Chapter 8: What Emily Forgot
They found Bell in the hospital parking garage.
He was sitting inside an idling sedan.
No blood.
No wound.
No trace of the bullet that had supposedly struck him.
Terrence approached with his weapon drawn.
“Get out.””
Bell slowly opened the door.
“I can explain.””
“Do it.””
Bell stepped out.
Lena cuffed him.
“You're under arrest.””
Bell didn't resist.
He only looked at Emily.
“I told you this would happen.””
Emily stared.
“You stole the drive.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“To keep you alive.””
Terrence grabbed Bell's shoulder.
“You're going to explain everything.””
Bell nodded.
“Not here.””
They moved to an empty conference room.
Bell sat across from Terrence and Lena.
Emily stood near the wall.
Charlotte stayed beside her.
Anna sat in a chair, holding a blanket around herself.
Terrence placed the pharmacy record on the table.
“Start with the beginning.””
Bell looked at Emily.
“The beginning isn't what you think.””
“Then tell me.””
“Seven years ago, Douglas began working with a private research group.””
“What group?””
“Sinclair Biomedical.””
“That was his company.””
“On paper.””
Terrence leaned forward.
“Who funded it?””
Bell hesitated.
“The parents.””
“The parents of the children?””
“Yes.””
Emily frowned.
“Why would parents fund experiments on their own children?””
“They weren't told.””
Bell's voice dropped.
“They thought it was an advanced pediatric treatment program.””
Terrence asked, “And you?””
“I knew.””
“Yet you stayed.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Bell looked at his hands.
“My wife was dying.””
Emily stared.
“Douglas promised treatment.””
“For her?””
“Yes.””
“And you traded children for her life.””
Bell nodded.
“I did.””
Silence.
Terrence asked, “What happened to her?””
“She died anyway.””
Lena's voice hardened.
“So you helped Douglas because you were desperate.””
“Yes.””
“And Lily?””
Bell closed his eyes.
“She was the first child who reacted badly.””
“What was the reaction?””
“Severe metabolic collapse.””
“Could it have been prevented?””
“Yes.””
Emily whispered, “How?””
“By stopping the trial.””
“But Douglas didn't.””
“No.””
“Why?””
Bell looked at her.
“Because your daughter survived.””
Emily froze.
“My daughter?””
“Lily wasn't your biological child.””
Emily shook her head.
“She was.””
“No.””
Bell reached into his pocket.
Lena immediately grabbed his wrist.
“What is that?””
“Her DNA report.””
He placed it on the table.
Terrence opened it.
The document showed maternity results.
Emily Sinclair.
Excluded.
Emily's face went white.
“No.””
Bell continued.
“The baby you were told died at birth was your biological daughter.””
Emily stared at the report.
“Then who was Lily?””
“Another child.””
Terrence understood.
“Douglas switched them.””
Bell nodded.
“Why?””
“To hide the transfer.””
Emily covered her mouth.
“Charlotte…”
Bell shook his head.
“Charlotte is your biological daughter.””
Emily looked up sharply.
“And Delilah?””
Bell hesitated.
Terrence noticed.
“Tell her.””
Bell looked at the twins.
“Delilah is not your biological daughter.””
Charlotte stared at Delilah's empty hospital bed.
“But we're twins.””
“No.””
Charlotte shook her head.
“We look the same.””
“Because Douglas selected children with matching genetic markers.””
Emily whispered, “He replaced one of my babies.””
“Yes.””
Terrence stood.
“Where is Delilah now?””
Bell looked at him.
“She was never supposed to receive the dose.””
Terrence's blood ran cold.
“What?””
“Charlotte was the target.””
Emily stepped forward.
“Why?””
“Because Charlotte remembered the fire.””
Charlotte's eyes widened.
“What fire?””
Bell looked at her.
“You were there.””
The little girl shook her head.
“I don't remember.””
“You weren't supposed to.””
Emily stared at Bell.
“Why did she forget?””
“Because Douglas gave you something.””
“What?””
“A drug designed to suppress memory formation.””
Emily staggered backward.
“I gave it to her?””
“You gave it to yourself too.””
She stared.
“Why?””
“Because you asked him to.””
“No.””
Bell nodded.
“You remembered Rachel's death. You remembered the baby exchange. You remembered Douglas threatening you.””
Emily began crying.
“And I wanted to forget.””
“Yes.””
Charlotte moved toward her mother.
“Mommy?””
Emily dropped to her knees.
“I'm sorry.””
Charlotte hugged her.
Bell looked away.
Terrence asked, “Where is Douglas?””
Bell's face tightened.
“I don't know.””
“Lie.””
“I don't.””
Terrence slammed the DNA report onto the table.
“Twenty-three children. Two missing. One dead.
One abducted. An underground research program.””
Bell said nothing.
Then his phone rang.
Lena took it.
“Unknown number.””
She answered.
“Hello?””
A child's voice whispered:
“Is Mommy there?””
Lena looked at Emily.
“Who is this?””
“Charlotte.””
Lena turned.
Charlotte was standing right in front of them.
The voice on the phone continued.
“Tell Mommy I'm sorry.””
Everyone froze.
Lena slowly looked at the screen.
The call was coming from inside the hospital.
“Charlotte?””
The girl beside them looked terrified.
“That isn't me.””
The voice on the phone laughed.
Then said:
“I'm the other one.””
The call ended.
Terrence's radio crackled.
A nurse shouted through dispatch:
“Officer! We have another child in the basement!””
Terrence ran.
The hospital basement was dark.
The emergency lights cast long red streaks across the floor.
A metal door stood open.
Inside was a small room.
A chair.
A table.
A camera.
And a seven-year-old girl sitting quietly in the corner.
She looked exactly like Charlotte.
Terrence stopped.
The girl looked up.
“Are you the police?””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
“What's your name?””
She smiled.
“Charlotte.””
Terrence's heart pounded.
Behind him, Emily arrived.
She saw the child.
Then she whispered:
“That's my daughter.””
The girl tilted her head.
“No, Mommy.””
Emily froze.
May you like
The child smiled.
“I'm Lily.””
