Chapter 6 - Claire’s Last Warning
Police detained Mercer before he could leave the property.
Serena remained missing.
Victor refused to leave Oliver alone.
He contacted a pediatric specialist from Boston and arranged immediate testing inside the mansion.
Blood samples revealed traces of a prescription sedative.
The dosage was small.
But it had been administered repeatedly.
Victor stood beside the window while the doctor explained the possible effects.
Drowsiness.
Confusion.
Irritability.
Loss of coordination.
Breathing difficulties if the dosage increased.
Lily turned pale.
Victor thanked the doctor and dismissed him.
Then he walked into his private office and locked the door.
He opened the safe beneath his desk.
Inside were financial documents.
Family photographs.
And one object Victor had not touched since Claire’s funeral.
Claire’s phone.
Victor had kept it because he could not bring himself to erase her messages.
He charged the device.
Several minutes later, the screen flickered to life.
Victor searched her old texts.
Nothing unusual.
Then he opened her voice recordings.
Claire had been a journalist before marrying him.
She recorded notes constantly.
There were hundreds.
Victor searched the final month of her life.
One file had no title.
He pressed play.
Claire’s voice filled the room.
“If something happens to me, Victor needs to know I was wrong about Serena.”
Victor’s blood turned cold.
He sat down.
Claire continued.
“I thought she was just ambitious.”
A pause followed.
“But I saw her with Dr. Mercer.”
Victor leaned closer.
“They were arguing about Blackwood Pharmaceuticals.”
Another pause.
“Mercer said the trial data could destroy everything.”
Victor stopped the recording.
He knew exactly what trial Claire meant.
His foundation had funded an experimental neurological medication.
The research had failed.
Several test results had been suspicious.
Mercer had been dismissed afterward.
Victor pressed play again.
Claire’s voice sounded frightened now.
“I copied the files.”
Victor whispered.
“Where?”
As if answering him, Claire continued.
“I hid them where Oliver would always be protected.”
The recording ended.
Victor replayed the sentence.
Where Oliver would always be protected.
He returned to the nursery.
Lily was sitting beside the crib.
Oliver slept peacefully.
Victor told her about Claire’s recording.
Lily listened carefully.
Then her eyes moved toward the wall.
“Where Oliver would always be protected.”
Victor nodded.
They searched the nursery.
Behind books.
Inside drawers.
Under the crib.
Nothing.
Then Lily picked up a stuffed brown bear.
“This was Claire’s, wasn’t it?”
Victor looked at it.
Claire had purchased the bear before Oliver was born.
She had insisted it remain inside his crib.
Victor examined the stitching.
One seam looked different.
He carefully opened it.
Inside was a small waterproof pouch.
Victor pulled out a USB drive.
Neither spoke.
Then Lily whispered.
“She knew.”
Victor looked toward the bedroom door.
Claire had known someone was coming for her.
May you like
And perhaps for Oliver.
The question was whether she had hidden enough evidence to prove who.
