Chapter 4 - The Woman Who Died Twice
Vincent had built an empire on one principle.
Dead people could not betray you twice.
By midnight, he learned he had been wrong.
Caleb entered the hospital suite carrying a thin folder.
“Samuel Grant retired eight years ago.”
Vincent looked up.
“Where is he?”
“Wisconsin.”
“Bring him here.”
“Already sent someone.”
Nora stood beside the medication cart.
“You cannot kidnap a retired doctor.”
Vincent looked at her.
“I said bring.”
“With you, those words have flexibility.”
Caleb almost smiled.
Vincent did not.
Nora had returned for her shift expecting to monitor a difficult patient.
Instead, she had walked into an eleven-year-old conspiracy.
Vincent’s former fiancée, Celeste Marrow, had supposedly died in the lake house fire.
Her remains had been identified through dental records.
Dr. Samuel Grant signed the medical documentation.
But Caleb had found something else.
The dental office that supplied the records had burned down six months later.
Its owner disappeared.
Nora crossed her arms.
“You think Celeste survived.”
Vincent’s eyes went flat.
“I watched her drug my drink.”
Nora stopped.
“You remember?”
“Every second.”
He had never told the story in detail.
Not even Caleb knew all of it.
Vincent looked toward the Chicago skyline.
“I woke up on the floor. She was standing over me. She told me my father should have given her family the waterfront contract.”
Nora sat quietly.
“She poured gasoline across the curtains.”
His voice contained no emotion.
That frightened Nora more than anger.
“She lit a match.”
Eleven years vanished from his face.
For one second, he was thirty years old again.
Betrayed.
Burning.
“She said she was sorry.”
Nora whispered, “Vincent.”
“She left me there.”
His breathing changed.
Nora approached.
“May I?”
He nodded.
She placed her hand over his.
His fingers slowly curled around hers.
The monitor steadied.
Caleb watched without speaking.
Vincent continued.
“I crawled through a window. After that, I remember your voice.”
Nora squeezed his hand.
“You survived.”
“So did she.”
“You don’t know that yet.”
Vincent looked at her.
“No. But I know someone wanted me dead three nights ago.”
The shootings.
Nora suddenly understood.
“You think they’re connected.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Caleb’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then his expression hardened.
“What happened?”
Vincent asked.
Caleb lowered the phone.
“Our men reached Grant’s cabin.”
“And?”
“Empty.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“How long?”
“Coffee was warm.”
Nora looked between them.
“He knew you were coming.”
Caleb nodded.
“Which means someone inside this hospital warned him.”
The three of them thought of the same person.
Melissa.
Nora found her supervisor in the staff lounge twenty minutes later.
Melissa was packing her purse.
“Going somewhere?”
Melissa spun around.
“You scared me.”
“Your father disappeared.”
Color left Melissa’s face.
That was enough.
Nora shut the door.
“What did he do?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t.”
Nora’s voice was quiet.
For years, she had allowed Melissa to belittle her.
Tonight, something had changed.
Maybe it was Vincent.
Maybe it was realizing she had once run into a burning house while everyone else watched.
She was tired of disappearing.
“Your father falsified Vincent Mercer’s records.”
Melissa laughed nervously.
“You’re taking the word of criminals?”
“I’m asking you.”
Melissa looked toward the door.
“Nora, you don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
Melissa’s eyes filled.
“My father was threatened.”
“By Celeste?”
Melissa froze.
Nora’s pulse jumped.
“She’s alive.”
Melissa sat down.
“Oh God.”
“She is.”
“I never met her.”
“But your father did.”
Melissa covered her face.
“Years ago.”
Nora waited.
“My father told me there had been a mistake. A woman came to him after the fire. She was injured, but alive. She threatened my mother and me if he told anyone.”
“So he falsified her death.”
Melissa nodded.
“He spent eleven years terrified she’d return.”
“Why access Vincent’s records three weeks ago?”
“Because she did.”
The door opened.
Vincent stood there.
He should not have been out of bed.
Caleb was behind him.
Melissa went white.
Vincent spoke softly.
“Where is she?”
Melissa began crying.
“I don’t know.”
Vincent took one step forward.
Nora moved between them.
He looked down at her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Nora.”
“You want answers. Terrifying her won’t get them.”
His eyes flashed.
For a moment, the room held its breath.
Then Vincent stepped back.
Nora turned to Melissa.
“What did Celeste want?”
“A patient file.”
“Whose?”
Melissa looked at Nora.
“Yours.”
Silence.
Nora felt cold.
“Why?”
“She asked about the night of the fire. She wanted to know how much you remembered.”
Vincent’s expression became lethal.
“And you gave it to her?”
“No! My father refused.”
“Then why did you send Nora into my trauma room?”
Melissa began shaking.
“She told me to.”
Nora stared.
“What?”
“She called after Mr. Mercer was brought in. She said if he survived, I had to make sure you were the nurse who touched him.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
Nora felt sick.
“Why would she want that?”
Melissa whispered, “Because she knew he would remember you.”
Caleb moved toward the window, checking outside.
Vincent looked at Nora.
“This was arranged.”
Nora shook her head.
“But why?”
Nobody answered.
Then Nora’s phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Nora at twenty years old.
Standing beside an ambulance.
Her hand wrapped around the burned hand of an unconscious Vincent Mercer.
Beneath it was one sentence.
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE BEFORE HE REMEMBERED YOU.
Another message arrived.
Nora opened it.
This time there was a photograph of Eli leaving her apartment.
Taken less than an hour earlier.
Nora stopped breathing.
Vincent took the phone from her.
His entire face changed.
“Caleb.”
“I’m on it.”
“My brother,” Nora whispered.
Vincent reached for her.
This time, he did not hesitate.
His scarred hand closed around hers.
“Listen to me.”
She looked up.
“I will find him.”
“You don’t know where he is.”
“No.”
Vincent’s eyes turned colder than anything Nora had seen.
“But whoever took him just made the mistake of giving me something I cannot afford to lose.”
Nora stared at him.
“My brother?”
May you like
Vincent’s thumb moved across her knuckles.
“You.”
