Chapter 12 - The Woman in Room 214
Anna tried to remember every second of the week before Sophie fell.
Anna stood so fast her chair scraped the floor.
“I remember something.”
“She asked me about the balcony.”
“What did she ask?”
“She said Sophie seemed fearless. Then she asked whether the balcony lock was childproof.”
Daniels’ expression sharpened.
“What did you say?”
“I said it stuck sometimes.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Anna continued, sick with herself. “The next morning, the lock worked perfectly. I thought maintenance had fixed it.”
“Did anyone?”
“No.”
Daniels wrote quickly.
Anna’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A text.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT THE ORIGINAL VIDEO.
Below it was a motel address.
Room 214.
Anna showed Daniels.
He immediately called for backup.
“Absolutely not alone,” Richard said.
Daniels nodded. “We do this my way.”
Thirty minutes later, officers surrounded the motel.
Anna wore a small microphone under her sweater and walked down the exterior corridor with Daniels watching from a van.
Room 214’s door was open.
Inside, the lights were off.
“Vanessa?” Anna called.
No answer.
She stepped inside.
A television glowed blue.
On the bed sat a laptop.
The screen showed the staircase footage.
Anna’s breath caught.
There it was.
Leo at the top landing.
Vanessa behind him.
Her hand moved.
Then the image froze.
A voice came from the bathroom.
“You always did walk into traps.”
Anna turned.
A woman stepped out.
Not Vanessa.
Older. Gray-streaked hair. Sharp eyes.
Anna recognized her from the Brenner house.
Sophie’s grandmother’s regular nurse.
Marilyn Cross.
She smiled.
“Vanessa learned from me.”
May you like
The motel door slammed shut behind Anna.
Then Marilyn raised a gun.
