Chapter 2: The Woman I Buried Was Still Breathing
The paramedics arrived seven minutes later.
By then, Elena was wrapped in three blankets on the poolside lounge, with an oxygen mask covering her face.
I hadn't released her hand.
Not once.
Ava sat beside her, stroking her mother's fingers as if she were afraid Elena might disappear again.
“Mommy, are you staying tonight?””
Elena turned her head.
“I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart.””
“Promise?””
“I promise.””
I looked away.
The words hurt more than they should have.
Because Elena had made that same promise before she disappeared.
And I had believed her.
A paramedic named Rachel approached with a medical bag.
“Sir, we need to examine your wife.””
I nodded.
“Of course.””
Rachel glanced at Elena.
“Can you tell me your name?””
“Elena Hayes.””
“How long have you been trapped?””
Elena closed her eyes.
“Fourteen months.””
Rachel exchanged a look with her colleague.
“Fourteen months?””
I stepped closer.
“That's impossible. She couldn't have survived that long underwater.””
Elena shook her head weakly.
“Not underwater. There was a chamber beneath the pool.””
I stared at her.
“What chamber?””
She looked toward the open hatch.
“The pool was built over an old underground maintenance room. Someone connected it to a ventilation system and installed a separate water tank. When they locked me inside, they left enough supplies to keep me alive.””
“Who?””
Elena looked at me.
“You know who.””
I turned toward the house.
Vanessa.
Rachel interrupted gently.
“Mrs. Hayes, please conserve your energy. We need to get you to the hospital.””
Elena grabbed my hand.
“Marcus, don't let them take me alone.””
“I'll come with you.””
“Not just you.””
She glanced at Ava.
“Both of you.””
I nodded.
“Whatever you need.””
As the paramedics prepared the stretcher, Daniel approached.
“Marcus, the police are here.””
Two officers stood near the entrance.
One was a tall man with silver hair. The other was a younger woman carrying a tablet.
The older officer introduced himself as Detective Robert Miller.
“Mr. Hayes, I understand there's been an incident.””
“My wife was held captive beneath my swimming pool.””
He stared at me.
“Your wife?””
I pointed toward Elena.
“She was declared dead fourteen months ago. We just found her underneath the house.””
Detective Miller looked at the open hatch.
Then at the paramedics.
“Who else has access to this property?””
“Me, my daughter, and my fiancée.””
“Where is your fiancée?””
“Inside.””
The detective nodded toward the younger officer.
“Officer Lewis, locate her.””
Before she could move, Daniel approached with his phone.
“Marcus, we have a problem.””
“What?””
“Vanessa's car is gone.””
I looked toward the driveway.
The silver Mercedes was missing.
“Did she leave?””
“Apparently. But that's not the worst part.””
Daniel showed me his screen.
A security camera feed displayed the hallway outside my study.
Vanessa was standing in front of the door.
She had a small black case in her hand.
Then she entered.
“What is she looking for?”” I asked.
Daniel zoomed in.
“Marcus, that's the biometric safe.””
My stomach dropped.
Inside that safe were Elena's personal documents, the original property deeds, and the encrypted storage drive containing our family financial records.
I had given Vanessa access to the study six months earlier.
I had trusted her.
“Call the police,” I said.
“They're already here.””
“Tell them she's inside the house.””
Detective Miller stepped forward.
“Mr. Hayes, we'll handle it.””
But I couldn't stand there.
I looked at Elena.
“I'm going inside.””
She caught my sleeve.
“No.””
“Elena, she's taking something from my study.””
“That's what she wants you to think.””
I froze.
“What?””
Elena struggled to sit up.
“Marcus, listen carefully. Vanessa doesn't need the documents.””
“Then what does she need?””
“The key.””
I frowned.
“What key?””
Elena's eyes moved toward the pool.
“The key to the second chamber.””
I stared at her.
“There are two chambers?””
She nodded.
“The first one was where they kept me. The second one…”
Her voice cracked.
“That's where they kept the recordings.””
“What recordings?””
Elena looked at Ava.
Then at me.
“Everything they did. Everything they planned. Every conversation.””
Detective Miller approached.
“Mrs. Hayes, who exactly are you accusing?””
Elena took a shaky breath.
“Vanessa Cole.””
“Anyone else?””
She hesitated.
Then she whispered a name.
A name I never expected to hear.
“Richard Hayes.””
My father.
The man who had raised me.
The man who had paid for my wedding.
The man who had stood beside me at Elena's memorial service.
I stared at her.
“No.””
Elena began crying.
“Marcus…”
“No. My father had nothing to do with this.””
“He was there the night they took me.””
I shook my head.
“You're confused. You've been through something traumatic.””
Elena reached for my face.
“I wish I were confused.””
Detective Miller exchanged a glance with Officer Lewis.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A few seconds passed.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“Marcus, the security team found something in the garage.””
“What?””
“Ava's old backpack.””
I frowned.
“What's unusual about that?””
Daniel swallowed.
“It's the one Elena was carrying on the night of the boating accident.””
I looked toward my wife.
She closed her eyes.
And then she whispered:
“They didn't just take me, Marcus.””
May you like
Her fingers tightened around mine.
“They took someone else first.””
