Chapter 14 - Maya’s Betrayal
My first thought was that Chloe had taken her.
Detective Bennett’s first thought was different.
“The building cameras show Maya leaving voluntarily.”
She showed me the footage.
Maya walked through the lobby.
No struggle.
No one beside her.
She entered a black sedan parked across the street.
The door opened.
She got in.
The car drove away.
The authentication key was gone.
Nathan stared at the screen.
“Did Maya know it was in her coat?”
“Yes.”
I answered too quickly.
Because I had placed it there myself.
We had decided Nathan’s evidence case was the obvious target.
Maya’s coat had seemed safer.
Only four people knew.
Me.
Nathan.
Bennett.
Maya.
Mom refused to believe it.
“She saved me.”
“I know.”
“She took that mop for me.”
“I know.”
“She would never help Chloe.”
“I know.”
But I didn’t know.
That was the unbearable part.
We searched Maya’s finances.
A deposit had appeared in her account that morning.
Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Sent from an overseas entity connected to Northstar.
Nathan swore under his breath.
“It looks terrible.”
I called Maya again.
Voicemail.
Luis hadn’t heard from her.
Her apartment was empty.
Detective Bennett issued a statewide alert.
I sat beside Mom.
Neither of us spoke.
At midnight, an encrypted email arrived.
Sender unknown.
One attachment.
A video.
Maya appeared on screen.
She was sitting alone.
No visible restraints.
“Ethan, I’m sorry.”
Mom covered her mouth.
“I couldn’t tell you.”
Maya looked directly into the camera.
“Chloe contacted me weeks ago.”
My stomach twisted.
“She offered me money.”
Maya swallowed.
“I told her no.”
I leaned closer.
“Then she threatened Luis.”
Maya continued.
“I knew eventually she would force me to meet her.”
Her eyes shifted slightly to the left.
“If you’re seeing this, she finally did.”
Nathan paused the recording.
“She’s signaling.”
“What?”
“Look.”
Maya repeatedly glanced left.
Three times.
Then down.
Left.
Left.
Down.
Bennett replayed it.
“Morse?”
“No.”
I suddenly remembered.
Our kitchen.
Maya always complained that the left burner on the old guesthouse stove clicked three times before igniting.
The guesthouse.
Our old lake property had a detached caretaker cottage.
Three counties away.
Left of the main house.
Down by the water.
We sent the location to police.
Then the final ten seconds of Maya’s recording played.
“I didn’t take the real key.”
I stopped breathing.
“The device in my coat is a duplicate.”
Maya gave the smallest smile.
“The real one is exactly where Mrs. Whitmore told me to put it.”
Mom looked at me.
Then we both said it.
“The mop closet.”
A sound came from the video.
A door opening.
Maya’s smile vanished.
Chloe stepped into frame.
And behind her was Caleb Voss.
May you like
He wasn’t in police custody anymore.
*
