Chapter 15 - The First Order
Lily was safe.
That should have been enough.
For one night, Nora tried to let it be enough.
She sat beside Lily’s hospital bed while doctors examined her.
No serious injuries.
Mild dehydration.
Stress.
Nothing that could not heal with time and care.
Lily refused to let go of Nora’s hand.
Nora did not want her to.
“Did you really sing my song when I was in your tummy?”
Lily asked.
Nora smiled through tears.
“Every night.”
“Grandma said she made it up.”
“She lied about a lot of things.”
Lily became quiet.
“Is she going to be mad at me?”
Nora’s heart cracked.
“No.”
She brushed hair from Lily’s forehead.
“And even if she is, that isn’t your responsibility.”
“What does responsibility mean?”
“It means grown-up problems belong to grown-ups.”
Lily considered this seriously.
“Okay.”
Daniel stood in the doorway.
Lily looked at him.
“Who’s that?”
Daniel’s face broke.
Nora answered carefully.
“His name is Daniel.”
Lily frowned.
“Do I know him?”
“Not yet.”
Daniel stepped away before Lily could see him crying.
Later, Nora found him in the hospital stairwell.
“Margaret said you knew who signed the first order.”
Daniel wiped his face.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
Nora frowned.
“Your father was dead before Lily was born.”
“Exactly.”
Nora stared.
Daniel removed an old document from his jacket.
“The Rosewood transfer authorization was created using his digital signature.”
“After his death?”
“Yes.”
“So it was forged.”
“Yes.”
“By Margaret?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Mercer?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Daniel looked toward the stairwell door.
“Captain Greene.”
Nora stared.
“The police captain?”
“He wasn’t a captain then.”
“What was he?”
“An attorney.”
Nora felt cold.
“He was the lawyer Evelyn saw.”
“Yes.”
Everything connected.
Wallace Greene had helped forge custody documents.
Then joined law enforcement.
Then protected the operation for years.
Naomi arrived as Daniel finished explaining.
Her face hardened.
“Greene handled family law?”
“For Margaret.”
Naomi looked disgusted.
“He used police access to remove Evelyn.”
“And the rabbit.”
“Yes.”
Naomi called her department.
Greene’s car had been found near an airfield.
His passport was gone.
But his private plane had not departed.
“Then where is he?”
No one knew.
Until Lily spoke from behind them.
“He came to Grandma’s house.”
All three adults turned.
Lily stood barefoot in the doorway.
Nora immediately crouched.
“You should be in bed.”
“The police man.”
Naomi showed her Greene’s photograph.
“This man?”
Lily nodded.
“He yelled at Grandma.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What did he say?”
Lily thought.
“He said she was going to ruin everything.”
Naomi’s eyes sharpened.
“Anything else?”
“He wanted a black bag.”
Daniel looked at Nora.
“What black bag?”
Lily pointed toward Nora’s necklace.
“The one with all the hearts.”
Nora touched the silver charm.
Naomi understood first.
“Evidence.”
Margaret had kept evidence from every stolen child.
And Greene wanted it.
Lily whispered:
“Grandma hid it where the babies sleep.”
Nora looked at Naomi.
“Rosewood.”
They drove back before dawn.
In the old nursery, Nora searched beneath cabinets.
Naomi checked walls.
Daniel examined floorboards.
Then Nora saw scratches beneath one crib mark.
They pried up the board.
A black leather bag sat underneath.
Inside were eighteen matching half-heart necklaces.
Hospital bracelets.
Adoption payments.
Signed agreements.
And photographs.
Naomi whispered:
“This can bring down everyone.”
A voice behind them answered.
“That is exactly why you’re going to give it to me.”
May you like
Captain Wallace Greene stood in the doorway.
And he was holding a gun.
