Chapter 3 - The Unknown Number

Maya read the message twice.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know."

Another text arrived.

Do not call. Ryan checks phone records. I will contact you when it's safe.

Officer Grant held out his hand.

"May I photograph the messages?"

I nodded.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Ryan was not just lying about what happened. He already knew the camera mattered, and he was trying to convince me the evidence did not exist.

"Can you secure my phone?" I asked Maya.

"Already backing it up."

That was my sister. When our mother died, Maya became the practical one. She could cry later. First, she built a plan.

Officer Grant stepped into the hall to make a call.

A few minutes later, Ryan appeared at the nurses' station.

I heard his voice before I saw him.

"I'm her husband. I need to see my wife."

Maya stood up so fast her chair hit the wall.

"No."

Ryan entered anyway.

His tie was gone. His shirt was open at the collar. He looked tired, worried, almost believable.

"Emily."

"Get out."

His face tightened.

"I came to check on you and the baby."

I laughed once. It sounded ugly even to me.

"You checked on Vanessa first."

"I was in shock."

"So was I. I still knew which woman had just been thrown down the stairs."

He glanced at Maya, then lowered his voice.

"We need to talk privately."

"There is nothing private left between us."

"Emily, please."

Officer Grant stepped back into the room.

Ryan stopped.

"Mr. Bennett," Grant said, "we need to speak with you about the security system at your residence."

Ryan's eyes flicked toward me.

"It hasn't recorded properly in months."

"We'll verify that."

"You'll need a warrant."

The officer's expression did not change.

"If necessary."

Ryan took a breath and looked at me again.

"You have no idea what you're starting."

Maya moved between us.

"Wrong sentence, Ryan. You have no idea what she survived."

Security escorted him out.

An hour later, the contractions slowed, but I could not sleep.

At 2:13 a.m., the unknown number texted again.

There is more than the fall on the footage.

My fingers went cold.

I typed back: What do you mean?

The answer came almost immediately.

Ryan and Vanessa were planning something before you found the messages.

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