Chapter 3: The Girl in the Photograph
The scream came from the second floor.
Maya grabbed Clara's hand so hard her fingers hurt.
“Daddy,” she whispered.
Adrian moved instantly.
“Stay here.””
“No!”” Maya cried.
“Don't leave me.””
He looked down at her, then at the darkness surrounding them.
“You're staying with Clara.””
Daniel was already reaching into his coat.
“What are you doing?”” Adrian asked.
“Getting a light.””
He pulled out a small flashlight and switched it on.
The narrow beam cut through the darkness.
Masks floated like pale faces in the gloom.
Someone knocked over a chair.
A woman gasped.
“Everybody stay where you are,” Adrian ordered.
Then another sound came from upstairs.
A heavy thud.
Followed by hurried footsteps.
Adrian looked toward the staircase.
“Clara, lock the front doors.””
“I'll help,” Daniel said.
“No,” Adrian replied.
“You stay with Maya.””
Daniel stared at him.
“You trust me now?””
“I don't know who to trust.””
It was the most honest thing Adrian had said all night.
He started up the stairs.
Maya pulled free from Clara.
“Daddy!””
He stopped.
She ran to him.
“I don't want you to go alone.””
Adrian looked at her tear-streaked face.
For a moment, the hard expression disappeared.
“You're right.””
He knelt.
“I made a mistake tonight.””
Maya sniffed.
“Are you sorry?””
His eyes tightened.
“Yes.””
“Do you believe me now?””
Adrian put both hands around hers.
“I believe you.””
Maya nodded.
Then she whispered, “Don't let her hurt me.””
Adrian glanced toward Vanessa.
She was standing in the darkness near the security room, perfectly still.
“I won't.””
He stood and climbed the stairs.
Daniel followed.
Clara pulled Maya into the security room.
“Stay here.””
“But—”
“Listen to me.””
Clara closed the door and crouched beside her.
“Your father needs to find out what's happening.””
Maya looked at the photograph still lying on the desk.
The little girl stood between Vanessa and the unknown man.
She looked almost exactly like Maya.
Same dark hair.
Same round cheeks.
Same wide eyes.
But Maya knew it wasn't her.
“I've never seen her.””
Clara looked at the photograph.
“I don't think your father has either.””
“Then why does she look like me?””
Clara didn't answer.
Because she had the same question.
From upstairs came Adrian's voice.
“Who's there?””
No response.
Then Daniel shouted.
“Adrian!””
Clara stood.
“What happened?””
Another crash.
Maya squeezed her eyes shut.
A second later, footsteps pounded down the staircase.
Adrian appeared first.
“Clara, bring Maya to the west office.””
“Why?””
“Now.””
Daniel came behind him.
He was holding something.
A black glove.
“There was someone in the upstairs corridor,” Daniel said.
“Did you see them?”” Clara asked.
“No.””
Adrian looked toward the hallway.
“They were fast.””
Maya stared at the glove.
“That belongs to Vanessa.””
Everyone looked at her.
Vanessa appeared at the far end of the hallway.
“What did you say?””
Maya pointed.
“You wear gloves like that.””
Vanessa slowly looked at Daniel's hand.
“That could belong to anyone.””
Maya shook her head.
“No. Yours have a silver button.””
Daniel turned the glove over.
There was a tiny silver button near the wrist.
Clara looked at Vanessa.
“You're wearing the other one.””
Vanessa's hand instinctively moved behind her back.
Adrian saw it.
“Show me.””
“Adrian—”
“Show me your hand.””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then slowly raised it.
A matching black glove covered her right hand.
Daniel's face hardened.
“You were upstairs.””
“I went to the bathroom.””
“At that exact time?”” Adrian asked.
“Yes.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
“I don't care what you believe.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“Where is the other glove?””
Vanessa stared at him.
“What?””
“The one that matches.””
“I don't know.””
Daniel held up the glove.
“You dropped it.””
Vanessa's voice sharpened.
“Give that back.””
Daniel didn't move.
“What were you doing upstairs?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why run?””
“I didn't.””
“You did,” Adrian said.
Vanessa stared at him.
“No.””
Adrian's voice became colder.
“I saw you.””
She blinked.
“You were at the end of the hall.””
Vanessa's face went pale.
“You saw me?””
“I saw someone wearing black.””
“You can't prove that was me.””
Maya looked at her father.
“Daddy…”
He turned.
“What?””
“What's in the photograph?””
Adrian's expression changed again.
The question seemed to cut through the tension.
He walked back into the security room.
The photograph was still on the desk.
He picked it up.
For several seconds, he didn't speak.
Then Daniel stepped beside him.
“The girl is Elena.””
Adrian looked at him sharply.
“Who is Elena?””
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“Your daughter.””
The room seemed to stop breathing.
Maya frowned.
“But I'm his daughter.””
Daniel looked at her.
“You are.””
Maya pointed at the photograph.
“Then who is she?””
Adrian's eyes were fixed on Vanessa.
“Vanessa,” he said.
She didn't answer.
“Who is Elena?””
Silence.
“Vanessa!””
She finally spoke.
“She was my niece.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“She was.””
“No,” Daniel repeated.
“She was your daughter.””
Maya's mouth fell open.
Adrian looked as if someone had struck him.
“My daughter?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with anger.
“You don't know anything.””
Daniel opened the black folder and removed a document.
“She was born eight years ago.””
Adrian stared at the page.
“That's impossible.””
“Read it.””
Adrian took the paper.
His eyes moved across the lines.
Then stopped.
“Mother…”
He looked at Vanessa.
The name on the birth certificate was hers.
Maya stepped closer.
“Daddy?””
Adrian couldn't answer.
Clara took the paper from him.
Her eyes widened.
“She had a child.””
Daniel nodded.
“Her name was Elena Vale.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You think finding a birth certificate means you know what happened?””
“What did happen?”” Adrian demanded.
Vanessa looked at Maya.
For the first time that night, there was something in her expression that wasn't anger.
Fear.
“I lost her.””
Maya frowned.
“Lost her where?””
Vanessa looked away.
“She disappeared.””
Daniel shook his head.
“She didn't disappear.””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“She was taken.””
“By whom?”” Adrian asked.
Vanessa didn't answer.
Daniel reached into the folder again.
“By someone in this house.””
Adrian froze.
Maya looked around.
“The mansion?””
Daniel nodded.
“Someone close to Vanessa.””
Clara's face went pale.
“Who?””
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, he took out another photograph.
This one showed Elena standing beside a dark-haired man.
The same man from the first photograph.
Adrian stared.
“I know him.””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
“Who is he?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
Her lips trembled.
“His name is Thomas.””
Adrian's face changed.
“Thomas Mercer?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Maya looked confused.
“Who is Thomas?””
Adrian didn't answer.
Daniel did.
“Your father's former business partner.””
Maya frowned.
“Why was he with Vanessa's daughter?””
Adrian's grip tightened around the photograph.
“Thomas disappeared eight years ago.””
Daniel nodded.
“He didn't disappear.””
He pointed at the photograph.
“He ran.””
“Why?””
Daniel looked directly at Adrian.
“Because he was accused of taking something from this family.””
Maya whispered, “The necklace?””
“No.””
Daniel reached deeper into the folder.
“This.””
He pulled out a small photograph of a baby wrapped in a pink blanket.
Maya stared.
The baby had the same dark eyes as the girl in the older photograph.
Adrian looked at Vanessa.
“You told me you never had a child.””
“I didn't.””
“Then explain this.””
Vanessa backed away.
“I can't.””
“You lied to me for eight years.””
“I was trying to protect her.””
“Where is Elena now?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“I don't know.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“You do.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“You received a message this afternoon.””
Her breathing stopped.
Adrian turned sharply.
“What message?””
Vanessa looked at Daniel.
“How do you know that?””
“Because I sent it.””
Adrian stared.
Daniel reached into his coat and pulled out a phone.
“The message said, ‘I know what happened to Elena.’”
Vanessa's face collapsed.
Adrian's voice was barely audible.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Vanessa whispered, “Because he said he'd kill her.””
“Who?””
She looked toward the dark hallway.
Then toward the front doors.
Then at the photograph in Adrian's hand.
Finally, she whispered a name.
“Thomas.””
A loud bang shook the mansion.
Everyone jumped.
The front doors had slammed shut.
Then the security alarm began screaming.
Clara ran toward the control panel.
“Someone opened the east gate.””
Adrian turned.
“No one leaves.””
Daniel looked at his phone.
His screen lit up.
A new message had arrived.
He read it.
His face went completely still.
Adrian noticed.
“What?””
Daniel slowly raised his eyes.
“The message isn't from Thomas.””
“Then who sent it?””
Daniel handed him the phone.
Adrian read the words.
His expression emptied.
Maya watched him carefully.
“What does it say?””
Adrian couldn't speak.
Daniel answered for him.
“It says, ‘Ask Vanessa why she buried Elena's shoes beneath the nursery floor.’”
From somewhere beneath the mansion came three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
May you like
And then a child's voice whispered from below the floorboards.
“Mommy?””
