Chapter 12 - Hannah Wakes
Hannah woke on the nursery corridor floor.
Her head hurt.
Her vision blurred.
She remembered hearing Ethan’s phone ring.
Then footsteps.
She remembered turning.
Charles Wexler standing behind her.
Then nothing.
She pushed herself upright.
“Ethan.”
No answer.
The nursery door stood open.
Hannah crawled toward it.
The room was empty.
A chair had been overturned.
The wooden lion lay on its side.
Hannah’s heart pounded.
Then she heard a tiny sound.
“Han-na.”
She turned.
The wardrobe.
She opened it.
Ethan was inside.
He held his teddy bear against his chest.
Hannah nearly collapsed with relief.
“Oh, thank God.”
He reached for her.
She lifted him.
“Where is the bad man?”
Ethan pointed toward the bathroom.
Hannah froze.
The connecting bathroom door was closed.
She backed away.
Then she noticed something on the carpet.
Blood.
Not much.
A few drops.
She carried Ethan into the hallway and locked them inside the linen room.
Then she called Richard.
He answered immediately.
“Hannah?”
“We’re alive.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Ethan?”
“With me.”
“Wexler?”
“I don’t know.”
“Get out of the house.”
“The police are here?”
“They are coming.”
Hannah looked toward the corridor.
“Richard.”
“Yes?”
“Ethan still has the teddy bear.”
Silence.
Richard understood.
“The real recorder.”
“Yes.”
“Do not open it.”
“I won’t.”
“Take Ethan downstairs.”
Hannah hesitated.
“There’s blood in the nursery.”
“Stay away from it.”
She carried Ethan toward the back staircase.
Halfway down, security alarms began sounding.
Police vehicles entered the driveway.
Hannah hurried.
Then the kitchen door swung open.
Charles Wexler stepped out.
His white shirt was stained red near the sleeve.
He held a knife.
Hannah stopped.
Ethan buried his face against her.
Wexler looked exhausted.
“Give me the bear.”
Hannah backed away.
“No.”
“Hannah.”
“Stay away.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough.”
Wexler glanced toward the front windows.
Police were spreading across the property.
“I do not have time.”
“Then leave.”
Wexler laughed bitterly.
“Nobody leaves Alexander.”
Hannah continued backward.
“You helped him.”
“For thirty-six years.”
The confession surprised her.
Wexler lowered the knife slightly.
“I thought it was business.”
“Then it became blackmail.”
“Then murder.”
Hannah stared.
“Adrian Vale?”
Wexler’s face changed.
“I was there.”
“You helped kill him?”
“No.”
His voice broke.
“I helped move him.”
“Where?”
Wexler glanced toward Ethan.
“Not in front of the child.”
Hannah tightened her grip.
“You lost the right to protect him from words.”
Wexler almost smiled sadly.
“Fair.”
Police shouted outside.
He looked toward the door.
Then at the teddy bear.
“Alexander needs that key.”
“Why are you helping him?”
Wexler’s eyes filled with fear.
“Because my granddaughter is on a plane.”
Hannah said nothing.
“He has someone sitting three rows behind her.”
Wexler whispered.
“He sent me a photograph.”
Hannah understood.
Another hostage.
Another threat.
Alexander had built his empire by discovering exactly who each person loved most.
Then turning love into a weapon.
Hannah asked.
“If I give you the bear, what happens?”
“He gets the key.”
“And then?”
“He releases my granddaughter.”
“You believe that?”
Wexler looked away.
That was the answer.
Hannah lowered her voice.
“You know he won’t.”
Wexler’s eyes closed.
“He might.”
“No.”
“He might.”
“You watched him do this for thirty-six years.”
Wexler’s hand shook.
“You know he doesn’t release people who know too much.”
Wexler began crying silently.
Ethan looked at him.
“Old man sad.”
Wexler stared at the child.
Something changed in his face.
His grip loosened.
Then the front doors burst open.
Police shouted.
Wexler turned instinctively.
Hannah ran.
She carried Ethan into the dining room.
Officers swarmed the hall.
Wexler dropped the knife.
He raised both hands.
“Don’t shoot.”
Detective Ortiz’s officers forced him to the ground.
Hannah kept running until someone told her it was safe.
Twenty minutes later Richard arrived.
He did not wait for the car to stop completely.
He ran up the steps.
Hannah came through the foyer.
Ethan saw him.
“Daddy!”
Richard grabbed him.
He kissed his hair.
His forehead.
His cheeks.
Hannah saw his hands trembling.
“You okay?”
Ethan nodded.
“Bad man sad.”
Richard laughed shakily.
“Yes.”
He looked at Hannah.
“Thank you.”
She shook her head.
“He saved himself.”
Richard glanced at the teddy bear.
“Is it inside?”
Hannah nodded.
They took it to the security office.
Ortiz cut a seam along the back.
Inside was the recorder.
The real one.
Its red light no longer blinked.
Richard removed the battery compartment.
A tiny memory chip had been taped beneath it.
Smaller than a fingernail.
The data key.
Marcus entered carrying Olivia.
The little girl had her arms around his neck.
Elena walked behind them.
Marcus and Elena had not spoken privately yet.
Their reunion was too complicated for the hallway.
Richard looked at her.
“You were right.”
Elena nodded toward Ethan.
“He kept it.”
Richard held the recorder.
“Why give this to a two-year-old?”
“Because Alexander never searched children himself.”
“That almost got Ethan killed.”
Pain crossed Elena’s face.
“I know.”
Richard’s anger rose.
“You used my son.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone used my son.”
Elena lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
Richard turned away.
He did not trust himself to continue.
Ethan reached toward Elena.
“Blue lady.”
She smiled through tears.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Ethan waved.
Richard watched.
Whatever else Elena had done, Ethan trusted her.
That mattered.
Ortiz entered.
“Wexler is talking.”
Richard looked at her.
“Everything?”
“Enough.”
“Adrian?”
Ortiz nodded.
“He says Adrian was not killed fourteen years ago.”
Elena’s face changed.
“What?”
Ortiz continued.
“He says Victor kidnapped Adrian.”
“Alexander ordered it.”
“But Conrad interfered before they could kill him.”
Richard stared.
“Where is he?”
“Wexler doesn’t know.”
Elena looked stunned.
Vanessa’s father might still be alive.
Ortiz continued.
“Wexler says Alexander kept Adrian somewhere for years because Adrian controlled part of the offshore network.”
Richard looked at the data key.
“Could he still be alive?”
“Wexler thinks so.”
Elena whispered.
“Vanessa doesn’t know.”
“No.”
Richard looked toward the window.
Alexander had Vanessa.
If Adrian was alive, Alexander possessed the one secret that could destroy Vanessa emotionally more completely than anything else.
Richard’s phone rang.
Vanessa.
He answered.
No greeting.
Alexander spoke.
“You have the key.”
Richard looked at the tiny chip.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Where is my wife?”
Vanessa cried out in the background.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
Alexander continued.
“Bring the key to Pier Nine.”
“Alone.”
“You already tried that.”
“This time I am simplifying things.”
“Vanessa for the key?”
Alexander laughed.
“No.”
Richard’s expression hardened.
“What then?”
“I give you someone Vanessa wants much more than freedom.”
Richard knew.
“Adrian.”
Silence.
Then Alexander said.
“Clever boy.”
Richard looked at Elena.
Her eyes widened.
Alexander continued.
“Bring Catherine with you.”
Richard frowned.
“You have Catherine.”
Alexander laughed again.
“No.”
Richard suddenly understood.
Alexander refused to call Vanessa by her chosen identity.
He was speaking about someone else.
“Who?”
Alexander answered.
“Ask Elena who Catherine really is.”
The line went dead.
Everyone looked at Elena.
Richard slowly lowered the phone.
“What does he mean?”
Elena went pale.
Marcus stared at her.
Richard stepped closer.
“Elena.”
She backed away.
“What does he mean?”
Elena closed her eyes.
Then she said the sentence that shattered the identity of the woman Richard had married.
“Vanessa is not Catherine Vale.”
Richard stared.
Elena continued.
“Catherine died twenty-two years ago.”
May you like
“And Alexander replaced her.”
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