Chapter 6 - Margaret’s Lie
Margaret Carter had always been the kind of woman who ironed dish towels and apologized to furniture after bumping into it.
Lauren had trusted her with birthdays, grief, babysitting, and every broken thing that came after Hannah disappeared.
Now Margaret sat in an interview room with her hands folded in her lap while Detective Nolan placed a photograph of her car on the table.
“You left Daniel’s house at 9:42 last night.”
Margaret’s lips trembled.
“No.”
“Your license plate is visible.”
“I loaned Daniel the car.”
“Daniel was already at your house by 9:35.”
Margaret looked toward the one-way glass.
Lauren stood behind it.
Their eyes could not meet, but somehow Lauren felt seen.
Nolan said, “Margaret, where is Hannah?”
Margaret began to cry.
Lauren felt no sympathy.
Not yet.
“I was trying to protect her.”
Lauren burst into the room.
“From who?”
Nolan turned. “Mrs. Carter—”
“From who?” Lauren demanded again.
Margaret looked up.
“Daniel.”
“He was in custody.”
“No. Not just Daniel.”
Lauren stopped.
Margaret’s shoulders shook.
“Nine years ago Hannah came to me after Daniel took her.”
The room went silent.
Lauren’s face went numb.
“You saw her?”
Margaret nodded.
“When?”
“Two days after she disappeared.”
Lauren stumbled backward.
“You looked me in the face while I begged God to bring my daughter home.”
“I know.”
“You knew she was alive.”
“I thought I was saving her.”
“By letting me think she was dead?”
Margaret sobbed.
“She was terrified. Daniel had beaten Anthony Ruiz. Hannah saw what happened. Daniel kept her locked up until she promised she wouldn’t talk. When he finally let her call me, she begged me not to involve the police.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel threatened Emily.”
Lauren’s blood ran cold.
Emily had been eleven.
Margaret continued. “He told Hannah that if anyone went to the police, he would take her little sister next.”
Lauren gripped the table.
“So you hid Hannah?”
“For a few days. Then Daniel found her again.”
“Where?”
“At our old lake cabin.”
Lauren’s mouth went dry.
The Carter family cabin had burned down eight years ago.
Margaret wiped her eyes.
“After that, I didn’t see Hannah for years.”
“But you knew Daniel had her.”
“I suspected.”
“You suspected?” Lauren shouted. “You let me bury an empty coffin in my head every single day!”
Margaret flinched.
Nolan leaned forward. “What happened last night?”
Margaret breathed in slowly.
“Emily called me about the journal. I panicked. I drove to Daniel’s house before anyone else.”
“You went into the hidden room?”
“Yes.”
“Hannah was there?”
Margaret nodded.
“She could barely stand.”
“Why?”
“He kept her drugged.”
Lauren shut her eyes.
“I got her into my car. I drove her away.”
“Where?” Nolan asked.
Margaret looked at Lauren.
“I took her to the only place Daniel would never look.”
Lauren whispered, “Where?”
Margaret answered.
“The burned cabin.”
Nolan stood instantly.
But Margaret reached for her arm.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
Margaret looked sick.
May you like
“Hannah wasn’t alone when I found her.”
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