Chapter 13 - THE LAST TRAP
Emergency lights flickered on.
Rachel ran upstairs.
Guests were being evacuated.
Hotel employees shouted directions.
“Emily!”
No answer.
Rachel reached the private office.
Empty.
Her heart stopped.
“Emily!”
Thomas appeared from the opposite corridor.
“She’s gone.”
Rachel grabbed him.
“What?”
“I was thirty seconds behind you.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Rachel looked toward the stairwell.
Then she saw something on the floor.
Emily’s silver charm necklace.
Rachel picked it up.
The chain was broken.
“No.”
Her phone rang.
Victor.
Rachel answered.
“Where is she?”
Victor’s breathing was heavy.
“You destroyed everything.”
“Where is my daughter?”
“Your daughter?”
His laugh sounded different now.
No polish.
No charm.
Nothing left to protect.
“You want her?”
Rachel forced herself to remain calm.
“Yes.”
“Come to the roof.”
“Victor—”
“Alone.”
The call ended.
Grant appeared.
Rachel showed him the phone.
“He has Emily.”
Grant’s face hardened.
“You are not going alone.”
“He’ll see you.”
“We’ll stay back.”
Rachel entered the service stairwell.
Each flight felt endless.
When she reached the roof, cold Manhattan air hit her face.
Victor stood near the center.
Emily was beside him.
He wasn’t holding her over an edge.
He wasn’t hurting her.
But one hand rested firmly on her shoulder.
Emily looked terrified.
“Mom.”
Rachel stopped.
“I’m here.”
Victor looked exhausted.
His tuxedo jacket was gone.
His white shirt was stained.
Daniel’s ring remained on his hand.
Rachel looked at Emily.
“Come to me.”
Victor tightened his grip.
“Not yet.”
“What do you want?”
“A car.”
“You had one.”
“Grant blocked the exits.”
“So this is your plan?”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“You think I planned any of this?”
“Yes.”
“The brooch.”
“The trust.”
“Daniel.”
Victor’s face changed.
“Daniel was supposed to give me the drive.”
“And when he didn’t?”
“He attacked me.”
Rachel stared at him.
“Claire says you pushed him.”
Victor’s eyes widened.
“She’s lying.”
“She says Charles stopped you from saving him.”
Victor said nothing.
That silence was enough.
Rachel stepped closer.
“You could have pulled him out.”
Victor’s jaw trembled.
“You weren’t there.”
“No.”
“But you were.”
Victor looked away.
Rachel continued.
“You watched your brother die.”
“Stop.”
“You took his ring.”
“Stop.”
“You wore it.”
“I SAID STOP!”
Emily flinched.
Victor immediately looked down.
For one second, shame crossed his face.
Rachel saw her chance.
“Emily.”
The child looked at her.
“Remember what Daddy taught you when you were scared?”
Emily swallowed.
“Count five things.”
“That’s right.”
Victor looked confused.
Rachel continued softly.
“Tell me one thing you can see.”
Emily looked around.
“The red light.”
“Good.”
“One thing you can hear.”
“The helicopters.”
“Good.”
Victor loosened his hand slightly.
“One thing you can touch.”
Emily looked down.
“My dress.”
Rachel took another step.
“One person you trust.”
Emily looked directly at her mother.
“You.”
Then she pulled away from Victor.
Victor reached instinctively.
But stopped.
Emily ran.
Rachel caught her.
Grant and two officers emerged from the stairwell.
“Victor Bennett!”
Victor backed away.
“Hands where we can see them!”
Victor looked at Rachel.
Then at Emily.
Then down at Daniel’s ring.
Slowly, he removed it.
He placed it on the concrete.
“I didn’t mean for him to die.”
Rachel stared at him.
“But you let him.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Grant stepped forward.
Victor raised his hands.
May you like
And for the first time in two years, Rachel heard the truth spoken aloud.
Daniel Bennett’s death had never been an accident.
