Chapter 4: The Third Floor
Terrence read the messages twice.
Then a third time.
Lena stood beside him.
“Who is it?””
“Unknown.””
“Can you trace it?””
“Not yet.””
She looked at the treatment room.
“Do we tell Emily?””
Terrence shook his head.
“Not until we know what we're dealing with.””
The hospital alarm finally stopped.
Dr. Harris came into the hallway.
“She stabilized again.””
Terrence nodded.
“Can we speak privately?””
The doctor led him into a consultation room.
“What's going on?””
Terrence showed him the messages.
Dr. Harris's expression tightened.
“Does anyone outside this hospital know about Delilah's condition?””
“Her father. Her mother. The ambulance crew. Your staff.””
“And police.””
“Yes.””
“Then someone has access to information.””
Terrence stared at him.
“Can you test her blood for NR-17?””
“I've already called toxicology.””
“How long?””
“Preliminary results could take an hour.””
“I don't have an hour.””
The doctor looked at him.
“You may not need one.””
“What do you mean?””
“She has an unusual finding.””
Terrence leaned forward.
“What?””
“Her blood glucose was severely abnormal when she arrived.””
“Could that be from the medication?””
“Possibly.””
“Was Lily's?””
Dr. Harris paused.
“You said Lily died eleven months ago?””
“Yes.””
“Then I don't know.””
Terrence stood.
“I need her old medical records.””
Dr. Harris nodded.
“I'll have our records department search.””
Terrence returned to the hallway.
Emily was sitting beside Charlotte.
Charlotte was holding a paper cup of water in both hands.
“Mommy?””
“Yes?””
“Did Daddy hurt Lily too?””
Emily closed her eyes.
Terrence watched her struggle for an answer.
“Yes,” she finally whispered.
Charlotte looked down.
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
“You do.””
Emily looked at her daughter.
Charlotte's voice trembled.
“You told the officer you remember.””
Emily reached for her.
“I remember enough.””
“What do you remember?””
Emily looked at Terrence.
Then she said, “I remember waking up in the hospital and Douglas telling me Lily had taken medicine I'd given her.””
“But you didn't.””
“No.””
“Then why did you believe him?””
“I didn't.””
Charlotte frowned.
“Then why didn't you tell?””
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of Daddy?””
“Yes.””
Charlotte looked toward Delilah's room.
“I'm afraid too.””
Terrence crouched beside her.
“But you still came to the station.””
Charlotte nodded.
“Because Delilah told me something.””
“What?””
“She said she heard Daddy talking to someone.””
“When?””
“Before he made her swallow the medicine.””
“What did she hear?””
Charlotte whispered, “He said, ‘The first one survived longer than expected.’”
Emily covered her mouth.
Terrence's stomach turned.
“The first one?””
Charlotte nodded.
“Then he said, ‘We can't make the same mistake again.’”
Lena swore under her breath.
Terrence stood.
“That changes everything.””
Emily looked at him.
“What?””
“We're going to the medical center.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Emily—”
“You can't.””
“Why?””
“Because Douglas isn't stupid.””
Terrence's phone vibrated again.
Another message.
*HE KNOWS YOU HAVE THE DRIVE.*
Then:
*HE ALSO KNOWS ABOUT LILY'S SECOND AUTOPSY.*
Terrence stared.
Emily saw the screen.
She went completely still.
“You didn't tell him.””
“No.””
“Then someone else did.””
“Who?””
Emily whispered one word.
“Dr. Marcus Bell.””
Terrence frowned.
“Who's that?””
“Douglas's partner.””
“Was he involved with Lily?””
Emily nodded.
“He signed the first death certificate.””
Terrence looked at Lena.
“Find him.””
Lena pulled out her phone.
“Already searching.””
A moment later, she shook her head.
“His office is empty.””
“Home?””
“Empty.””
Terrence felt a pressure building behind his eyes.
Too many people were disappearing.
Too many people knew things.
And someone was sending him messages fast enough to suggest they were watching him.
He turned toward the elevators.
“We're going to the medical center.””
Emily stood.
“I'm coming.””
“No.””
“I know Douglas's office.””
“You're the witness.””
“And you're going into the room where he keeps evidence.””
Terrence hesitated.
Emily stepped closer.
“You need me.””
He didn't like that she was right.
“Fine. But you stay behind me.””
She nodded.
Lena took Charlotte's hand.
“You stay with me.””
Charlotte looked at her.
“Will Delilah be okay?””
Lena crouched.
“She's fighting.””
Charlotte swallowed.
“She always fights.””
The elevator doors opened.
Terrence, Emily, and Lena stepped inside.
As the doors closed, Terrence noticed the security camera above the hallway.
Its red indicator light was blinking.
Then it went dark.
At the medical center, the lobby was almost empty.
Rain slid down the glass walls.
The receptionist was gone.
The security desk was abandoned.
The elevator still worked.
Emily stared at it.
“Third floor.””
Terrence pressed the button.
The doors closed.
The elevator began rising.
Floor one.
Floor two.
Then it stopped.
The lights went out.
Charlotte's voice came over Lena's radio from the hospital.
“Officer Morales?””
Lena answered.
“Yes?””
“There's someone here asking for you.””
“Who?””
Charlotte's voice became tiny.
“I don't know.””
Terrence heard a man's voice in the background.
Calm.
Polite.
“Tell Officer Callahan that Dr. Bell has something he needs to see.””
The elevator lights flickered back on.
The display showed *3*.
The doors opened.
Nobody was waiting.
Emily stepped out first.
Terrence caught her arm.
“Stay behind me.””
They entered the corridor.
Every office door was closed.
At the far end stood Douglas's office.
Its door was open.
Emily whispered, “It was locked before.””
Terrence raised his weapon.
“Lena.””
“I've got you.””
They moved forward.
Inside the office, a desk lamp was still on.
A computer screen glowed.
On the wall hung twenty-three photographs.
Children.
Different ages.
Different years.
Every photograph had a date beneath it.
Emily covered her mouth.
Terrence stepped closer.
Then he saw the final photograph.
It was Delilah.
Taken that morning.
Beside it was Charlotte.
Two red circles had been drawn around their faces.
Underneath them, someone had written:
*CONTROL GROUP — 2/2*
Emily began shaking.
Terrence stared at the screen.
A document was open.
He read the first line.
*Pediatric Response Study — Sinclair Private Protocol*
Then another line.
*Subject 17: Delilah Sinclair*
Status:
*DOSE ADMINISTERED.*
Terrence's blood went cold.
“Lena.””
She stepped beside him.
“What?””
He pointed.
“There's more.””
At the bottom of the document was a signature.
Not Douglas's.
Not Marcus Bell's.
Emily's.
She stared at it.
“I never signed that.””
Terrence looked at her.
“I believe you.””
Then the printer behind them suddenly started.
One page slid out.
Terrence picked it up.
It was a death certificate.
The name at the top wasn't Lily Sinclair.
It was another child.
The date of death was tomorrow.
May you like
And underneath the name, in fresh black ink, someone had written:
*NEXT: CHARLOTTE.*
