Chapter 5 - Unmasking The Mysterious Identity Of The Elderly Woman
The public records office in downtown Manhattan smelled of old paper, damp wool, and institutional floor wax.
Nora spent four grueling hours cross-referencing property deeds, corporate filings, and old hospital board photographs.
Her tired eyes scanned a 2018 charity gala photo featuring St. Catherine’s primary benefactor smiling beside Mark Vance.
Standing right behind them, wearing an elegant emerald brooch, was the older woman who had dragged her daughter away in the supermarket.
The caption beneath the photograph identified her as Eleanor Vance—Mark’s reclusive billionaire aunt living in Westchester County.
Nora felt the blood rush to her ears as the terrifying family connection clicked into place with horrifying clarity.
Eleanor hadn't just been a random caretaker; she was the matriarch of the family that had allegedly lost a grandchild.
Except Eleanor hadn't lost a grandchild; she had stolen one to maintain a legacy or cover up an unspeakable medical scandal.
Nora grabbed her coat, sprinting out of the municipal building and into the bustling afternoon traffic of lower Manhattan.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket with an unknown caller ID as she unlocked her car door.
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She swiped the screen and pressed it to her ear, hearing only the sound of heavy breathing and static.
“I know who Eleanor is,” Nora shouted into the phone before the line clicked dead with a sharp, robotic beep.
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