Chapter 9 - Ava's Second Secret
Elena had survived because Lucia planned for it.
She had left cash, false identification, and instructions at the orchard.
"Why not go to police?" Emilio asked.
"Because Rowan was already feeding them information."
"Then federal authorities."
"I tried."
"What happened?"
"The investigator I contacted called Calvin the next morning."
Pike shifted in his chair.
"Name?"
Elena gave it.
Pike's expression hardened.
"That man was fired last year for taking bribes."
Mara rubbed her temples.
"This thing is bigger than one crooked CFO."
Ava had been drawing quietly on the floor.
She held up a picture.
A red house.
A black car.
Three stick figures.
Emilio forced a smile. "That's nice, sweetheart."
Ava frowned.
"It's not nice."
He crouched beside her.
"What is it?"
"The house Uncle Calvin took me to."
Every adult turned.
Emilio's voice went dangerously soft.
"When?"
"When you were in Chicago."
He looked at Marcus.
Marcus looked sick.
"That was six weeks ago."
"I was told she stayed with Tessa."
Ava shook her head.
"Tessa said we were going for ice cream."
"Where did they take you?"
"I don't know."
"What happened there?"
Ava's breathing changed.
Emilio stopped asking.
He sat beside her.
"You don't have to tell me fast."
She leaned into him.
"There was a doctor."
"Doctor Preston?"
"No. A lady doctor."
"What did she do?"
"She asked if you yell at me."
Mara's eyes narrowed.
"She was building a child-welfare evaluation."
Ava whispered, "Tessa told me to say yes."
"Did you?"
"No."
Emilio kissed her hair.
"What happened when you said no?"
Ava pulled up her sleeve.
A faint yellow bruise remained near her elbow.
"She squeezed me."
Emilio had to stand and walk away before he broke something.
Ava reached into Bunny's zipper.
"There's more."
She removed a tiny memory card.
Everyone stared.
"Mommy put things in Bunny," Ava said. "So I put things there too."
"What's on it?"
"I recorded them."
Marcus found an adapter.
The first audio file began with Ava breathing.
Then Tessa's voice.
"If your father signs at the hospital, we're done."
Calvin answered, "He won't sign."
Another voice spoke.
Male.
Older.
Calm.
"Then we make sure he can't."
Emilio knew that voice.
He had heard it at every family Christmas since he was a child.
May you like
Dr. Samuel Preston.
Then Preston said, "The next panic attack needs to look like a stroke."
