Chapter 5 - SHE PLANNED THE ACCIDENT
Daniel replayed the footage.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The woman who shoved Noah wore a black event-management suit.
Marissa Vale.
Noah stared at the screen. "She set me up."
Vivian folded her arms. "Or she bumped him."
"She looked directly at the camera first," Daniel said.
The footage was clear. Marissa checked the room, stepped behind Noah, shoved him, then disappeared into the service corridor before the glass hit Vivian's dress.
"Why would she do that?" Daniel asked.
Nobody answered.
Marcus's radio crackled.
"We found Vale's car in the underground garage. She's gone."
"Gone where?"
"No idea."
Daniel turned back to Vivian. "You knew?"
"Of course not."
Noah shook his head. "She told us this morning that if anything went wrong around Ms. Cross, we were not to argue. We were supposed to apologize and leave."
"That proves nothing," Celia snapped.
Noah's phone buzzed.
He looked down.
His face drained.
"What?" Daniel asked.
Noah held up the screen.
A text from an unknown number.
YOU SHOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY.
Beneath it was a photograph of Noah's five-year-old son, Eli, leaving daycare that afternoon.
Noah shot to his feet so fast the chair tipped over.
"That's my kid."
Daniel immediately called Marcus. "Lock down every exit. Get a car to the daycare. Now."
Vivian took one step back.
Daniel saw it.
"You recognize that message?"
"No."
"You moved."
"Because this is insane."
Noah dialed the daycare with shaking fingers.
Nobody answered.
Again.
Nothing.
On the third attempt, a woman finally picked up, breathless.
"Mr. Bennett? We were trying to reach you."
Noah gripped the phone.
"Where is my son?"
There was a terrible pause.
"A woman came with an authorization form," the director said. "She said you sent her."
May you like
Noah stopped breathing.
"Eli is gone."
