Chapter 9 - ELENA'S CHOICE
Beatrice called Elena that night.
“I can double your salary,” she said, “and make sure your sister finishes nursing school. Just tell the police Clara was asleep when Rosie reached the pool.”
“No.”
“Think carefully. I can make employers believe you stole from this house.”
Elena set her phone on the kitchen table. Beside it sat a picture of her younger sister in a white student uniform. Elena had cleaned houses for eleven years to keep that girl in school.
“You're offering me money to lie about a child you watched almost drown,” Elena said. “I'm going to hang up now.”
She saved the call details and immediately told Detective Vega. Texas recording laws were complicated enough that she let Nora and the police decide what evidence could be used; her written account would stand on its own.
The next morning the catering company canceled Elena's shifts at three properties. The manager wouldn't explain why. Elena stood in Clara's borrowed kitchen with the cancellation email open.
“I'm sorry,” Clara said.
“Don't be. I chose where to stand.”
Rosie, recovering on the couch, reached up for Elena. “Lena, hug.” Elena lowered herself beside the little girl and held her until she fell asleep.
A knock came at the back door. Silas stood there, breathing hard.
“Somebody followed my truck from the storage place,” he said. “They were waiting when I pulled out.”
“What did they want?” Clara asked.
Silas held out a small brass key, the kind used in an old electrical box.
“They wanted this. I kept the spare.”
Nora looked from the key to the photograph of Everett beside the pool house.
Clara realized the recovery code wasn't the only thing Daniel had left behind.
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They still hadn't found the original recording.
