Chapter 8 - THE CHILD THEY USED
Sebastian drove ninety miles an hour.
He didn’t remember the red lights.
He didn’t remember Daniel shouting directions.
He remembered only Lily’s scream.
When they reached the house, the front door was open.
Sebastian ran inside.
“LILY!”
No answer.
The babysitter lay unconscious in the hallway.
Breathing.
Alive.
Sebastian raced upstairs.
His bedroom door was open.
The bed was empty.
“Lily!”
A small sound came from the closet.
“Dad?”
Sebastian ripped it open.
Lily threw herself into his arms.
He dropped to his knees.
“Oh God.”
She sobbed against him.
“He wanted the music box.”
Sebastian held her face.
“Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head.
“I bit him.”
Despite everything, Daniel almost smiled.
“That’s a smart kid.”
Lily looked at him.
“Who are you?”
“A friend.”
Sebastian carried her downstairs.
Police arrived ten minutes later.
Daniel stayed away from them.
He no longer knew which officers could be trusted.
Lily sat wrapped in a blanket.
“He kept asking where Aunt Claire put the card.”
Sebastian crouched beside her.
“What card?”
“The tiny one.”
Daniel looked over.
“What tiny one?”
Lily sniffed.
“Aunt Claire gave it to me at my party.”
Sebastian’s pulse jumped.
“When?”
“Before the cake fell.”
“Where is it?”
Lily pointed toward her shoe.
Sebastian stared.
“You put it in your shoe?”
“Aunt Claire said nobody checks a princess’s shoe.”
Daniel laughed once.
“That woman is smarter than I thought.”
Lily removed her sneaker.
A microSD card fell out.
Sebastian nearly collapsed.
They put it into Daniel’s laptop.
One folder.
B17.
Daniel opened it.
Bank transfers.
Bribes.
Payments to Reyes.
Payments to inspectors.
Payments to contractors.
Then one final transaction.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
Paid after Mara’s death.
Recipient:
HENRY STELLAN.
Sebastian stared.
“My father took money?”
Daniel looked closer.
“No.”
“What?”
“This account doesn’t belong to your father.”
The banking information used Henry’s name.
But the routing number led elsewhere.
A private account.
Daniel searched the file.
The registered owner appeared.
Claire Stellan.
Sebastian stopped breathing.
Daniel turned toward him.
“Your sister got paid two hundred grand four days after my wife died.”
Sebastian stared at the screen.
“No.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“You said she was threatened.”
“She was.”
“Then explain the money.”
Sebastian couldn’t.
His phone buzzed.
A text from Claire’s number.
May you like
One sentence.
STOP LOOKING OR LILY DIES NEXT.
