Chapter 2 - St. Catherine’s
Emma opened the blue bin first.
She had to.
Inside, curled against a folded waterproof blanket, was a crying baby in a pink raincoat.
Alive.
Uninjured.
Terrified.
Emma lifted her immediately.
“Sophie!”
The child clung to her.
Emma knew the smell of her daughter’s hair.
The tiny scar beneath her left ear.
The way she curled two fingers into Emma’s necklace when frightened.
This was Sophie.
So who was crying upstairs?
Police and paramedics arrived within minutes.
Eleanor was separated from everyone.
Emma carried Sophie into the mansion.
Claire followed.
The second crying stopped before they reached nursery.
The room was empty.
Crib empty.
Closet empty.
But a portable baby monitor sat on the dresser.
Its speaker light blinked.
The second cry had come through the monitor.
Not from a baby physically inside room.
Emma picked it up.
“What is this connected to?”
Claire went pale.
“There should only be one camera.”
The monitor displayed:
CAMERA 2.
Emma pressed button.
Black screen.
Then image appeared.
Another nursery.
Different wallpaper.
Different crib.
Inside—
a baby wearing an identical pink hooded raincoat.
Emma’s knees weakened.
“That’s not possible.”
The camera feed cut.
Eleanor shouted from hallway:
“TURN IT OFF!”
Emma ran toward her.
“Who was that?”
Eleanor looked at Sophie in Emma’s arms.
Then away.
Claire answered instead.
“I saw that room before.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“Where?”
Claire pointed toward service wing.
“Your mother-in-law’s old guest suite.”
Emma’s stomach turned.
Eleanor had lived in mansion for six months after hip surgery.
She had moved out three months ago.
The suite should have been empty.
Police opened it.
No baby.
But a crib had clearly been there recently.
Fresh impressions in carpet.
Infant formula tins.
Diapers.
Pink clothing.
And a second baby monitor camera.
The feed had been transmitted from another location using paired receiver.
Someone wanted Emma to hear that second cry.
Then detectives found hospital bracelet inside drawer.
BABY BENNETT.
Birth date matched Sophie’s.
No first name.
Emma looked at Eleanor.
“How many babies were born under Bennett name that night?”
Eleanor said nothing.
Claire closed her eyes.
“Two.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
“At St. Catherine’s,” Claire whispered. “There were two infant files labeled Bennett.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Eleanor finally spoke.
“You do.”
Claire’s face tightened.
Eleanor continued:
“You know exactly why.”
Emma looked between them.
May you like
Then Claire whispered:
“Because St. Catherine’s thought Emma delivered twins.”
