Chapter 3 - Room 17
Room 17 belonged to a private pediatric recovery center called Bellmere House.
Six years earlier, Ava had stayed there for eleven days after a severe respiratory illness.
Bellmere was not the facility where she supposedly died.
That came later.
Emma had barely remembered Bellmere because Robert handled most arrangements.
Why?
At the time Emma was recovering from surgery.
Robert insisted Ava needed specialized care.
Eleanor supported him.
Emma trusted them.
Bellmere House closed four years ago.
Records had been transferred to county archives.
Patient log confirmed Ava Bennett.
Room 17.
But one entry was strange.
Discharge status:
TRANSFERRED UNDER FAMILY PROTECTION ORDER.
Emma frowned.
“What protection order?”
No court number.
No judge.
No agency.
Just initials:
E.B.
Eleanor Bennett.
Emma looked at her.
“You signed this.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“That isn’t my handwriting.”
Expert review later agreed.
Signature was forged.
Someone wanted it to look like Eleanor had ordered transfer.
Where did Ava go?
Official record ended there.
Then Emma found second document.
Room 17 nursing note.
Ava woke during night crying.
She kept repeating:
“Grandpa put red stuff on her hands.”
Emma felt cold.
“Grandpa?”
Robert.
Her father.
Eleanor looked stunned.
“He would never hurt Ava.”
“Then what was she talking about?”
No answer.
Then Bellmere nurse was located.
Retired woman named Susan Cole.
She remembered Ava.
“She was scared of red laundry.”
“Why?”
“She said she saw another girl with red hands.”
Another girl.
Who?
Susan did not know name.
The girl had been brought in under coded identity.
“Was she injured?”
“Her hands were stained, not bleeding.”
Same dye.
Emma’s heart raced.
“What happened to her?”
“She disappeared from census the next morning.”
“Disappeared?”
“Transferred.”
“Where?”
“Room 24.”
Eleanor reacted.
Again.
Emma caught it.
“What is Room 24?”
Eleanor whispered:
“Archive.”
Susan shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
“Room 24 was isolation.”
May you like
Then she added:
“And that’s where Ava found the photograph.”
