Chapter 6 - The Doctor
Dr. Elias Mercer looked almost exactly as Nora remembered him.
Silver hair.
Straight posture.
Tailored suit.
The expression of a man who had spent his career being obeyed.
Daniel locked the door.
“Call Naomi.”
Nora already was.
Mercer walked slowly toward the building.
He carried no bag.
No weapon.
Nothing that would make police suspicious.
Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
MOTHER.
Nora stared at it.
“Answer.”
Daniel did.
“Hello?”
Margaret’s voice came through faintly.
“You have company.”
Daniel looked toward Mercer.
“Yes.”
“Send Nora home.”
“No.”
A pause.
Then Margaret laughed softly.
“You always did become brave too late.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Where is Lily?”
“Safe.”
Nora grabbed the phone.
“Margaret.”
Silence.
Then:
“Nora.”
Hearing her former mother-in-law say her name nearly made Nora shake.
“Give me my daughter.”
“You abandoned her.”
Nora’s vision blurred with rage.
“You stole her from a hospital.”
“I saved her.”
“From what?”
“From you.”
Nora laughed.
“What did you save her from?”
“A mediocre life.”
Daniel stared.
Margaret continued calmly.
“You wanted to leave Daniel.”
Nora went still.
She had told one person before Lily’s birth that she was considering divorce.
Margaret.
“You knew?”
“Of course I knew.”
“You stole my child because I wanted to leave your son?”
“I protected my family.”
“She is my family.”
“She is Bennett blood.”
Nora’s voice hardened.
“She is a little girl.”
“To you.”
The cruelty of the words stunned even Daniel.
Nora whispered:
“What is she to you?”
Margaret did not answer.
Instead she said:
“You have until tomorrow morning to stop involving police.”
“Or what?”
“Or you will never see her again.”
The call ended.
At that moment, Mercer reached the front entrance.
Daniel did not open the door.
Mercer simply stood outside.
Then he raised a white envelope toward the security camera.
Naomi arrived with officers six minutes later.
Mercer waited calmly.
When questioned, he claimed he was there to give Nora documents voluntarily.
The envelope contained copies of Nora’s medical records.
And a signed form.
VOLUNTARY RELINQUISHMENT OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.
Nora’s signature appeared at the bottom.
Naomi looked at her.
“It’s fake.”
Nora did not hesitate.
Mercer smiled.
“The document was witnessed.”
“By whom?”
“Daniel Bennett.”
Nora turned slowly.
Daniel looked sick.
“I never saw that.”
Mercer shrugged.
“Your signature is there.”
Naomi examined the paper.
Daniel’s signature appeared beside Nora’s.
Then Mercer delivered the real blow.
“The original is filed with the county.”
Naomi’s face tightened.
“If that’s true, legally—”
“It isn’t true.”
Nora looked at Mercer.
“You drugged me.”
Mercer’s pleasant expression never shifted.
“That sounds like a serious accusation.”
“You told me my daughter died.”
“I informed you of what I had been told.”
“You were there.”
“I have delivered thousands of babies.”
Nora stepped toward him.
“You remember mine.”
For the first time, Mercer’s eyes changed.
Only slightly.
But Nora saw it.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“I remember yours.”
Naomi interrupted.
“Doctor, you’re done talking.”
Mercer smiled.
“You misunderstand, Detective.”
He glanced at Nora.
“I came because Mrs. Bennett asked me to give Nora an opportunity.”
Nora’s stomach tightened.
“What opportunity?”
“To walk away.”
“From my daughter?”
May you like
Mercer looked at her almost pityingly.
“From what comes next.”
