Chapter 7 - THE LOCKED ROOM
Police searched Margaret's house the next day.
They found the locked room in the basement.
Daniel had known it existed.
He had never been allowed inside.
Growing up, Margaret told him it contained old tax records.
It didn't.
It contained thirty-three years of obsession.
Boxes of Daniel's childhood clothes.
School reports.
Photographs.
Medical records.
Every girlfriend Daniel had dated.
Printed social media photos.
Notes about me.
Hundreds of them.
Emily manipulates him.
Emily keeps him away on holidays.
Emily will control the baby.
Emily's mother is replacing me.
Then investigators found the files about Noah.
A nursery plan.
A feeding schedule.
A list of approved babysitters.
A typed page titled:
DANIEL AND BABY - LIFE AFTER EMILY.
Officer Harris showed us only what he thought we could handle.
It was enough.
I threw up.
Daniel didn't speak for almost an hour.
Then he asked, "Did she plan to kill Emily?"
Harris didn't answer immediately.
"We don't have evidence proving that was her intention."
"But?"
"But we found evidence she planned for Emily not to be caring for the baby."
My hands went numb.
"In what way?"
"There are notes discussing psychiatric evaluation, custody concerns, and claims that you were emotionally unstable."
I laughed.
It came out ugly.
"She was building a case."
"Possibly."
Daniel stood beside the window.
"She wanted Emily gone so she could have access to Noah."
Harris nodded carefully.
"That's one interpretation we're investigating."
Then his phone rang.
He stepped into the hall.
Five minutes later, he came back.
His expression had changed.
"We located Dr. Holloway."
Robert, who had been sitting silently in the corner, lifted his head.
"He's alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Assisted living facility outside Columbus."
Daniel picked up his jacket.
"I'm going."
Harris blocked the door.
"You can't question a witness."
"He's not your witness. He's my mother's old doctor."
"He is now part of an active investigation."
Daniel glared at him.
"What did he say?"
Officer Harris hesitated.
"He asked one question."
"What?"
Harris looked directly at Daniel.
"He asked whether Margaret had finally tried to take another baby."
Daniel went completely still.
"Another?"
Harris nodded.
May you like
And suddenly Matthew's death no longer felt like a tragedy from thirty-three years ago.
It felt like the beginning of the same story.
