Chapter 9 - Room 714
Room 714 looked empty.
Fresh sheets.
No luggage.
No guest.
Then Ramirez noticed the closet wall was too shallow.
Behind a removable panel was a second space.
Files.
Cameras.
A recorder.
Medication.
Photographs.
Emily entering doctors’ offices.
Sophia at school.
Me at airports.
Victoria had been documenting us.
Not for memories.
For control.
Dr. Bell’s original notes were there.
They contradicted the custody petition.
EMILY STERLING SHOWS NO SIGNS OF PSYCHOSIS.
STRESS APPEARS ENVIRONMENTAL.
PATIENT EXPRESSES FEAR OF MOTHER-IN-LAW.
Then later notes changed.
UNSTABLE.
PARANOID.
DANGEROUS ATTACHMENT.
Someone altered them.
Bell had signed the altered reports.
Why?
Payments.
Forty thousand dollars.
Then eighty.
Then one final hundred thousand.
Ramirez traced the money to Victoria.
But Bell was still missing.
The room also contained recordings.
One captured Victoria and Helen March.
Helen said:
“Daniel will fight if you move too soon.”
Victoria answered:
“He won’t know until it is finished.”
“And Emily?”
“She’ll sign.”
“If she doesn’t?”
A pause.
“Then we make sure nobody believes her.”
The next recording was worse.
Victoria speaking to Caroline.
“If your brother chooses that woman over us, we take the company away from him.”
Caroline whispered:
“What about Sophia?”
Victoria answered:
“Sophia is the company.”
I stopped the recording.
That sentence destroyed whatever remained of the mother I thought I knew.
Then Maya found something behind the minibar.
A child’s drawing.
Sophia.
Three stick figures.
Mommy.
Daddy.
Sophia.
A fourth figure stood far away.
Grandma.
Over Grandma’s head, Sophia had drawn a black box.
Inside it:
NO FOOD.
Emily covered her mouth.
I could not look.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dr. Bell.
“Mr. Sterling?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Where are you?”
“I can’t say.”
“Are you safe?”
“No.”
He was crying.
“Your mother knows I kept the originals.”
“Where are they?”
“With me.”
“Go to police.”
“I tried.”
A car engine started behind him.
Then he whispered:
“She paid someone to stop me.”
The line cut out.
Ramirez started tracing.
Then another call came.
From my mother.
I answered.
“Daniel.”
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
“Bring Sophia to me.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“What?”
Her voice lowered.
“If Dr. Bell gives them those files, this family is finished.”
May you like
I answered:
“Then maybe it should be.”
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