Chapter 11 - The Lake House

Daniel reached the door before Ruiz could stop him.

Locked.

He pounded once.

"Mom! Don't do this!"

No answer.

Inside, Lily began to cry.

That sound destroyed whatever caution Daniel had left.

He stepped back and drove his shoulder into the door.

Pain shot through his head.

Ruiz grabbed him.

"Stop! We have officers at the rear."

A window shattered inside.

Emily, waiting near the police SUV, heard it and ran toward the house.

"Lily!"

Ruiz swore under his breath.

Then an officer shouted from the back.

"Movement!"

Monica had opened the kitchen door and was running toward the dock with Lily in her arms.

Rain hammered the lake.

Emily saw her.

"Monica!"

The older woman turned.

For one terrible second, her shoe slipped on the wet boards.

Lily screamed.

Emily stopped breathing.

Monica caught herself on the railing.

Daniel moved slowly toward her.

"Mom. Hand her to me."

"Stay back."

"You're scaring her."

Monica looked down at Lily.

The child was reaching for Daniel, crying, "Da-da, da-da."

Something in Monica's face weakened.

"I never wanted this," she whispered.

Emily came closer from the other side.

"Then end it. Give me my baby."

Monica looked at Emily with pure resentment.

"You took my son."

Emily shook her head. "No. He grew up. That's different."

The words landed.

Monica's mouth trembled.

Daniel extended both hands.

"Please."

At last, Monica passed Lily to him.

Emily reached them seconds later and wrapped both arms around her daughter.

Police handcuffed Monica on the dock.

Daniel thought it was over.

Then Ruiz entered the lake house and came back carrying a plastic evidence bag.

Inside was a medicine bottle.

Robert Carter's name was printed on the old label.

Daniel stared at it.

"Why is that here?"

Ruiz looked at Monica.

"That's what I want to know."

Monica stopped crying.

Her face became unreadable.

Ruiz turned the bottle over.

The original label had been covered by another sticker.

Beneath it, in faded print, were the words:

POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENT - HIGH DOSE.

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Ruiz looked at Daniel.

"Your father's medical records say he wasn't prescribed this."