Chapter 27 - THE NIGHT LEAH ARRIVED
Leah sat on the couch between Nah and me.
She held the rabbit tightly.
I didn't push her.
I waited.
Finally, she spoke.
"I was little."
"I know."
"There was a house."
"What house?"
"I don't know."
She closed her eyes.
"There were stairs."
I glanced at Elena.
She looked frightened.
"Was Daniel there?"
Leah nodded.
"He carried me."
My heart broke.
"Where?"
"Down the stairs."
"Did he hurt you?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"He told me not to cry."
"What did he say?"
Leah looked at me.
"He said, 'Your daddy is coming.'"
I couldn't breathe.
I had always believed the first time I met Leah was at the adoption agency.
But maybe that wasn't true.
Maybe I had seen her before.
Maybe I just didn't remember.
I asked:
"Did you see me?"
Leah nodded.
"You were outside."
I froze.
"Outside where?"
"The house."
My mind raced.
Nine years earlier, I had received an anonymous call.
I had forgotten about it.
A woman had told me there was a child who needed help.
I had driven to an old house outside town.
But when I arrived, the place was empty.
At least that's what I remembered.
I had assumed it was a prank.
But now Leah was telling me something different.
"Was I alone?"
"No."
"Who was with me?"
"My grandpa."
Arthur.
I stood.
"Arthur was there?"
Leah nodded.
"He gave me the rabbit."
I looked at the toy.
"Then why did he let you go?"
She whispered:
"Because he said you were the only person he couldn't control."
The room fell silent.
Suddenly, the entire story changed.
Arthur hadn't lost Leah.
He had deliberately allowed me to take her.
But why?
I looked at Elena.
She finally spoke.
"Because Arthur knew something was coming."
"What?"
"A financial investigation."
"What does that have to do with Leah?"
"Everything."
She explained.
Arthur had been using the family foundation to move money.
But someone inside the organization had discovered him.
That person threatened to expose everything.
Arthur needed a child whose identity couldn't be traced back to the family.
Leah had been chosen.
Not because she was worthless.
Because she was important.
"Important how?"
Elena hesitated.
"Her mother."
I stared at her.
"What about her?"
"Leah's mother was an accountant."
"So?"
"She found the missing money."
My stomach dropped.
"What missing money?"
"Millions."
Nah stood.
"You're saying Leah's mother discovered Arthur's crimes?"
"Yes."
"What happened to her?"
Elena looked down.
"She disappeared."
I felt sick.
"And Leah?"
"Was hidden."
"By Daniel?"
"By Daniel."
I looked at the rabbit.
"Why did he choose me?"
Elena answered quietly.
"Because Leah's mother asked him to."
I stared at her.
"What?"
"She knew you."
"I never met her."
"You did."
My heart stopped.
"When?"
"Before Leah was born."
Elena looked at me.
"Her name was Sarah."
The room seemed to tilt.
I remembered a woman.
A young accountant.
We had worked on the same charity project nine years earlier.
She had asked me one strange question.
"If you ever found a child who needed you, would you protect her even if you didn't know why?"
I had laughed.
I thought she was joking.
I had forgotten her.
Until now.
"Sarah was Leah's mother," I whispered.
Elena nodded.
"And she knew exactly what Arthur was capable of."
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice said:
"Mr. Whitmore?"
"Who is this?"
"Someone who knew Sarah."
"Where are you?"
A pause.
Then:
"Not where you think."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to stop looking for Daniel."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel isn't the person you should be afraid of."
The line went dead.
A second later, my phone received a photograph.
It showed Sarah.
Alive.
Standing beside a hospital bed.
May you like
And beside her...
was Leah.
