Chapter 8 - The Woman Who Took My Son
I ran.
I didn’t care about the pain.
I didn’t care about the stitches.
I ran through the hospital corridors until a nurse grabbed my arm.
“Mrs. Hale, slow down!”
“Where is my son?”
The nursery door was open.
My baby was gone.
I screamed.
Security locked down the entire floor.
Detective Reed arrived minutes later.
“She was disguised as a nurse.”
“Margaret?”
He nodded.
“She took your son through the service elevator.”
I thought I was going to collapse.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Margaret’s voice came through.
“You should have left the past alone.”
“Where is my son?”
“You have something I want.”
“The trust?”
“No.”
“What?”
“The evidence.”
I froze.
She knew about the files.
“You want the documents.”
“I want everything.”
“You killed my mother.”
Margaret laughed.
“Your mother destroyed herself.”
“You took Daniel.”
Silence.
Then Margaret said:
“I saved him.”
“You turned him into a monster.”
“I made him strong.”
“You made him believe money was more important than people.”
“I made him survive.”
I closed my eyes.
“Where is my son?”
“You will bring me the evidence.”
“Then what?”
“Then I give you the child.”
I looked at Detective Reed.
He silently signaled that the call was being traced.
I kept Margaret talking.
“You want me to believe you?”
“You have no choice.”
“Why did you try to kill me?”
“I didn’t.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Daniel acted alone.”
That made no sense.
“Why would he?”
Margaret’s voice changed.
“Because he discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
“He knew you were his sister.”
My blood froze.
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he marry me?”
“Because he believed you were going to take everything from him.”
I felt sick.
“Who told him that?”
Margaret laughed.
“Your father.”
I looked at my father.
He shook his head.
“No.”
Margaret continued.
“Your father knew the truth. He knew Daniel was your brother. He knew about the trust.”
My father looked devastated.
“Emma, I didn’t know Daniel was alive.”
Margaret ignored him.
“Daniel believed your father had hidden you from him.”
“That’s not true.”
“Truth doesn’t matter when a person has been raised on lies.”
The call ended.
Detective Reed looked at me.
“We have a location.”
We raced to the old Crosswell estate.
The house was dark.
My son’s cries echoed from inside.
I ran toward the sound.
Then a gunshot exploded.
Everyone froze.
Margaret stood at the end of the hallway.
She held my baby.
And beside her stood Daniel.
His face was bruised.
His hands were cuffed.
I stared at him.
“Daniel.”
He looked at me.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
Margaret pressed a gun against the baby blanket.
“Drop your weapons.”
Detective Reed raised his hands.
My father stepped forward.
Margaret aimed at him.
“You destroyed everything.”
My father stared at her.
“You destroyed your own son.”
Daniel flinched.
Margaret looked at him.
“He is lying.”
Daniel stared at me.
Then at the baby.
Then at Margaret.
Something inside his face broke.
“Is it true?”
Margaret said nothing.
“Am I her brother?”
Silence.
Daniel’s eyes filled with horror.
I whispered:
“Yes.”
Margaret raised the gun.
And then Daniel moved.
He slammed into her.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the ceiling.
Detective Reed tackled Margaret.
I grabbed my son.
May you like
And Daniel fell to the floor.
Bleeding.
