Chapter 9 - Someone Locked Them Inside
Marcus found a flashlight in a cabinet.
Vanessa used her phone.
Claire tried the hidden door.
It would not open.
“It’s electronic on this side,” Marcus said.
Claire’s pulse quickened.
“Someone killed the power.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. The rest of the building has emergency generators.”
That meant the archive had been isolated.
Deliberately.
Marcus called security through the internal line.
Dead.
Then Claire heard footsteps beyond the wall.
Slow.
Measured.
Someone knew exactly where they were.
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel.”
Claire wanted to believe it.
Daniel was the obvious answer.
Too obvious.
The footsteps stopped.
A man’s voice came through the wall.
“Claire.”
She froze.
It was not Daniel.
It was Adrian.
Marcus looked at her.
Adrian continued.
“I know you’re in there.”
Claire stepped closer to the door.
“How?”
“I followed Marcus.”
Marcus cursed.
Adrian’s voice sounded tired.
“Listen to me. Daniel is on his way.”
Claire’s anger flared.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
“Because he called me twenty minutes ago and told me to get Eli.”
Every part of Claire went cold.
“What?”
“He knows the boy copied the recordings.”
Claire grabbed her phone.
Still no signal.
“Where is Eli?”
“With Nora.”
“Where?”
“The Waldorf suite.”
Marcus was already searching for another exit.
Adrian said, “Open the door.”
Claire laughed without humor.
“You humiliated me in front of hundreds of people.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to take my company.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to our son.”
Adrian’s voice cracked.
“Yes.”
The honesty stopped her.
Then he said, “But Daniel is afraid of Eli.”
Claire looked at Vanessa.
“Why?”
“Because Eli heard more than we knew.”
A memory returned.
The blue notebook.
There had been one page Claire had not read.
Nora had taken it when Eli fell asleep.
Claire forced the door lever.
Nothing.
Marcus found a manual release behind a cabinet.
It moved half an inch.
Then stopped.
Someone on the other side was holding it.
Vanessa backed away.
Claire grabbed a metal letter opener from the desk.
Marcus shook his head.
“Stay behind me.”
The handle moved again.
The door opened.
Adrian stood there.
Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.
Claire stared.
“What happened?”
“Daniel.”
He shoved the door closed behind him.
“He was already here.”
Marcus looked down the corridor.
“Where is he now?”
Adrian turned to Claire.
“He took something from your father’s office.”
“What?”
Adrian held up a torn label he had found on the floor.
A box inventory number.
Claire recognized it.
May you like
It matched the final line of Eleanor Mercer’s statement.
Supporting evidence: Tape 17.
