Chapter 7 - The Lake HouseMy father's lake house had been empty since his funeral.
At least, that's what I believed.
The boiler room was hidden behind a wall.
Ruiz found fresh screws.
We opened it.
There was a room behind it.
A mattress.
Medical equipment.
Oxygen tanks.
Used IV bags.
And blood.
Claire had been kept there.
Alive.
For at least some of the time.
Then I saw the wall.
Someone had scratched four words into the wood.
NOAH.
DANIEL.
TRUST THE BOY.
Below them were thirteen vertical marks.
I touched the first one.
Claire had counted something.
Days.
Weeks.
Maybe hours.
Then my phone rang.
Lily.
I answered.
"Daddy?"
She was whispering.
"Where's Noah?"
"He's here."
"The police lady went outside."
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
Glass shattered.
Lily screamed.
"Daddy!"
A man's voice shouted somewhere in the background.
Then the call ended.
Ruiz was already running.
We raced toward the house.
But halfway there, another call came through.
Noah.
"He took the card."
"What card?"
"The one Mom gave me."
"What else?"
Noah was breathing hard.
"He asked where Grandma was."
I froze.
Because my mother was living in a locked memory-care facility.
And only three people knew exactly where she was.
Me.
May you like
Claire.
And Vanessa.
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