Chapter 10 - Ellie Is Missing
Rachel did not remember getting into Daniel's car.
She barely remembered the drive.
Thomas kept talking through the phone.
“I turned around for maybe two minutes.”
Rachel's hands shook.
“Where were you?”
“At the park.”
Daniel drove faster.
“Was she taken?”
“I don't know.”
Thomas sounded close to tears.
“She was feeding ducks.”
“I went to get her water.”
“When I came back, she was gone.”
Rachel felt the world closing.
Pierce called the police.
Daniel called every member of his security staff.
Rachel kept seeing Ellie beneath the wedding table.
Small.
Crying.
Hidden.
Now she imagined worse.
Daniel reached for her hand.
Rachel pulled away.
Not because she blamed him.
Because she could not bear comfort.
They reached the park.
Police were already searching.
Thomas stood beside a bench.
His face was gray.
Rachel ran to him.
“What was she wearing?”
“Yellow sweater.”
“Did anyone see anything?”
“A woman said she saw Ellie walking toward the parking lot.”
“With who?”
“She doesn't know.”
Rachel's knees weakened.
Daniel caught her.
Then a police officer approached.
“Ms. Morgan?”
“Yes.”
“We found something.”
He held out Ellie's small pink backpack.
Rachel covered her mouth.
“Where?”
“Near the east gate.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“Check cameras.”
“We are.”
Pierce arrived.
He spoke quietly to the lead officer.
Then returned.
“No ransom demand.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Not yet.”
Daniel's phone rang.
Vanessa.
He stared at the screen.
Rachel saw the name.
“Answer it.”
Daniel did.
“Where are you?”
Vanessa sounded upset.
“You disappeared again.”
“Ellie's missing.”
Silence.
Then Vanessa gasped.
“What?”
“She disappeared from the park.”
“Oh my God.”
Daniel listened carefully.
“Where are you?”
“At the hotel.”
“Stay there.”
“Daniel, I want to help.”
“No.”
He hung up.
Pierce looked at him.
“She sounded surprised.”
Rachel almost snapped.
“You can't tell that from a phone call.”
“I know.”
Pierce remained calm.
“But Helena said Vanessa wasn't supposed to involve Ellie.”
Rachel stared.
“That doesn't mean Helena didn't.”
“No.”
The lead officer approached.
“We have camera footage.”
Everyone followed him to a patrol vehicle.
The video showed Ellie walking toward the park gate.
Alone.
Then a woman appeared.
Older.
Gray coat.
She crouched.
Spoke to Ellie.
Ellie took her hand.
Rachel stared.
“Who is that?”
Thomas leaned forward.
“I know her.”
Everyone turned.
“Who?”
“Margaret's old housekeeper.”
Daniel blinked.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
Thomas nodded.
“Clara Bennett.”
Rachel felt both relief and confusion.
Clara had worked for Margaret for nearly twenty years.
She was kind.
Trusted.
Ellie knew her.
“Why would Clara take Ellie?”
Thomas called her.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Pierce searched an address.
“Clara still owns a house outside town.”
Police headed there.
Rachel insisted on going.
Thirty minutes later, they reached the small property.
The front door was unlocked.
Rachel rushed inside with officers.
“Ellie?”
A tiny voice answered.
“Mommy?”
Rachel ran toward the kitchen.
Ellie sat at a table eating crackers.
Clara stood beside her.
Rachel dropped to her knees.
Ellie ran into her arms.
Rachel held her so tightly the girl squeaked.
“Mommy.”
“Don't ever leave Grandpa without telling him.”
Ellie looked guilty.
“Mrs. Clara said Grandma left me something.”
Rachel slowly looked up.
Clara's eyes were filled with tears.
“I am sorry.”
Daniel entered.
“Clara, what the hell were you thinking?”
Clara did not defend herself.
“I saw Thomas at the park.”
“Then why didn't you tell him?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of who?”
Clara looked toward the windows.
“Helena.”
Rachel stood.
Clara walked to a cupboard.
She removed an old metal box.
“Margaret gave this to me before she went into the hospital.”
Daniel stared.
“She said if anyone ever found the key in the necklace, I was to give this box to Ellie.”
Rachel frowned.
“Why Ellie?”
“Because Margaret believed adults could be pressured.”
Clara looked at the child.
“But nobody would think to search a four-year-old's inheritance.”
Daniel opened the box.
Inside was a flash drive.
A handwritten ledger.
And a sealed letter addressed to Rachel.
Rachel opened it.
The first sentence made her stop breathing.
Rachel, if you are reading this, Daniel has probably discovered that Ellie is not merely the heir to my necklace.
Rachel looked at Daniel.
Then continued.
She is the beneficiary of everything I kept hidden from Helena Vale.
Daniel frowned.
“How much?”
Clara answered.
“More than anyone realizes.”
She pointed toward the flash drive.
“Margaret created a private trust.”
Rachel looked down at Ellie.
“For Ellie?”
Clara nodded.
“Not exactly.”
Daniel's expression tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Clara looked at Rachel.
“The trust belongs to Rachel.”
Rachel froze.
May you like
Clara continued.
“And according to Margaret's records, it now contains controlling rights connected to North Harbor.”
