Chapter 8 - NO OUTSIDERS
Mara made the call herself.
Grant tried to take the phone.
She locked herself in the bathroom and gave the dispatcher the address.
When paramedics arrived, Grant transformed.
Suddenly he was a terrified uncle.
Vivian became the grieving grandmother.
Hale became the responsible doctor.
Mara watched the performance in disgust.
At the hospital, Eli stabilized.
The doctor said someone had given him too much sedative.
Hale blamed a dosing error.
Grant blamed Mara.
“She’s been interfering with his medication.”
Mara nearly attacked him.
“You liar.”
A police officer stepped between them.
Grant lowered his voice.
“She has a history of drug-related offenses.”
“Obstruction,” Mara said. “Not drugs.”
But the officer’s expression had already changed.
That was how fast a record worked.
Like ink dropped into clean water.
Everything became cloudy.
Eli woke the next morning.
Mara sat beside him while the family spoke to hospital administrators.
“You saved me,” he whispered.
“You scared ten years off my life.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t do it again.”
He smiled weakly.
Then his face became serious.
“Mara?”
“Yeah?”
“My mom is alive.”
Mara froze.
“How do you know?”
“I saw her.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Here?”
He nodded.
“A nurse took me for a test. The elevator opened. Mom was standing there with Dr. Hale.”
Mara’s heart pounded.
“They moved Rebecca.”
Why?
Then she realized.
The basement was compromised.
They were cleaning up.
“Mara,” Eli whispered.
“What?”
“Mom gave me something.”
He reached beneath the blanket.
A folded piece of paper.
Mara opened it.
Only one sentence.
THE FIRE WAS GRANT.
Mara looked at Eli.
“Did she say anything else?”
“She said Uncle Grant started the fire.”
Vivian’s story.
Rebecca had supposedly tried to burn down a nursery.
What if Grant did it?
What if that incident was the beginning?
Mara stood.
“I need you to remember something.”
“What?”
“No matter what anybody says about me, I am not leaving you.”
Eli looked frightened.
“Why would they say something?”
Before Mara could answer, the hospital door opened.
Two police detectives stepped in.
Detective Briggs.
And Detective Nora Hayes.
Briggs held up a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a diamond bracelet.
Mara recognized it.
Vivian’s.
“We found this in your room at the Callahan estate,” Briggs said.
Mara went cold.
Hayes held up another bag.
Prescription pills.
“And these were inside your purse.”
Mara stared.
Grant stood behind them in the hallway.
Watching.
“I’ve never seen those pills.”
Briggs sighed.
“Ms. Quinn, turn around.”
Eli started crying.
“She didn’t do anything!”
Mara looked at Grant.
He gave her that small smile.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
Enough for her.
Then Detective Hayes leaned close while Briggs cuffed Mara.
So close only Mara could hear.
“Don’t say anything in front of them.”
Mara looked at her.
Hayes’s face stayed blank.
May you like
But her next whisper changed everything.
“I believe you.”
