Chapter 3: The Watch
Calvin was gone.
His mother was gone too.
I stood outside Lily's room with Detective Hale, staring at the empty chairs where they had been sitting twenty minutes earlier.
“Where did they go?”” I asked.
Hale was already speaking into his phone.
“I'll find out.””
I looked through the glass.
Lily was still asleep.
The monitor beside her bed continued its steady rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
I had spent months listening to electronic signals in dark rooms overseas.
But I had never heard a sound so terrifyingly fragile.
Hale ended his call.
“They left through the east entrance.””
“Together?””
“Yes.””
“Did they know about the watch?””
“I don't know.””
“They were here when the doctor found it.””
Hale nodded.
“Then we should assume they know.””
I looked at the evidence bag in his hand.
“Can you arrest him?””
“Not yet.””
“Why not?””
“Because a broken watch proves contact, not assault.””
“He was in the house.””
“Yes.””
“My daughter was injured.””
“Yes.””
“And the watch was found with her.””
“Yes.””
I turned to him.
“What else do you need?””
“Evidence that connects the injuries to a person.””
I stared through the glass.
“Then let's find it.””
We went back to the consultation room.
Hale opened the laptop.
“There's something you should see.””
He pulled up security footage from the hospital.
A timestamp appeared.
2:14 a.m.
The screen showed Calvin carrying Lily through the emergency department.
He looked frantic.
He was shouting at someone.
Then Margaret appeared behind him.
She wasn't frantic.
She was calm.
Too calm.
Hale paused the footage.
“Look at her hands.””
Margaret was holding a phone.
“She was recording?””
“No.””
He zoomed in.
“She was deleting something.””
My eyes narrowed.
“What?””
“We don't know.””
“Can you recover it?””
“I'm trying.””
The video resumed.
A nurse approached Calvin.
Margaret leaned close to him.
Even without audio, I could read his expression.
Fear.
Then Margaret pointed toward the entrance.
Calvin looked at her.
They both walked away.
Hale paused again.
“Notice something?””
I looked carefully.
A third person stood near the automatic doors.
A man.
Dark jacket.
Baseball cap.
He appeared to be waiting.
“Who is that?””
“We don't know.””
“Did he come with them?””
“He arrived six minutes before Calvin.””
I leaned closer.
The man turned slightly.
My breath caught.
I knew that face.
Not personally.
Professionally.
“He works for my husband's father.””
Hale looked at me.
“You're sure?””
“I've seen him at family events.””
“What does he do?””
“I don't know.””
Hale wrote something down.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text message.
Unknown number.
*STOP ASKING QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO LIVE.*
For one second, I couldn't breathe.
Hale saw my face.
“What happened?””
I handed him the phone.
He read the message.
His expression hardened.
“Don't respond.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
Another message arrived.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED OVERSEAS.*
Hale immediately photographed the screen.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Hale.””
His expression changed.
“What?””
I watched him listen.
Then he looked at me.
“Where?””
A pause.
“Don't touch anything.””
He hung up.
“What?””
“They found something at your house.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“A neighbor reported a broken window.””
I stood.
“I need to go there.””
“No.””
“My daughter is here.””
“Exactly.””
“I need to know what's happening.””
“Nora, someone just threatened your daughter's life.””
“I know.””
“You're not going anywhere without protection.””
I stared at him.
“Then come with me.””
Hale hesitated.
Then nodded.
Before we left, I returned to Lily's room.
She was awake.
Her eyes found me immediately.
“Mommy?””
“I’m here.””
“Are you leaving?””
“Only for a little while.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I sat beside her.
“I need to check something.””
“Don't go.””
Her voice broke.
I touched her cheek.
“I'll come back.””
She looked at me.
“Promise?””
“I promise.””
She swallowed.
“Mommy?””
“Yes?””
“Grandma wasn't the one who hurt me.””
I froze.
“Who was?””
Lily looked toward the door.
Her breathing quickened.
“Daddy didn't hurt me either.””
I kept my voice soft.
“Then who did?””
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“I can't.””
“You can tell me.””
“He said if I told…”
Her voice disappeared.
I leaned closer.
“Who said that?””
Lily opened her eyes.
And for the first time since I had arrived, I saw something other than fear in them.
Recognition.
She was remembering.
Then she whispered:
“It was someone you trust.””
The lights flickered.
A nurse hurried into the room.
“Mrs. Whitaker?””
I stood.
“What happened?””
“The monitor—”
The machine beside Lily suddenly began screaming.
Her heart rate spiked.
Dr. Reyes rushed in.
“Everyone out!””
I stepped backward.
Lily reached for me.
“Mommy!””
I tried to move toward her.
A nurse blocked me.
“Please, ma'am!””
“I’m her mother!””
“We need space!””
Dr. Reyes shouted instructions.
Nurses surrounded the bed.
Lily's fingers slipped from mine.
I backed into the hallway, helpless.
Then Hale grabbed my shoulder.
“Nora.””
I turned.
“What?””
His face had gone pale.
He was holding his phone.
“What is it?””
He showed me the screen.
A security alert.
Someone had accessed Lily's medical file using an authorized hospital account.
The access had happened less than thirty seconds ago.
I stared at the name attached to the login.
*Margaret Whitaker.*
Hale looked at me.
“But that's impossible.””
“Why?””
He swallowed.
“Because Margaret left the hospital twenty minutes ago.””
I looked through the glass at my daughter fighting to breathe.
Then I looked at the screen again.
The account was still active.
Someone was inside Lily's medical file.
Right now.
May you like
And beneath Margaret's name was another line.
*User location: Pediatric ICU, Room 417.*
