Chapter 4 - CAROLINE'S SISTER
Dominic looked at Caroline for a long time.
“You told me you were an only child.”
“I know.”
“Apparently that's your favorite sentence.”
Caroline took the insult without defending herself.
Hannah stood beside Lily near the bed.
The little girl's fingers were wrapped around the hem of Hannah's sleeve.
Dominic noticed.
He always noticed where Lily's hands were now.
“Where is Claire?” he asked.
“I don't know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“It's the truth.”
Agnes stepped between them slightly.
Not enough to challenge Dominic.
Enough to slow him.
“Let her talk.”
Dominic's eyes stayed on Caroline.
“Talk.”
Caroline looked at the bracelet.
“Claire and I worked at St. Matthew's Medical Center. She was a pharmacy technician. I was a nursing assistant before I became licensed.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“And Eleanor?”
“Her prescriptions were filled through St. Matthew's.”
Agnes whispered, “The red capsules.”
Caroline nodded.
“They weren't poison.”
Dominic's head snapped toward her.
“Careful.”
“They weren't.”
“Then what were they?”
“A compounded sedative.”
Agnes looked stunned.
“That dose could stop breathing.”
“Exactly.”
Caroline's voice shook.
“That was the point. Not to kill her. To make her appear unresponsive long enough for Frank's physician to certify what he wanted certified.”
Hannah felt sick.
Dominic's fingers closed around the bracelet.
“And Claire prepared them?”
“No.”
Caroline swallowed.
“I did.”
The room fell silent.
There it was.
Not an accusation.
Not a photograph.
A choice.
Dominic spoke quietly.
“You drugged my wife.”
“Yes.”
Lily's small voice came from beside Hannah.
“Did you hurt Mommy?”
Caroline looked at her.
She could have lied.
She didn't.
“Yes.”
Lily moved closer to Hannah.
Caroline's face twisted.
“I thought I was helping keep you safe.”
“You didn't.”
Three words.
Child-sized.
Devastating.
Caroline nodded.
“No. I didn't.”
Dominic turned away before his daughter could see his expression.
Hannah saw it anyway.
Pure grief.
Agnes said, “What did Frank promise you?”
Caroline laughed bitterly.
“Nothing.”
“That isn't believable.”
“He didn't need to promise me anything.”
Caroline looked at Dominic.
“He had Claire.”
Dominic frowned.
“Explain.”
“Claire had been stealing controlled medication.”
Agnes stared.
Caroline continued.
“She wasn't selling it. Our mother had late-stage cancer. Insurance stopped covering one of the treatments. Claire started taking medication and altering inventory.”
Hannah understood before anyone said it.
“Frank found out.”
Caroline nodded.
“He told me he could make the investigation disappear.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“In exchange for Eleanor.”
“In exchange for helping him sedate her.”
Caroline's eyes filled.
“I told myself no one would die.”
“Then Eleanor died.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
Caroline wiped at one tear angrily.
“By then Claire had disappeared.”
Agnes frowned.
“Frank?”
“I thought so.”
Dominic stared.
“You became engaged to me because you were looking for your sister.”
“At first.”
That answer hurt differently.
“At first?”
Caroline looked at him.
“I didn't plan to care about you.”
Dominic's expression remained cold.
“But you did?”
“Yes.”
“What a tragedy.”
“I deserve that.”
“You deserve considerably more.”
Caroline nodded.
“But not from Lily.”
That made Dominic pause.
Caroline looked at his daughter.
“I stayed because Frank kept getting closer to her. I thought if I was inside this house, I could stop him.”
Hannah remembered the locked door.
The snow.
Her swollen ankle.
“You tried to stop him by attacking anyone who discovered the truth?”
Caroline turned toward her.
“I didn't push you.”
Hannah stared.
“You found me thirty seconds after someone did.”
“Because I was following the person who pushed you.”
“Who?”
Caroline hesitated.
“Claire.”
Nobody moved.
Hannah felt her skin prickle.
“Your sister pushed me?”
“I saw her leave the terrace.”
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“Because I thought she was trying to get the bell.”
Dominic looked toward the hallway.
“Claire was here yesterday. Claire was here today.”
“Yes.”
“And you still don't know where she is?”
“No.”
A voice behind them answered.
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
A woman stood at the far end of the bedroom.
Brown hair.
Black staff trousers.
A white catering shirt.
Mid-thirties.
She looked exhausted rather than dangerous.
Caroline whispered, “Claire.”
Dominic's security men raised their weapons.
Claire lifted both hands.
Lily pressed into Hannah.
Claire's eyes went immediately to the child.
“I'm sorry.”
Dominic stepped in front of Lily.
“You touched Hannah.”
Claire looked at Hannah's ankle.
“I pushed a flower cart toward her.”
Hannah stared.
“That cart hit me.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Claire's mouth tightened.
“Because you were about to walk into the west hall while Frank was there.”
Hannah blinked.
“You injured me to protect me?”
“I panicked.”
“That's a strange definition of protection.”
Claire nodded.
“I'm not proud of it.”
Dominic said, “Start with Frank.”
Claire looked at him.
“He knows Eleanor's evidence still exists.”
“The ledger.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Dominic lifted the brass key.
“This?”
Claire looked at it and shook her head.
“That opens nothing in this house.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Eleanor gave it to me.”
Caroline stared at her sister.
“When?”
“The night she died.”
Dominic's voice became dangerous.
“You were there.”
Claire nodded.
“So was Frank.”
Agnes whispered, “What happened after I was taken away?”
Claire's face changed.
“You really don't know?”
“No.”
Claire looked at Dominic.
“Eleanor woke up.”
Dominic stopped moving.
“For how long?”
“Forty minutes.”
His throat worked.
“What did she say?”
Claire's eyes softened.
“Your name.”
Dominic turned away.
Claire continued.
“She knew Frank was looking for the ledger. She knew he thought it was hidden in the house. She made me promise he would never find it.”
“Why you?”
“Because Caroline had already helped him. Agnes had disappeared. And I was the only person left in the room who hated Frank more than I feared him.”
Caroline stared.
“You never told me.”
“I couldn't trust you.”
Pain flashed across Caroline's face.
She accepted it.
Dominic held out the brass key.
“What does it open?”
Claire looked toward Lily.
“A locker.”
“Where?”
“30th Street Station.”
Dominic frowned.
Hannah remembered Eleanor's train ticket.
Boston.
Claire continued.
“Eleanor never boarded that train. But she rented a station locker before she came home.”
Dominic looked at the key again.
“And Frank knows?”
“He knows tonight.”
“How?”
Claire looked toward the ballroom.
“Because I heard him telling Evan to get Lily and the bell.”
Hannah said, “Why Lily?”
Claire's eyes moved to the silver bell.
“The numbers weren't a book code.”
Dominic frowned.
“We used them.”
“And Eleanor knew someone might.”
Claire stepped closer.
“Four-twelve-seven identifies the locker bank, row and box.”
Dominic looked down at the key.
“What did Eleanor put inside?”
Claire's answer came quietly.
“Everything.”
The security chief's radio crackled.
“Mr. Mercer.”
Dominic answered.
“What?”
“We've got movement at the front gate.”
“Frank?”
“No.”
A pause.
“Police.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“How many?”
“Enough.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“He did it.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Did what?”
She stared straight at him.
“Frank didn't come here to steal the evidence.”
May you like
Sirens grew louder outside.
“He came here to make sure the police found it on you.”
