Chapter 8 - The Cottage by the Lake
Adrian pulled Rachel behind a stone wall.
Glass rained across the porch.
Daniel drew his weapon and moved toward the side entrance.
Detective Grant’s team was still twelve minutes away.
Rachel tried to rise.
Adrian held her down.
“Emma warned us because she saw the gun.”
“She is inside with them.”
“And running through the front door will leave her without a mother.”
Rachel’s breath shook.
Another voice came from the house.
Henry Vale.
“Adrian Westwood.”
“I know you are outside.”
“Bring Claire’s notebook to the door.”
“You receive the child.”
Adrian looked at Daniel.
Daniel signaled that he could reach the rear window.
Adrian shouted back.
“Show me Emma.”
The curtain moved.
Emma appeared behind the glass.
Vale held one hand on her shoulder.
Madison stood beside him.
Her blue dress remained beneath the coat.
Emma looked terrified but unhurt.
Rachel covered her mouth to keep from crying out.
Adrian raised the notebook.
“You want this?”
“Place it on the porch.”
“Then walk back to the road.”
“Emma comes out first.”
Vale laughed.
“You inherited your father’s arrogance.”
“You think negotiations are rules everyone must follow.”
Madison moved closer to the broken window.
“Adrian, do what he says.”
He stared at her.
“You kidnapped a child.”
“I did not want this.”
“You never want the consequences.”
“You only want the reward.”
Her face twisted.
“You think Claire was innocent?”
“She was going to expose everyone.”
“She would have destroyed your mother.”
“Your brother.”
“The foundation.”
“She chose truth over your family.”
Adrian’s voice became cold.
“She was my family.”
Madison flinched.
Vale pulled her away from the window.
Inside the cottage, Emma dropped her rabbit.
It landed beside a floor vent.
Daniel had reached the crawl space beneath the house.
He saw the rabbit through the grate.
He whispered Emma’s name.
The child looked down.
Daniel pressed one finger to his lips.
Emma understood.
She began crying louder.
“My chest hurts.”
Madison crouched beside her.
“Where is your inhaler?”
“With Mommy.”
Emma started breathing quickly.
Rachel realized what her daughter was doing.
“She is pretending,” she whispered.
Vale became distracted.
He ordered Madison to search the kitchen for water.
Emma moved closer to the floor vent.
Daniel removed the grate from below.
Adrian stepped onto the porch with the notebook.
Vale aimed through the broken window.
“Put it down.”
Adrian obeyed.
“You altered Claire’s accident report.”
Vale smiled.
“Your mother paid for a conclusion.”
“Madison paid for silence.”
“Caleb paid for photographs.”
“Everyone pays.”
“What did Claire hide here?”
Vale’s smile vanished.
Adrian understood that the notebook was not the real target.
Claire had hidden something else inside the cottage.
Emma dropped to the floor as though struggling to breathe.
Daniel reached through the vent and pulled her into the crawl space.
Madison screamed.
Vale fired twice at the floor.
Adrian charged through the front door.
He struck Vale before the officer could aim again.
They crashed against the fireplace.
Madison ran toward the kitchen.
Rachel entered through the side door and crawled beneath the table.
“Emma.”
Daniel emerged from the crawl space with the child.
Rachel seized her.
Vale hit Adrian with the gun.
Adrian fell.
Vale raised the weapon again.
Then Madison struck Vale from behind with a fireplace poker.
He collapsed.
She stood over him, shaking.
“I am not going to prison for your mistakes.”
From the hallway came a slow clap.
Caleb stepped from the darkness.
He held Margaret’s revolver.
May you like
“No, Madison.”
“You are going to prison for ours.”
