Chapter 9 - Mrs. Vale
Claire's mother's name was Margaret Vale.
Daniel had met her twice.
She had been elegant, distant, generous in the way rich people could be generous when they wanted control to look like kindness.
She had bought Lily a piano for her fourth birthday without asking.
Daniel had returned it.
Margaret had smiled and said, "You are very protective."
Now those words sounded different.
The hidden space behind the passage opened into a cramped storage room under the stairs. Rose knew the latch. She led them through another panel into the pantry.
The kitchen beyond was empty.
Daniel whispered, "Garage. Now."
They reached the mudroom.
The garage door controls were dead.
Daniel used the manual release. He lifted the door six inches before footsteps sounded in the kitchen.
"Go," he said.
Rose slid under first, then Lily.
Claire started through.
A man rounded the corner.
"Stop!"
Daniel slammed the garage door down and drove his shoulder into the man.
They crashed into a shelf. Paint cans fell. The man's gun skidded across the concrete.
Daniel hit him once, hard, then kicked the weapon under a workbench.
Another man appeared in the doorway.
Daniel grabbed a metal rake and swung it across the frame, buying one second.
"Run!"
He dove under the garage door and dragged it shut from the outside.
Claire's SUV was in the driveway.
"Keys?"
"Inside."
"Of course."
They ran toward the neighbor's house.
The porch light came on before Daniel reached it.
Mr. Hanley, a retired firefighter in his sixties, opened the door.
"Daniel? What's going on?"
"Call 911. Now."
Hanley took one look at the children and moved.
Sirens arrived seven minutes later.
Police entered the Carter house with weapons drawn.
They found the garage wrecked.
They found the hidden passages.
They found the cameras.
But they found no men.
No Margaret Vale.
And when Daniel returned with Detective Lena Morris, every device labeled C-1, C-2, and C-3 was gone.
Morris looked at Daniel.
"You said you left them on the dresser?"
"Yes."
Claire stood behind him.
Too quiet.
Daniel turned.
May you like
Her coat pocket bulged in a perfect small square.
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