Chapter 16 - Nora
I called Nora.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
My hands went numb.
Claire said, “Ethan, don’t jump to—”
“Nora was on that recording.”
“I heard her too.”
Rachel was already sending officers to Nora’s house.
The house was empty.
Lily was gone.
For ten seconds, I forgot how to breathe.
Then Rachel grabbed my shoulders.
“Ethan. Look at me. Panic wastes time.”
I hated her for saying it.
She was right.
Nora’s kitchen security camera showed her packing a small overnight bag at 3:47 p.m. Lily stood beside her wearing sneakers and holding Benny.
No struggle.
No masked intruder.
Nora took Lily by the hand and walked out.
“She left voluntarily,” Claire said.
“With my child.”
Rachel zoomed in on Nora’s phone screen reflected faintly in the microwave door.
A message was visible.
BRING HER TO PIER 9. COME ALONE.
“Marcus,” I said.
“Maybe,” Rachel replied.
Claire shook her head. “No. Nora wouldn’t bring Lily to Marcus unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless she believed she was saving her.”
Daniel sat heavily at the table.
“There’s another piece.”
I turned on him.
“What now?”
“Nora helped Anna set up the recordings. The storage account was in Nora’s maiden name because Anna trusted her.”
“That doesn’t explain the recent audio.”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Anna built a dead-man system. Scheduled releases. Files that could be uploaded later from hidden backups.”
Rachel frowned. “So the recent timestamp might be upload time, not recording time.”
Claire shook her head again.
“But Marcus mentioned the revised trust. That revision didn’t exist three years ago.”
Silence.
One conclusion remained.
Someone had staged the recording using Anna’s old voice clips.
Someone with access to Anna’s archives.
Nora had access.
My phone buzzed.
A video call from Nora.
I answered.
Her face filled the screen.
Wind whipped her hair.
Behind her was dark water.
“Ethan,” she said, crying, “I’m sorry.”
Then she turned the camera.
May you like
Lily stood at the edge of Pier 9.
Marcus Vale had one hand on her shoulder.
