Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN DANIEL KNEW
Daniel unplugged the television.
The screen stayed on for three seconds.
Then black.
That was enough to frighten Claire more than if it had shut off immediately.
“Noah.”
She took his hand.
“Shoes.”
Daniel moved toward the dining room.
Claire grabbed his sleeve.
“No.”
“She could still be in here.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel stopped.
Good.
For once neither of them charged blindly toward the answer.
Claire took Noah through the front door and across the driveway to their neighbor, Amy Dalton.
Daniel stayed outside after calling 911.
He did not search upstairs.
He did not search the basement.
Police cleared the house twenty-three minutes later.
Nobody inside.
One rear mudroom door stood unlocked.
The small patio behind the dining room had a narrow service path leading to the street.
The dining chair really had moved nearly eighteen inches.
No obvious wire.
No person.
The miniature camera from the laundry basket was bagged.
Officers photographed the sofa.
Coffee table.
TV.
Dining chair.
Laundry basket.
Everything.
Then one officer asked the question Claire had been waiting for.
“Mr. Bennett, do you recognize the woman from the first video?”
Daniel looked at Claire.
Bad start.
Claire folded her arms.
“Answer him.”
Daniel did.
“Yes.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What is her name?”
“Allison Mercer.”
Claire waited.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“She contacted me last week.”
“For what?”
“She said she knew my father.”
Claire stared.
“Your father has been dead three years.”
“I know.”
“What did she want?”
Daniel looked toward the dark television.
“She said Richard Bennett was her father too.”
Silence.
Claire laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
“You've had a woman claiming she's your sister in our house, and you didn't mention it?”
“I didn't know if she was telling the truth.”
“You hugged her.”
Daniel looked away.
Claire saw the answer.
The video was real.
“When?”
“Six days ago.”
“In this room?”
“Yes.”
“Was Noah here?”
“No. He was at soccer.”
“And me?”
“Your dentist appointment.”
Claire stared.
“You scheduled it.”
“No.”
“You knew I'd be gone.”
“I knew when she asked to talk.”
“Same difference right now.”
The officer interrupted before the argument became another physical one.
“Mr. Bennett, did you authorize Ms. Mercer to enter the home yesterday?”
“No.”
“Give her a key?”
“No.”
“Access code?”
“No.”
“Permission to place recording devices?”
“No.”
That part, at least, was easy.
Then Noah came back outside with Amy.
He had forgotten his inhaler.
Claire went to get it from the front hall after police cleared the entry.
Noah looked at Daniel.
“Dad?”
Daniel crouched.
“You're not in trouble.”
Noah frowned.
“The lady said that too.”
Claire stopped.
“What else did she say?”
Noah thought.
“She asked where the laundry room was.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Claire continued carefully.
“Did she ask you to keep anything secret?”
Noah shook his head.
“She said it was a surprise.”
“For who?”
“You.”
Daniel looked at him.
“How did she get inside?”
“The back door.”
“Did you open it?”
“No.”
Noah pointed through the house.
“She already had a key.”
Daniel went still.
Claire asked:
“What did she call herself?”
“Allison.”
“Anything else?”
Noah nodded.
“She said Dad used to call her Allie.”
Daniel's face changed.
Claire noticed.
“You did.”
He stared toward the house.
Not at Allison Mercer as a stranger anymore.
At a name from somewhere much older.
May you like
Daniel whispered:
“I haven't heard anyone call her that since I was twelve.”
