Chapter 7 - Claire Tried to Come Home
Vanessa had received a voicemail twenty-two days after Claire disappeared.
Claire sounded exhausted.
“I made a mistake.”
Then:
“I should have told Daniel immediately.”
She said she was coming home.
She had discovered who manipulated April 17 footage.
She would explain everything.
Vanessa waited.
Claire never arrived.
The next morning, Graham called.
He told Vanessa Claire changed her mind.
Vanessa believed him.
Until two months later.
Claire’s private account sent a message:
I DID NOT CHANGE MY MIND.
Daniel stared at his sister.
“You had that for five months?”
“I was scared.”
“Of Graham?”
“Of whoever had Claire.”
Vanessa had confronted Graham.
He insisted Claire was safe.
Then he said something disturbing:
“If Daniel finds her before we understand the trust, Claire may not survive the second attempt.”
“What first attempt?”
Graham refused.
Vanessa began privately investigating.
That was when unknown caller started threatening her.
Daniel now understood why she panicked at study.
Not because she killed Claire.
Because she had spent months hiding information.
Still betrayal.
Still damaging.
But different.
Then forensic analysts examined Claire’s SUV.
Old evidence had been stored.
A tiny blood sample on steering wheel was Claire’s.
Nonfatal amount.
More important: passenger-side airbag had deployed.
Driver airbag had not.
Claire had not been driving when vehicle was damaged.
Someone else had been in driver seat.
Who?
No usable DNA.
But fibers matched dark wool coat.
Vanessa owned one.
So did thousands of people.
Daniel asked her directly.
“Were you in Claire’s car?”
“No.”
Then Noah remembered something.
The night Claire disappeared, he woke and saw Aunt Vanessa downstairs.
Wearing pajamas.
So likely home.
Then who drove?
Investigators found toll-camera image.
Claire sat in passenger seat.
Driver’s face obscured.
But vehicle behind them was registered to Graham Voss.
Claire was traveling with Graham.
Not kidnapped.
At least at that moment.
Then Daniel received another anonymous message.
A photograph.
Claire.
Alive.
Sitting in an unfamiliar bedroom.
Holding today’s newspaper.
Daniel’s knees nearly buckled.
Today.
Claire was alive now.
Across bottom:
STOP LOOKING FOR GRAHAM.
ASK VANESSA WHO SHE CALLED BEFORE LILY WAS HURT.
May you like
Daniel slowly raised eyes.
Vanessa went white.
