Chapter 7 - THE DOCTOR’S BAG
“Why was he here?” Daniel asked.
Claire said nothing.
Daniel turned.
“Claire.”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“I swear.”
Luis pulled another camera angle.
Reed moved through the kitchen.
Up the back stairs.
Toward the nursery.
Rosa tightened her arms around Ethan.
“No.”
Daniel felt ice in his chest.
“Keep playing.”
At 3:23, Reed entered Ethan’s room.
He stayed eleven minutes.
At 3:34, he left.
“What did he do in there?” Rosa whispered.
Daniel ran upstairs.
The nursery looked normal.
Crib.
Toys.
Blankets.
Nightlight.
Rosa placed Ethan in the playpen while Daniel searched.
“What are we looking for?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
He opened drawers.
Nothing.
Checked behind the crib.
Nothing.
Then Rosa pointed.
“The monitor.”
Daniel looked at the baby monitor mounted above the crib.
A tiny green light blinked.
“Is that normal?”
“No.”
He pulled it down.
The back panel had been opened.
Inside was a device smaller than a coin.
Luis arrived.
“That’s not part of the monitor.”
“A microphone?” Daniel asked.
Luis examined it.
“Transmitter, maybe.”
Claire appeared at the door.
Daniel turned.
“Who’s listening?”
“I don’t know!”
“Stop lying!”
“I’m not!”
Ethan began crying.
Rosa lifted him.
Daniel looked at Claire.
“You knew the lab was being watched.”
“No.”
“You knew Ethan wasn’t ours.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother arranged it.”
“Yes.”
“So start talking.”
Claire shook.
“My mother said the clinic did this before.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“She called it private placement.”
“Baby trafficking?”
“No!”
“What would you call it?”
Claire covered her face.
“She said wealthy families paid for confidential adoptions.”
“Without the mother’s consent?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Daniel’s disgust was immediate.
“Of course you didn’t.”
Claire slapped him.
The room went silent.
Daniel barely moved.
Claire stared at her own hand.
Then Rosa stepped between them.
“Get out.”
Claire looked at her.
“This is my house.”
Rosa’s voice was calm.
“But that is my son.”
Claire left.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel received another call.
This time from Dr. Reed’s number.
He answered.
“Where are you?”
Reed sounded weak.
“In my office.”
“You were in my house last night.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To get something.”
“What?”
“Evidence.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“What evidence?”
“There’s a safe under the nursery floor.”
Daniel looked down.
Reed continued.
“Evelyn had it installed before the baby arrived.”
“What’s in it?”
“Records.”
“Of what?”
“Every child.”
Daniel went still.
“How many?”
Reed began to answer.
Then Daniel heard a door burst open on Reed’s end.
A man shouted.
May you like
A gunshot cracked.
The line went dead.
