Chapter 9 - The Hospital
Richard grabbed the bottle.
“How much was in here?”
“Half, maybe more.”
They rushed him to the emergency room.
The toxicology screen showed a sedating antihistamine at a dangerous level for his size.
Richard sat beside the hospital bed, holding Leo’s hand.
“I gave him one dose at seven,” he said. “Exactly what the doctor said.”
“Someone gave him more.”
Richard’s voice broke. “She drugged my son.”
Officer Daniels arrived an hour later.
This time Anna handed him the memory card.
His skepticism disappeared when he watched the recordings.
“We’ll put out an alert for Mrs. Carter,” he said.
Richard looked up. “Arrest her.”
“We need to find her first.”
The little boy stirred.
“Anna.”
“I’m here.”
“Daddy.”
“Right here, buddy.”
Leo opened his eyes and whispered, “Vessa mad.”
Richard leaned closer. “Why was Vanessa mad?”
Leo pointed weakly toward Anna.
“Anna see.”
Anna felt her throat tighten.
“What did I see?”
Leo’s eyes drifted shut.
Daniels received a call and stepped into the hall.
When he returned, his expression had changed.
“We found your car.”
“Where?”
“Airport parking garage.”
Richard stood. “She flew somewhere?”
“Maybe. But there’s something else.”
He showed them a photograph on his phone.
Richard’s car sat crooked in a parking space.
On the passenger seat was a manila envelope.
Written across it in black marker:
FOR RICHARD — ASK ANNA ABOUT CHICAGO.
Richard slowly turned.
Anna’s stomach dropped.
He stared at her.
“Chicago?”
She said nothing.
May you like
Because there was one part of her life she had never told the Carter family.
And Vanessa, somehow, had found it.
