Chapter 9 - The Sister Who Wasn'tThe woman in the security recording wore a baseball cap and large glasses, but cameras caught enough of her face for Nina to identify her: Paige Mercer, a private investigator contracted by Vale's attorney.

“This isn't a family member,” Nina told Elena. “And she had no reason to photograph Ellie.”

Elena's mouth tightened. “Someone is trying to control who gets near these children.”

Nina requested protective orders and made sure the hospital saved its video. She also checked whether anyone had actually called from Mara's family. One name surfaced in an older birth record: Ruth Parker, Aaron's mother, now living in Knoxville.

The phone rang eight times before Ruth answered.

“Aaron?” she said, hopeful for the smallest terrible moment.

Nina's throat tightened. “No, ma'am. This is Detective Reed. I'm calling about your daughter-in-law, Mara.”

Ruth sat down when she learned there were twins. Mara had told her nothing about the pregnancy. For three years they'd exchanged cards but almost no words, each grieving Aaron in a different direction.

“I thought she didn't want me,” Ruth said.

“She may have been trying to keep you safe.”

“I don't need safe. I need to see my grandbabies.”

Ruth drove through the evening. She arrived carrying the faded blue teddy bear Aaron had won at a county fair. Ellie recognized it before she recognized the woman.

“Daddy's bear?”

Ruth knelt, tears already moving down her cheeks. “He used to sleep with it when he was little.”

“Then you're his mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

Ellie moved forward and held Ruth so tightly that the older woman had to catch her balance against the wall.

“Can you stay?” Ellie asked.

“As long as they'll let me.”

At midnight Ruth showed Nina an old voicemail from Aaron, recorded the week before he died.

“If something happens at Riverside,” his voice said, “tell Mara to look at the second inspection file. The first one is a lie.”

Nina replayed the message. At the end, beneath the faint noise of firehouse radios, another voice said, “If Parker won't sign, get him off the crew.”

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Nina knew that voice. It belonged to the city's former fire marshal.