Chapter 3 - THE SECOND CRIB
The basement contained two cribs.
One belonged to Eli.
The other held no child.
Only a newborn blanket, feeding records, and a photograph.
A baby girl.
Name: Lily Collins.
Born eighteen months earlier.
Genetic mother: Sarah Collins.
Genetic father: UNKNOWN.
Daniel claimed Lily died.
The clinic file showed she survived.
She had been moved to another family after failing a hereditary blood test tied to the trust.
Children were being classified as usable or disposable.
Claire found a hidden camera behind the nursery clock.
It recorded Daniel entering the basement at night.
His mother, Margaret Collins, followed him.
She wore gloves and carried medical envelopes.
Margaret had always called me “too fragile to produce a proper heir.”
Now I knew why.
She had overseen the surrogate births.
Then one video showed Michael entering the basement months earlier.
Daniel struck him.
Two men dragged him away.
Michael’s “death” had been staged inside my own house.
The final recording showed Lily being carried out by Claire.
Not my neighbor Claire.
May you like
Another woman with the same face.
Read Chapter 4 to discover why there were two Claire Evanses.
