Rachel’s grave.
My hands were shaking.
Not from fear.
From rage.
Her headstone came into view.
RACHEL CARTER.
BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER.
Someone stood beside it.
Vanessa.
Black jacket.
Hair tied back.
She looked almost exactly like the woman I married.
That was the most disturbing part.
“Daniel.”
“Where’s Lily?”
She smiled faintly.
“Not hello?”
“Where is she?”
“You always did rush.”
“Vanessa—”
“Rebecca.”
I stopped.
“So you know.”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Then tell me.”
She studied my face.
“You still think this started with you.”
“Didn’t it?”
She laughed softly.
“Daniel, you were supposed to be easy.”
My fists tightened.
“You chose me because Rachel died.”
“Yes.”
The word landed like a slap.
“You researched us.”
“Yes.”
“You pretended to love Noah.”
Her expression flickered.
That one hurt her.
Interesting.
“I took care of him.”
“You locked him in a cage.”
“He saw things he wasn’t supposed to see.”
“So you terrorized him into silence.”
“I kept him alive.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Michael wanted him gone months ago.”
My breath caught.
“I stopped him.”
“Why?”
Her face changed.
For the first time, she looked tired.
“Because I’m not Michael.”
“You helped him.”
“I survived him.”
“By finding victims?”
Her eyes hardened.
“You have no idea what survival costs.”
“No. But Noah does.”
That struck something.
She looked away.
“Where’s Lily?”
“I moved her.”
“Where?”
“I’ll tell you if you help me disappear.”
I almost laughed.
“You’re insane.”
“Michael knows I’m talking.”
“You think I care?”
“You should.”
She stepped closer.
“Because he knows where Noah is.”
My blood went cold.
“What did you say?”
“He knows you’re here.”
“Noah has police protection.”
Vanessa smiled sadly.
“Michael used to be a cop.”
My heartbeat exploded.
“He knows how police protect people.”
I touched the wire under my shirt.
“Hale.”
No answer.
“Daniel?” Vanessa said.
I turned toward the road.
My phone rang.
Mom.
I answered.
She was screaming.
“Daniel! Somebody’s in the house!”
May you like
Then I heard glass break.
And Noah screamed.
