Chapter 14 - Eleanor Disappears
Sarah survived the hemorrhage.
The doctors controlled the bleeding and moved her to recovery.
Grace remained in the NICU on oxygen.
Daniel sat between two rooms, refusing to choose which person he loved more.
At dawn, Detective Brooks arrived.
"Eleanor left the estate around midnight."
"How?"
"Service tunnel under the old greenhouse."
Arthur sighed.
"I should have remembered."
"Where does it come out?"
"Maintenance road behind the north wall."
Brooks showed them traffic footage.
A black sedan left the area at 12:14.
Registered to Graham Pike.
Daniel's expression hardened.
"So Graham helped her run."
"Looks that way."
Arthur looked toward Sarah's room.
"Where would Eleanor go if she couldn't use company aircraft?"
Daniel thought.
Then he remembered.
"The foundation archive."
Brooks frowned.
"Why there?"
"Private records. Old contracts. It's two blocks from the municipal airfield."
Police surrounded the archive by 7:30.
Smoke was already coming from a rear window.
Eleanor was inside.
So was Graham.
Daniel stayed at the hospital, but Arthur went with Brooks to identify storage rooms.
Body-camera footage later showed Eleanor beside a metal trash bin full of burning documents.
Brooks shouted, "Step away from the fire!"
Eleanor held a folder over the flames.
Arthur called her name.
She turned.
For the first time in forty-one years, he saw fear.
"Arthur."
"Put it down."
"You betrayed me."
"No. I stopped helping you hide."
Graham stood near the exit, shaking.
"I told her we should cooperate."
Eleanor laughed.
"You told me to destroy the Hale files."
Brooks's eyes moved to Graham.
He went pale.
"Eleanor, stop talking."
Too late.
She looked back at Arthur.
"Sarah should have taken the money."
Arthur stared at her.
"What money?"
"I offered her enough to leave Daniel."
"You pushed her."
"I meant to scare her."
Brooks's body camera captured every word.
Eleanor froze.
Graham closed his eyes.
Arthur whispered, "You finally told the truth."
Eleanor dropped the folder and ran.
She made it twenty feet before officers stopped her.
Back at the hospital, Daniel received the call.
"She's in custody," Brooks said.
He sat down.
No relief came.
Only exhaustion.
Then the NICU doctor approached.
"Mr. Vance?"
Daniel stood.
The doctor's face was serious.
"Your daughter is stable. But we found something during her blood work that you need to know."
Daniel's stomach dropped.
"What?"
The doctor handed him a form.
"Her blood type raised a question about family compatibility. It's not a diagnosis. But given the medical history you provided..."
Daniel stared at the paper.
The doctor spoke carefully.
"You should confirm your own biological records."
Daniel suddenly remembered Eleanor's words.
You still don't know who your wife really is.
May you like
But maybe the secret was not Sarah's.
Maybe it was his.
