Chapter 11 - David's Version of the Night
Margaret called David a liar.
David called Margaret a murderer.
Daniel nearly hit him again.
Emily stopped him.
"We need facts."
David sat against the cabinet, breathing heavily.
"I didn't take Noah."
"You locked him in here," Emily said.
"Because someone was coming."
"Who?"
"Margaret."
Margaret laughed.
"I was upstairs."
David looked at Daniel.
"Your mother has been accessing Helix records."
"Prove it."
"I can."
He pulled out his phone.
Before security took it, he opened a folder.
Photographs.
Margaret entering a private medical archive.
Margaret meeting with an elderly man outside a pharmacy.
Margaret carrying documents.
Dates from the past six months.
Emily looked at her.
"What were you doing?"
Margaret remained silent.
David smiled bitterly.
"Exactly."
Daniel turned toward his mother.
"Tell me."
She finally answered.
"I was investigating."
"Without telling us."
"Because I didn't know who I could trust."
David laughed.
"You expect them to believe that?"
Margaret pointed at him.
"You worked for Richard."
"Yes."
"You helped him hide Project Helix."
David's face changed.
Daniel saw it.
"Is that true?"
David looked away.
"I was twenty-five."
"That isn't an answer."
"Yes."
Daniel released his jacket.
David continued.
"Your father believed the research could save lives."
"Using children without consent?"
"He didn't know everything Evelyn was doing."
"She kidnapped Claire."
"No."
Everyone froze.
David looked at Margaret.
"Claire wasn't kidnapped by Evelyn."
Margaret's face emptied.
Daniel whispered, "What are you saying?"
David continued.
"Thomas took Claire from the house."
"We know."
"But he didn't keep her."
"Then who did?"
David pointed at Margaret.
"Ask her."
Daniel turned.
Margaret shook her head.
"No."
David stood.
"You met Thomas at a motel two days later."
Margaret's lips parted.
Daniel stared.
"The photograph."
David nodded.
"Thomas sent the photo because Margaret was there."
Mrs. Lewis gasped.
Daniel's voice became quiet.
"You saw Claire after she disappeared."
Margaret began crying.
"Yes."
The word destroyed something.
Daniel stepped backward.
"You told me you never saw her again."
"I was trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"Claire."
Daniel stared.
Margaret corrected herself desperately.
"From what Claire had become part of."
"She was four."
"I know."
"Where was she?"
"With Evelyn."
David shook his head.
"Tell all of it."
Margaret looked at him with hatred.
Then at Daniel.
"Thomas called me after he took Claire."
"What did he want?"
"He said Evelyn would pay him ten million dollars for access to Claire."
Emily felt sick.
"He sold her?"
Margaret nodded.
"I begged him not to."
"Did you call police?"
"No."
Daniel whispered, "Why?"
"Because he said he would kill her if I did."
"Then what happened at the motel?"
"Claire was there. Thomas was there. Evelyn was there."
"You saw her."
"Yes."
"Was she hurt?"
"No."
"Did she ask to come home?"
Margaret broke completely.
"Yes."
Daniel turned away.
Emily could see tears in his eyes.
Margaret continued.
"She reached for me."
"Stop."
"Daniel."
"Stop."
"I wanted to take her."
"But you didn't."
"Evelyn had men outside."
"You left your daughter."
Margaret cried.
"I thought I would get her back."
"You left her."
"They promised forty-eight hours."
"For what?"
"Testing."
Daniel stared at her.
"You agreed to let them experiment on Claire?"
"No. Richard did."
Silence.
Daniel's face became unreadable.
"Dad knew."
Margaret nodded.
"He said if we fought them there, Claire might be killed. He wanted time."
"Then why didn't she come back?"
Margaret looked toward David.
"Because somebody moved her before forty-eight hours."
Daniel followed her gaze.
David slowly shook his head.
"Don't."
May you like
Margaret whispered:
"David Sloan."
