Chapter 11 - CLAIRE’S LAST SONG
Lily’s voice trembled through the underground chamber.
“Little star, little light.”
“Keep the truth where hearts can hide.”
Malcolm tightened his grip on her shoulder.
“Stop singing.”
Lily continued.
“Turn the moon and count to four.”
“Mommy waits behind the door.”
Grant looked at me.
“The music box.”
The broken music box in Lily’s nursery had a moon-shaped handle.
My mother nodded.
“Claire told me the words before she died.”
“She knew Lily would remember the song.”
Renata raised the gun toward my mother.
“Where is the card?”
“In the music box.”
Malcolm swore.
The evidence was still at the Callahan estate.
Renata looked at him.
“You told me the house had been searched.”
“I searched Claire’s office.”
“You incompetent old man.”
Malcolm slapped Renata.
The sound cracked through the chamber.
Lily screamed.
Renata stared at him in disbelief.
For the first time, their partnership began to break.
“You would be nothing without me,” Malcolm said.
“You were a failed consultant with a mountain of debt.”
“I gave you access to Grant.”
“I put you inside that family.”
Renata’s face twisted.
“You promised me the company.”
“I promised you comfort.”
“You were never going to control Callahan Industrial.”
Grant watched them carefully.
“You used her.”
Malcolm smiled.
“I used everyone.”
“Claire discovered the waste contracts.”
“She threatened to expose the company.”
“She wanted me prosecuted.”
“She was right.”
“She was naïve.”
Grant looked at Renata.
“And you drugged her?”
Renata kept the gun raised.
“She was going to take Lily and leave.”
“She would have destroyed Grant.”
“You destroyed him,” I said.
Renata’s eyes moved toward me.
“You have no idea what I gave him.”
“You gave him lies.”
“I gave him a future.”
“You burned his daughter.”
Renata’s expression sharpened.
“She refused to cooperate.”
Lily looked up.
“Mommy didn’t like you because you were bad.”
Renata pointed the gun at her.
“Be quiet.”
Grant stepped forward.
“Point that at me.”
“I said stop moving.”
“Let Lily go.”
“Give us the card.”
“It’s at the estate.”
Malcolm looked toward Nadia.
“Call the team.”
“Have them destroy the music box.”
Nadia lifted her bound hands.
“My phone is gone.”
Malcolm reached into his pocket.
His phone was missing.
Renata checked hers.
Nothing.
Mara smiled.
“The gas jammer blocks outgoing signals.”
Malcolm looked toward the exit.
“Then we go back ourselves.”
A distant siren sounded.
Mara’s backup had found the factory.
Renata grabbed Lily.
“We’re leaving.”
Malcolm pulled Nadia toward a side tunnel.
Grant moved after them.
Renata fired at the floor near his feet.
“Next one goes through your daughter.”
Lily flinched.
I saw something small in her hand.
The silver button from her dress.
She dropped it beside the metal stairs.
Nadia noticed it too.
A trail.
Lily was showing us where they were taking her.
Grant looked at me.
I nodded.
We waited until the footsteps faded.
Then we followed.
The tunnel ended at an underground loading dock.
A black armored vehicle waited beside an open door.
Malcolm forced Nadia inside.
Renata dragged Lily toward the rear seat.
Grant stepped from the shadows.
“Let her go.”
Malcolm raised his weapon.
Before he could fire, Nadia drove her head backward into his face.
Lily bit Renata’s hand.
Renata screamed.
I ran forward.
Lily broke free.
Then Malcolm fired.
Grant jerked.
A dark stain spread across his shirt.
He fell to the concrete.
May you like
Lily’s scream echoed through the tunnel.
“Daddy!”
