Chapter 4 - THE FLIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT
Chadworth stared at the tickets.
He checked the names.
Lorelai Prescott.
Gemma Prescott.
His daughters.
“Why do you have tickets for my children?”
Sabina crossed her arms.
“I don’t.”
“They were in your associate’s vehicle.”
“I’ve never seen them.”
Elliot looked at her.
That was all Chadworth needed.
The quick glance.
The panic.
The silent question between two people whose plan had gone off script.
Chadworth moved closer.
“Where were you taking them?”
Sabina said nothing.
“Where?”
“Nowhere.”
He held up the forged guardianship papers.
“You were going to drug me.”
“No.”
“Then what’s the syringe for?”
Elliot spoke quickly.
“A sedative.”
“For who?”
Silence.
Marcus looked at the vial.
“Midazolam.”
Chadworth turned.
“You’re sure?”
“Label’s intact.”
Rosamund covered her mouth.
Chadworth’s stomach twisted.
A sedative.
Fake medical authority.
Guardianship papers.
Passports.
Tickets.
This wasn’t just cruelty.
It was preparation.
He looked at Marcus.
“Call the police.”
Sabina suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at her.
It wasn’t a nervous laugh.
It was bitter.
“You think you understand this?”
Chadworth stared.
“I understand enough.”
“No, you understand what you’re being shown.”
She pointed at Rosamund.
“That woman has been setting this up.”
Rosamund recoiled.
“What?”
Sabina continued.
“She knew about the cameras.”
“That’s a lie.”
“She’s been planting things.”
Rosamund shook her head.
“No.”
Sabina looked at Chadworth.
“Check her room.”
Chadworth didn’t respond.
“Check it.”
Marcus said quietly, “We should.”
Rosamund looked at him.
“Go ahead.”
Two officers went upstairs.
Three minutes later, one returned carrying a velvet jewelry pouch.
He opened it.
Inside was Sabina’s missing diamond bracelet.
Chadworth stared at Rosamund.
Rosamund’s face lost color.
“I’ve never seen that.”
Sabina smiled.
“Of course.”
The officer added, “Found inside the bottom drawer of her dresser.”
Rosamund shook her head harder.
“No.”
Chadworth hated the doubt that came back.
Even after everything.
Because evidence was evidence.
Rosamund saw it on his face.
“You believe her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Lorelai stepped between them.
“She didn’t steal it.”
Chadworth looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw Sabina in Rosamund’s room.”
Sabina snapped, “You are lying.”
“No!”
Gemma suddenly cried out.
“She took my rabbit too!”
Everyone looked at her.
Gemma pointed toward the sofa.
“My bunny.”
Chadworth picked up the stuffed animal.
“What about it?”
Gemma sniffled.
“Sabina took it yesterday.”
Sabina rolled her eyes.
“It was on the floor.”
Gemma shook her head.
“No. You cut it.”
Chadworth looked down.
Along the rabbit’s back was a small stitched seam.
Fresh.
Uneven.
Rosamund’s eyes widened.
“Open it.”
Chadworth tore the stitching apart.
Inside the stuffing was a small object.
A USB drive.
Nobody moved.
Sabina’s face drained of color.
Chadworth slowly looked up.
“What is this?”
Gemma whispered, “Mom’s.”
His heart stopped.
“What?”
“Lorelai said it was Mom’s.”
Chadworth turned toward his oldest daughter.
Lorelai looked terrified.
“I found it in Mom’s old music box.”
“When?”
“Last month.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her eyes moved to Sabina.
“She told me Dad would throw all Mom’s things away if I kept asking questions.”
Chadworth closed his eyes for one second.
Then handed the USB to Marcus.
“Laptop. Now.”
Marcus inserted the drive into an offline machine.
A folder opened.
There were photographs.
Bank documents.
Audio files.
And one video.
The file was dated six days before Chadworth’s wife, Elizabeth, died.
Chadworth stared at the thumbnail.
His wife was sitting in the same study where he had once believed he knew everything about his family.
Marcus clicked PLAY.
Elizabeth appeared on screen.
Pale.
Tired.
Scared.
She looked directly into the camera.
“If Chad is watching this, then something happened to me.”
Chadworth stopped breathing.
Elizabeth continued.
May you like
“And if Sabina Voss is anywhere near my daughters, get them away from her.”
Sabina lunged for the laptop.
