Chapter 16 - Olivia’s Courage
Police reached David Chen’s property in nine minutes.
To Adrian, it felt like nine years.
The front gate was open.
One security officer had been struck from behind.
He was conscious.
Another officer was inside searching the west wing.
David was found in the kitchen.
His hands had been bound.
Emma was gone.
Adrian stopped breathing.
“Where’s Olivia?”
Nobody knew.
Then Clara heard something upstairs.
Three quiet knocks.
Pause.
Two knocks.
It was the signal Clara used with Olivia after Rachel died.
Three and two.
I’m here.
Clara ran upstairs.
“Olivia?”
Three knocks came from a bedroom closet.
Clara opened it.
Olivia threw herself into her arms.
“Emma.”
Clara held her tightly.
“Where did Vanessa take Emma?”
Olivia was shaking.
“She said Dad wanted her to take us somewhere safe.”
Adrian entered.
Olivia stared at him.
“I knew she was lying.”
“You did exactly right.”
“She grabbed Emma.”
“Which way did she go?”
“Back door.”
“How long ago?”
“Maybe five minutes.”
Reed ordered roadblocks.
Olivia clutched Clara’s sleeve.
“She had Emma’s blue bag.”
Clara froze.
“What?”
“The diaper bag.”
Clara looked at Adrian.
Inside the blue diaper bag was a small GPS tag Clara had placed months earlier after the family lost a stroller at Logan Airport.
“Give me your phone.”
Adrian handed it over.
Clara opened the tracking application.
A dot appeared on the map.
Moving east.
Reed leaned over the screen.
“She’s on Route 2.”
Police units converged.
The dot moved quickly.
Then stopped.
An abandoned warehouse district appeared on the map.
Adrian climbed into Reed’s vehicle.
Clara tried to follow.
Reed stopped her.
“Stay with Olivia.”
Clara looked at the map.
Then at Adrian.
“Bring Emma back.”
Adrian’s eyes met hers.
“I will.”
Police surrounded the warehouse.
Vanessa’s stolen SUV sat outside.
The back door was open.
Inside, Adrian heard Emma crying.
Every instinct told him to run toward the sound.
Reed held him back.
Officers entered first.
They found the stroller.
Empty.
A speaker beneath it played a recording of Emma crying.
Adrian stared.
“She tricked us.”
Reed swore.
Then Adrian noticed the blue diaper bag.
It was hanging from the stroller handle.
Vanessa had discovered the tracker.
A phone inside the bag began ringing.
Adrian answered.
Vanessa’s voice came through.
“You should have married me when I asked.”
“Where is Emma?”
“She’s safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“You still haven’t learned.”
Her tone hardened.
“Threats make you stupid.”
Adrian forced himself to stop.
Vanessa continued.
“I want ten million dollars.”
“I’ll pay it.”
Reed shook his head sharply.
Vanessa laughed.
“And the trust amendment.”
“Fine.”
“And Clara.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“What about her?”
“She comes alone.”
“No.”
“Then maybe Emma grows up with someone else.”
The line went dead.
Adrian stared at the phone.
Vanessa did not only want money.
May you like
She wanted revenge.
And Clara was the person she blamed for destroying everything.
