Chapter 8 - The Girl Who Remembered the Song
Adrian moved Lily out of the Vale mansion before noon.
No public road was used.
No household employee was told the destination.
Marcus drove.
Owen followed in a second vehicle.
Grace sat beside Lily in the rear seat.
Adrian did not leave his daughter’s side.
They went to Blackridge House, a private estate Adrian owned through a company that did not publicly bear his name.
The property stood forty miles north.
It had no old tunnels.
No forgotten staff corridors.
No foundation offices.
And no one connected to Claire had ever lived there.
Lily looked through the window when they arrived.
“Are we hiding?”
Adrian’s chest tightened.
“We’re having an adventure.”
She looked at him.
“Grace says lying is bad.”
Grace turned toward the window quickly.
Adrian almost smiled.
“You’re right.”
He crouched beside Lily.
“We are hiding.”
“From Meredith?”
“From anyone who wants to scare you.”
Lily thought about that.
“Is Mommy hiding too?”
Adrian swallowed.
“No.”
“Because she’s in heaven?”
“Yes.”
Lily looked down.
“Meredith said Mommy tried to come home.”
Adrian froze.
“When?”
“The night she got hurt.”
Grace slowly turned.
Adrian kept his voice gentle.
“How did Meredith know that?”
“She didn’t.”
Lily shook her head.
“The man said it.”
“What man?”
“The singing man.”
Adrian stared.
“What singing man?”
Lily looked embarrassed.
“The wall man.”
Grace’s expression changed.
Adrian sat beside her.
“Sweetheart, I need you to tell me exactly what you mean.”
Lily played with the sleeve of her cardigan.
“Sometimes the wall talks.”
“At home?”
She nodded.
“In your bedroom?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What does it say?”
“He sings Mommy’s song.”
Adrian looked at Grace.
“What song?”
Grace whispered.
“Claire sang ‘Golden Slumbers’ to Lily.”
Adrian knew it.
Claire used to hum the melody while walking through the nursery late at night.
“Did the man sing words?”
Lily shook her head.
“He hums.”
“What else?”
“He says Mommy tried to come back.”
Adrian felt sick.
“How long has this happened?”
Lily shrugged.
“Lots.”
“Did you tell Meredith?”
“She said it was a dream.”
Grace covered her mouth.
Adrian forced himself to stay calm.
“What does the man tell you?”
“Sometimes he says open the door.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Lily looked at him as if the answer were obvious.
“You said never open doors at night.”
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
That single rule might have saved her.
“What else did he say?”
Lily became quiet.
Adrian waited.
“He said you made Mommy crash.”
Grace inhaled sharply.
Adrian felt something tear through him.
“He told you that?”
Lily nodded.
“Do you believe him?”
She stared at Adrian.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you cry when Mommy songs play.”
Adrian could not speak.
Lily leaned against him.
He held her.
After several seconds, she began humming.
The melody was not Claire’s song.
Adrian frowned.
“What is that?”
“The other one.”
“What other one?”
“The wall man’s song.”
She hummed four notes.
Grace’s face changed.
“What?”
Adrian looked at her.
Grace whispered.
“I know that tune.”
“From where?”
“Claire had a music box.”
Adrian remembered.
A small brass music box had sat on her dressing table.
It had belonged to her mother.
After Claire died, Julian took several family keepsakes for storage.
“Where is it now?”
Grace shook her head.
“I thought Julian had it.”
Adrian called him.
Julian answered immediately.
“Is Lily safe?”
“For now.”
“What happened?”
“Where is Claire’s music box?”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Answer me.”
“I gave it to Conrad.”
Adrian’s stomach dropped.
“When?”
“After the funeral.”
“Why?”
“He said Claire had placed documents inside it.”
“Did you see them?”
“No.”
“Did you ever get the box back?”
“I forgot about it.”
Adrian ended the call.
He contacted Owen.
“Search Conrad’s office for Claire’s music box.”
“We already sealed it.”
“Search again.”
Twenty minutes later, Owen called.
“Found something.”
“The box?”
“No.”
“A purchase record.”
“For what?”
“Six wireless intercom modules.”
“When?”
“Nine months ago.”
Adrian felt cold.
“Purchased by?”
“Conrad’s private expense account.”
“Delivered where?”
“The Vale estate.”
Meredith began working at the house nine months ago.
The same month the intercom modules were purchased.
“Find the devices.”
“Already sweeping.”
Adrian looked at Lily.
Someone had deliberately spoken through her walls.
Someone had spent months teaching a four-year-old to doubt her father.
This was not merely an effort to hurt her physically.
It was psychological preparation.
If Lily was later questioned by doctors, investigators or a court, she might repeat things she had been taught.
Daddy made Mommy crash.
Daddy does not give me medicine.
Daddy leaves me alone.
The custody complaint suddenly made more sense.
Someone wanted Lily frightened.
Confused.
Easy to manipulate.
Adrian’s phone rang again.
Detective Ortiz.
“We found Marianne Sloan’s accident file.”
“And?”
“It was not an accident.”
Adrian stood.
“What did you find?”
“Brake lines had been damaged.”
“Was that in the original report?”
“Yes.”
“Then why was the case closed?”
“The lab report disappeared from the final file.”
Adrian stared toward the window.
“Who signed the closure?”
Ortiz paused.
“Conrad Hale.”
Adrian said nothing.
“He was acting as counsel for Laurent Foundation.”
“Any connection to Sebastian?”
“We found a motel registration.”
“When?”
“The night Marianne died.”
“Name?”
“Sebastian Laurent.”
Adrian’s pulse jumped.
“So he was alive.”
“Yes.”
“There is more.”
He waited.
“Marianne called emergency services before the crash.”
“Recording?”
“We recovered an archive.”
“What did she say?”
Ortiz’s voice lowered.
“She said someone was following her.”
“Who?”
“She gave a name.”
Adrian gripped the phone.
“Sebastian?”
“No.”
“Conrad?”
“No.”
“Who?”
Ortiz hesitated.
“She said Claire Vale was following her.”
Adrian frowned.
“That makes no sense.”
“I know.”
“Claire was trying to meet Marianne.”
“Exactly.”
“So why would Marianne be afraid?”
“We listened again.”
Ortiz paused.
“She did not say Claire Vale.”
Adrian waited.
“She said Claire’s vehicle.”
His mind shifted.
Someone driving Claire’s car.
Someone following Marianne.
“Was Claire driving it?”
“No way to know.”
“Anything else?”
“Marianne said something right before the call ended.”
“What?”
“She said, ‘He has her keys.’”
Adrian felt cold.
“Who?”
“She never said.”
Grace touched his arm.
Lily had begun humming again.
The four notes.
The music box melody.
Then Lily stopped.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“The singing man had Mommy’s key.”
Adrian stared at her.
“How do you know?”
“He showed me.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Adrian’s blood ran cold.
“Where?”
“In the secret hallway.”
Grace went pale.
Lily continued.
“He had the shiny key.”
“What did it look like?”
“Bird.”
Adrian remembered Claire’s car keys.
Her custom key ring had been a small silver swallow.
He had never found it after the accident.
Police assumed it had been lost at the crash site.
“What did the man look like?”
Lily scrunched her face.
“I didn’t see.”
“Why?”
“He stayed dark.”
“Was he tall?”
She nodded.
“Old?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did he call you?”
Lily thought.
“Little star.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
Claire’s father had called her Little Star as a child.
Only a handful of people knew that nickname.
Julian was one.
Conrad was one.
Sebastian Laurent had probably learned it through Claire.
“Did he say anything else?”
Lily nodded.
“He said when I turn five, Daddy goes away.”
Adrian pulled her against him.
“No.”
Lily looked up.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
His phone buzzed.
Owen had sent a photograph.
They had found one intercom device inside Lily’s bedroom wall.
Attached to it was a tiny speaker.
And taped behind the speaker was a silver swallow key ring.
Claire’s.
Adrian stared at the image.
Three years after his wife died, the key to her car had been hidden inches from his daughter’s bed.
Beneath the photograph Owen wrote one sentence.
WE ALSO FOUND A FINGERPRINT.
Adrian called.
“Whose?”
Owen’s answer came quietly.
“Julian Price.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Claire’s own brother had touched the key.
And now Adrian had to decide whether Julian had been trying to save her.
May you like
Or whether Claire had been right to tell him never to let Julian near Lily again.
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