Chapter 9 - The Woman in the Red Christmas Coat
Nathan refused to show Lily the photograph until investigators verified it.
They found the location first.
A motel near Erie.
Nathan drove through a snowstorm with detectives while Lily remained with Mae and Parker.
Room 17 was empty.
But the bathroom mirror held a message written in red lipstick:
NATHAN — STOP TRUSTING BLOOD.
A clerk remembered the woman.
“She wore a red coat. Looked sick. Kept asking whether a little girl had made a phone call.”
Security footage confirmed it.
Sarah was alive.
Nathan sat in the motel chair, furious and relieved at once.
Why had another woman been found dead in Sarah’s apartment?
The answer arrived from Pittsburgh.
The victim was identified as Vivian Hart, Sarah’s estranged older sister.
Lily’s aunt.
Vivian had apparently come to the apartment days before Christmas.
Someone killed her there and left identification suggesting she was Sarah.
Sarah vanished.
Again.
When Nathan returned, Lily knew immediately.
“You found Mama?”
He crouched.
“I found proof she may be alive.”
Lily began crying.
“Why didn’t she come get me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did I do bad?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Nathan held her.
Across the room Parker looked away, giving them privacy.
That night Vanessa appeared at the gate.
Her face was bruised, her coat torn, and she was terrified.
“Richard found me.”
Nathan let security bring her inside.
Vanessa confessed Richard had forced her to help move money years earlier after threatening Parker. She had still made selfish choices, still lied, still treated Lily cruelly—but Richard had controlled the larger scheme.
Then she handed Nathan a phone.
“Sarah called me.”
Nathan stared.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“What did she say?”
Vanessa swallowed.
“She said Richard never wanted Lily dead.”
Nathan’s shoulders eased slightly.
Vanessa continued.
“He wanted you to find her.”
“Why?”
“Because Lily was bait.”
“For what?”
Vanessa looked toward the Christmas tree.
“For Sarah.”
The mansion lights suddenly went out.
Emergency alarms began screaming.
May you like
And from upstairs came Lily’s voice:
“Dad?”
