Chapter 7 - The Rabbit Left Behind
Adrian was released before midnight.
The warrant had been suspended after Naomi Park, his corporate attorney, exposed Judge Leland’s undisclosed relationship with the Westwood Foundation.
Adrian returned to the estate with Natalie.
Rachel sat in the medical room with a bandage around her forehead.
She had been struck from behind.
Emma’s stuffed rabbit rested in her lap.
“They took her,” Rachel whispered.
“I promised I would keep her safe.”
Adrian knelt in front of her.
“This is not your fault.”
“Madison knew exactly which hallway camera was broken.”
“I told maintenance about it last week.”
“Caleb signs the repair approvals.”
Daniel entered with security footage.
A person wearing a staff coat carried Emma through the greenhouse.
The face was hidden.
A silver sedan waited beyond the service road.
The license plate belonged to Henry Vale’s retired police vehicle.
Adrian called Detective Grant directly.
Grant answered after one ring.
“I was about to call you.”
“Vale has Emma.”
“We issued an alert.”
“You knew he was involved.”
“I suspected corruption in Claire’s case.”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“Because the last detective who questioned Vale lost his job.”
Adrian looked toward Rachel.
“We do not have time for your fear.”
Grant’s voice hardened.
“You think money makes you the only person with something to lose?”
“No.”
“I think a four-year-old girl has already lost enough because adults kept protecting themselves.”
Grant was silent.
Then he gave Adrian an address.
An abandoned motel near the Indiana state line had once been owned by Vale’s brother.
Police units were moving toward it.
Adrian wanted to leave immediately.
Rachel stood.
“I am coming.”
“You are injured.”
“She is my daughter.”
Adrian did not argue.
Daniel drove while Grant coordinated police vehicles from behind them.
Natalie remained at the estate with Claire’s notebook.
Margaret and Caleb had been placed under guard.
Madison had disappeared during Adrian’s arrest.
Halfway to the motel, Rachel opened Emma’s rabbit.
One seam had been torn.
Inside the stuffing, she found a folded paper.
Emma’s crayon marks covered it.
A blue woman.
A black car.
A house beside water.
Rachel stared at the drawing.
“This is not the motel.”
Adrian recognized the house.
Margaret owned a cottage on Lake Michigan near New Buffalo.
Claire had spent the final weekend of her life there.
Adrian called Natalie.
“Search the notebook for New Buffalo.”
Natalie found three entries.
One read:
M SAID THE COTTAGE HAS NO CAMERAS.
Another read:
C HID THE ORIGINAL THERE.
The third contained only a date.
It matched the day before Claire died.
Adrian ordered Daniel to turn north.
Grant protested over the phone.
The motel could still be relevant.
Adrian looked at Emma’s drawing.
“She left us a map.”
Rachel touched the blue figure.
“She heard them talking.”
The lake house appeared through the trees forty minutes later.
No lights showed in the windows.
A child’s bare footprint marked the wet steps.
Rachel ran toward the door.
Adrian caught her before she entered.
A shadow moved behind the curtains.
Then Emma’s voice screamed from inside.
May you like
“Mommy, don’t come in.”
A gunshot shattered the front window.
