Chapter 17 - The Door That Stayed Shut
"Detective Ortiz," a man's voice called. "Open up. Chief's orders."
Maya didn't answer. She had already requested state police assistance and an evidence-preservation order.
"Who is that?" Evelyn whispered.
Maya glanced at the security monitor. "Someone I won't let into this room."
Daniel called Grace and told her what was happening. She instructed him to say nothing about the documents to anyone else.
The secure hallway was quiet except for the building's ventilation. Daniel sat beside Evelyn and offered her the packet of crackers he'd bought from a vending machine. She laughed once, without humor. 'I used to think the worst thing they could do was fire me,' she said. 'Then they asked me to sign a statement blaming a mother who'd already died.' Daniel didn't ask her to be brave. She already was, and bravery had cost her too much. He asked whether her daughter liked dogs. Evelyn blinked, surprised, and said she did. They spent the next few minutes discussing the ridiculous energy of Rachel's terrier. For a little while, the people beyond the locked door didn't get to occupy every inch of their minds.
For eighteen strained minutes they waited. The man outside left, returned with another officer, and left again. Then state investigators arrived and took custody of the records with receipts signed in front of witnesses.
Pike was placed on leave that evening. An outside agency opened a criminal investigation.
Vanessa's lawyer told reporters that she was a victim of a vindictive former partner and a wealthy man embarrassed by a failed proposal. Daniel did not respond publicly.
Instead, he went to Ben's grandmother, Joan Ward, who was waiting at the hospital after being cleared for contact.
"He keeps asking when his dad is coming home," Joan said.
"Colin's lawyer is working on it."
Joan nodded and watched Ben sleep. "My daughter used to tell him that brave doesn't mean not being afraid."
Daniel thought of Lily's shaking hand pointing at the water.
His phone rang. It was Maya.
"Vanessa has asked to speak to you," she said. "She claims she knows what happened to Emily's missing medical file."
Daniel went cold.
May you like
Emily's medical file had never been missing.
At least, that was what he'd been told.
