Chapter 18 - The Last Accusation
“She said what?”
Daniels held up a hand. “I don’t believe her automatically.”
That familiar doubt flickered again.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Ask.”
Richard’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know what to think.”
“That is your problem, Richard. You keep waiting for someone else to tell you what is true.”
Daniels interrupted. “Vanessa claims Marilyn placed you in both households.”
Anna’s anger vanished.
“What?”
“She says your agency was connected to a recruitment company Marilyn controlled.”
Anna thought back.
Chicago.
Then the Carter job.
Different agencies.
Different names.
But both had contacted her first.
Daniels continued. “We’re checking it.”
Anna sat down.
A terrible possibility opened.
Had Marilyn followed her for years?
Not because Anna was guilty.
Because Anna was useful.
Trustworthy. Experienced. Easy to blame.
“She picked me as the fall guy,” Anna whispered.
Daniels nodded slowly. “That’s what I suspect.”
Richard looked horrified.
Anna turned to him.
“Vanessa did not bring me here because I was part of the plan. She brought me here because if something happened to Leo, everyone would remember Chicago.”
Richard closed his eyes.
The pieces finally locked together.
Daniels’ phone buzzed.
He read the message.
“We found the original staircase video.”
Anna stood.
“Where?”
“Cloud backup. The system uploaded a low-resolution copy before the local files were wiped.”
Richard’s hands trembled.
“Play it.”
Daniels opened the file.
Leo stood behind the safety gate.
Vanessa entered frame.
She looked over her shoulder.
Unlocked the gate.
Lifted Leo over it.
Set him near the stairs.
Then she crouched and whispered something to him.
Leo tried to walk away.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
She looked directly at the camera.
Reached up.
The feed glitched.
For three seconds, the picture froze.
When it returned, Vanessa’s hand was on Leo’s back.
She shoved.
Anna gasped.
But just before Leo disappeared down the stairs, another figure appeared at the far end of the hallway.
A man.
Richard stared at the screen.
“I know him.”
May you like
Daniels looked over.
Richard whispered, “That’s my brother.”
