Chapter 5: The Promise
“You promised me the baby wouldn't survive.””
The sentence sat on the phone screen like a loaded gun.
Nobody in the room moved.
I stared at the words until they blurred.
Then I looked at Daniel.
He had gone completely still.
“Tell me that isn't what I think it is.””
Daniel opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
I felt something inside me break.
“Daniel.””
“I didn't promise that.””
His answer came too quickly.
Detective Harris stepped between us.
“Mr. Carter, I need you to explain what that means.””
“It doesn't mean what you think.””
“Then explain it.””
Daniel looked at the phone in the evidence bag.
“That message was written by Claire.””
“Why would she say you promised her the baby wouldn't survive?””
“I don't know.””
I stared at him.
“You keep saying you don't know.””
“Because I don't.””
“Then why do you look terrified?””
His eyes met mine.
“Because someone is trying to frame me.””
I laughed once.
It sounded nothing like me.
“Frame you?””
“Yes.””
“Someone forged my signature.””
“Yes.””
“Someone sent me messages from an unknown number.””
“Yes.””
“Someone photographed me outside my doctor's office.””
“Yes.””
“And now your phone is mentioned in a message about killing my baby.””
“I know.””
“How convenient.””
Daniel took a step toward me.
“Emma, listen to me.””
I pulled my hand away when he reached for it.
The hurt on his face lasted only a second.
Then Detective Harris spoke.
“Everybody stop.””
His voice cut through the room.
He looked at the officer.
“Where exactly was the second phone found?””
“In a locked desk drawer in the father's study.””
“Was it powered on?””
“Yes.””
“Any passcode?””
“No.””
Detective Harris frowned.
“That's unusual.””
The officer nodded.
“We also found a charging cable connected to it.””
“Anything else?””
“A printout.””
The officer pulled a folded sheet from his jacket.
“Found underneath the phone.””
Detective Harris opened it.
His eyes moved down the page.
Then he looked at me.
“This is a medical appointment schedule.””
My stomach dropped.
“Mine?””
“Yes.””
I swallowed.
“How did my father get that?””
The officer answered.
“It has your name, your doctor's name, and the dates and times of your prenatal appointments.””
Daniel clenched his fists.
“I never gave him that.””
“Neither did I.””
Detective Harris looked at me.
“Who had access to your calendar?””
“My phone.””
“Anyone else?””
I thought.
Then I remembered.
“Claire used my phone last month.””
Daniel turned.
“For what?””
“She said she needed to call James.””
“Did she have it alone?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Ten minutes.””
Detective Harris wrote something down.
“Did you have a passcode?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Claire knew it.””
Silence.
The officer's radio crackled.
He listened.
Then his expression changed.
“Detective.””
“What?””
“They found something else.””
He lowered his radio.
“The father's car is gone.””
Detective Harris looked toward me.
“When was the last time you saw your father?””
“This afternoon.””
“Could he have left before police arrived?””
“Yes.””
“Where would he go?””
I shook my head.
“I don't know.””
Daniel looked at the officer.
“What about Claire?””
“Her car is still at the house.””
Detective Harris's phone rang.
He answered.
“Detective Harris.””
He listened for several seconds.
Then his eyebrows pulled together.
“Repeat that.””
He turned away from us.
“Are you sure?””
A pause.
“Okay. Secure the room. Do not touch anything.””
He hung up.
“What?”” Daniel asked.
Detective Harris looked at me.
“They found blood in your father's garage.””
My hand flew to my stomach.
“Blood?””
“Yes.””
“Whose?””
“Unknown.””
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel immediately pressed the call button.
A nurse rushed in.
“What happened?””
“My wife needs a minute.””
The nurse checked my monitor.
“Her heart rate is elevated.””
Detective Harris stepped back.
“We'll continue this later.””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“I want to know.””
“You don't need to hear this while you're being monitored.””
“I need to know whether my father hurt someone.””
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
“The blood wasn't fresh.””
“How old?””
“We don't know yet.””
“What was around it?””
“Zip ties.””
The room went silent.
“And a sedative vial,” he added.
My mouth went dry.
The nurse looked at Detective Harris.
“Sir, please.””
He nodded.
“We'll wait.””
The nurse checked the monitor again.
“Mrs. Carter, your baby's heart rate is stable, but you're having contractions.””
My eyes widened.
“What?””
“Small ones.””
“Can you stop them?””
“We're going to give you medication and observe you.””
Daniel sat beside me.
I looked at him.
“Were you at the garage that night?””
His face changed.
“What?””
“The six hours.””
“No.””
“You said you drove to the storage property.””
“Yes.””
“Did you go to my father's house afterward?””
“No.””
“Daniel.””
“I told you everything.””
“Did you?””
His silence lasted one heartbeat too long.
I pulled my hand away again.
The nurse glanced between us.
Daniel stood.
“I need to tell you something.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“The night your father disappeared, I didn't go to the storage property alone.””
My heart began pounding.
“Who was with you?””
“Claire.””
I felt the room tilt.
“You told me you were alone.””
“I lied.””
“Why?””
“Because she asked me to.””
“Why would Claire ask you to lie?””
Daniel looked toward Detective Harris.
Then back at me.
“She told me she was scared.””
“Of what?””
“Your father.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn't explain why the two of you were together.””
“She called me that night.””
“When?””
“About ten.””
“And?””
“She said your father was meeting someone.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“You followed him?””
“Yes.””
“With Claire?””
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“Why didn't either of you tell me?””
“Because we saw something.””
“What?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Your father wasn't alone.””
“With whom?””
He looked at Detective Harris.
“With James.””
Claire's fiancé.
The same man whose SUV had been outside my doctor's office.
My stomach tightened.
“What were they doing?””
“We couldn't hear everything.””
“But you saw them.””
“Yes.””
“What did you see?””
“James handed your father a medical bag.””
My blood ran cold.
“What was inside?””
“I don't know.””
“You didn't check?””
“Your father saw us.””
“And?””
“He came after us.””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“He told Claire to get in the car and leave.””
“What did you do?””
“I stayed.””
“For six hours?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because your father locked himself inside the storage room.””
“With what?””
“I don't know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because every time I thought I understood what was happening, something changed.””
I looked at him.
“What happened after six hours?””
Daniel's eyes filled with something I couldn't name.
“Your father came out.””
“And?””
“He gave me an envelope.””
My breath stopped.
“The envelope?””
“Yes.””
“The same one my mother took?””
“No.””
“Then where is it?””
Daniel reached inside his jacket.
My heart pounded.
He pulled out a small plastic evidence pouch.
Inside was a memory card.
“I kept this.””
Detective Harris immediately stepped toward him.
“Why?””
“Because I didn't know who to trust.””
“Mr. Carter, why didn't you tell us about this?””
“Because I was trying to figure out what was on it.””
“Did you?””
Daniel nodded.
“Once.””
My eyes locked on him.
“What did you see?””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“Security footage.””
“Of what?””
“Your father's storage room.””
“Who was in it?””
He looked at me.
“Your mother.””
My breath caught.
“She was there?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Two hours before Claire attacked you.””
The nurse slowly backed away from the bed.
Detective Harris stared at the memory card.
“Where's the footage now?””
Daniel looked at me.
“I erased it.””
I stared.
“You what?””
“I panicked.””
“You erased evidence?””
“I didn't destroy the original.””
“Then where is it?””
Daniel swallowed.
“It's on a remote server.””
Detective Harris took a step forward.
“What server?””
“My private security account.””
“Can you access it?””
“Yes.””
“Do it.””
Daniel pulled out his phone.
His fingers moved quickly.
Then he stopped.
“What?””
The account had been accessed already.
A message appeared on his screen.
*FILE DELETED.*
Daniel's face went pale.
“That wasn't me.””
Detective Harris leaned over.
“Can you restore it?””
“Maybe.””
“Try.””
Daniel tapped the screen.
A loading circle appeared.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Then the screen changed.
A single video thumbnail appeared.
It showed a timestamp.
Tonight.
Not three months ago.
Tonight.
I stared at the screen.
“That's impossible.””
Daniel opened the file.
The video showed the hospital corridor outside my room.
The camera angle was high.
Hidden.
Someone had installed a camera inside the hospital.
We watched in silence.
A figure entered the frame.
Dark coat.
Mask.
The person stopped outside my room.
Then looked directly into the camera.
They raised one hand.
And removed the mask.
I screamed.
It wasn't Claire.
It wasn't my father.
It wasn't my mother.
It was James.
Claire's fiancé.
The same man who had been watching my doctor's office.
The video suddenly cut to black.
A second later, a text appeared.
*YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL.*
Detective Harris was already moving.
“Lock this floor down.””
The nurse grabbed the door.
Daniel turned to me.
“Emma, we're getting you out.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“What?””
“My baby is connected to these monitors.””
“We'll move the monitors.””
“No.””
I looked at the black screen.
“Someone put a camera outside my room.””
My voice was barely above a whisper.
“They're not trying to scare me anymore.””
Daniel crouched beside me.
“What are they trying to do?””
I touched my belly.
The baby moved again.
A strong little kick.
Then I looked directly into his eyes.
“They're waiting for us to run.””
Outside the room, the hospital alarm suddenly began screaming.
And a voice came over the intercom.
“Security breach on the maternity floor. All staff initiate emergency lockdown.””
May you like
Daniel stood.
Then the lights went out.
