Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN ELENA TRUSTEDRory didn't fire.
That frightened me more than if he had.
He simply stood there, staring at Marianne.
She looked exactly as she had in Elena's photographs.
Elegant.
Composed.
Almost maternal.
But her eyes went immediately to the girls.
“Lily. Rose.”
The twins moved closer to Rory.
Marianne's smile disappeared.
“I only came because I was worried.”
Rory raised his gun.
“You need to leave.”
Marianne looked at the weapon.
Then at Celeste.
Then at me.
“You found the recorder.”
It wasn't a question.
Rory's finger tightened.
“How much do you know?”
“Enough.”
“Did you put the device in the bear?”
“No.”
“Did you know it was there?”
Marianne hesitated.
“Yes.”
The answer changed the air in the room.
Rory stepped forward.
“Why?”
“Because I was trying to find the person who put it there.”
“You could have told me.”
“I did.”
“When?”
“The day Elena died.”
Rory's face hardened.
“You told me she had an accident.”
“I told you what Elena wanted everyone to believe.”
Celeste stepped forward.
“She knew.”
Marianne nodded.
“She knew someone was using the girls to frighten you.”
Rory looked at the twins.
“For two months?”
Marianne's eyes filled.
“I never knew the device was active.”
She pointed toward the bear.
“It wasn't supposed to make them sick. It was supposed to record what happened around them.”
I stared at her.
“The buzzing?”
Marianne shook her head.
“That was added later.”
Rory looked toward the guards.
“Search the house.”
They moved immediately.
Marianne took a breath.
“Rory, there's something you need to understand.”
“No more secrets.”
“I agree.”
She reached into the coat pocket.
She removed a small envelope.
Inside was a child's drawing.
Two little girls stood beneath a yellow sun.
A woman stood beside them.
But the woman's face had been scratched out.
Rory stared at it.
“Lily drew this.”
“No,” Marianne said.
“Rose did.”
Rory looked at his daughters.
Rose lowered her head.
“You drew it?”
She nodded.
“Who is the woman?”
Rose whispered, “I don't know.”
Marianne turned the paper over.
There was another drawing.
This one showed a man's hand holding a key.
Beneath it were three letters.
D.V.
Rory frowned.
“Who is D.V.?”
Marianne looked at Celeste.
Celeste went pale.
“David.”
Rory's eyes narrowed.
“David Vale?”
Marianne's husband.
Her dead husband.
He had died five years earlier.
Rory slowly lowered his gun.
“That makes no sense.”
Marianne swallowed.
“It will.”
She walked toward the library.
Inside, she opened an old cabinet.
A photograph lay beneath several books.
It showed Rory, Elena, Marianne, and David at a charity event.
David was holding a champagne glass.
But his other hand rested on Elena's shoulder.
On his wrist was a distinctive silver watch.
The same watch Lily had drawn.
Rory took the photograph.
“David died five years ago.”
“I know.”
“Then why is his watch appearing now?”
Marianne looked at him.
“Because someone inherited it.”
Rory stared.
“Who?”
Before she could answer, the mansion lights went out again.
A crash came from upstairs.
Then another.
The girls screamed.
Rory ran toward the nursery.
We followed.
The golden bear was gone.
The room was empty.
The torn stuffing remained on the carpet.
But the little silver bracelet Celeste had been carrying was missing.
Celeste touched her wrist.
“No.”
Rory turned.
“What?”
“The bracelet.”
“What about it?”
“There was a tiny key attached to it.”
Rory stared at her.
“A key to what?”
Celeste's eyes filled with fear.
“Elena's safety deposit box.”
Marianne suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Where are the girls?”
“With Rory.”
“No.”
She looked toward the nursery.
“Rory took them to the hallway.”
I turned.
The hallway was empty.
“Rory?”
No answer.
Then we heard a door slam.
Marianne ran.
I followed.
We found Rory at the end of the corridor.
He was alone.
His face was white.
“Where are the girls?”
He pointed toward the library.
“They were right behind me.”
We rushed inside.
The library was empty.
A chair was overturned.
A small pink shoe lay on the carpet.
Lily's.
Rory stared at it.
Then the grandfather clock began chiming.
Three times.
Three o'clock.
A hidden panel opened behind the clock.
Inside was a child's backpack.
Rory pulled it out.
A note was attached.
He read it.
His hands began shaking.
“What does it say?” I asked.
He handed it to me.
Five words were written across the paper.
COME ALONE, OR THEY DISAPPEAR.
May you like
Then, from somewhere inside the walls, Rose began crying.
“Daddy!”
