Chapter 9 - The Girl Who Would Not Be Touched
Lily did not speak for fourteen hours.
She did not cry after the first scream.
She did not ask for food.
She sat in a hospital bed with her knees pulled to her chest and watched every hand that came near her.
Helen Cho flew to the island.
When a nurse tried to place a pulse monitor on Lily’s finger, the child kicked so hard she nearly fell from the bed.
Helen stopped everyone.
“No more touching without permission.”
The nurse looked frustrated.
“We need vitals.”
“Then earn them.”
Helen sat six feet away and put the pulse monitor on her own finger.
“See? It doesn’t hurt.”
Lily stared.
Helen removed it.
“You can say no.”
The child’s eyes changed.
Not trust.
Disbelief.
Helen held out the device.
“You can also do it yourself.”
After five minutes, Lily took it.
Adrian watched from the hall.
He had never felt more useless.
Julian sat handcuffed in another room.
Keene had not decided whether he was rescuer, accomplice, or both.
Adrian did not care.
He wanted answers.
He also wanted to be nowhere near answers.
The possibility that Elena was Richard Vale’s biological daughter had poisoned every memory in less than an hour.
Nolan found him at a window.
“DNA can settle it.”
Adrian stared at the ocean.
“I married her.”
“You didn’t know.”
“She didn’t know.”
“Then don’t turn somebody else’s crime into your shame.”
Adrian looked at him.
“That sounds easy when it isn’t your life.”
“It isn’t easy.”
Nolan’s voice softened.
“But guilt belongs to the person who engineered the lie.”
Across the hall, Lily made a sound.
A hum.
Five notes.
Then three.
Then a descending phrase.
Adrian had heard Elena hum it years ago while cooking.
He had forgotten.
Helen looked up.
“What song is that?”
Lily stopped immediately.
Helen hummed the first two notes back.
Lily stared.
Then she whispered one word.
“Maisie.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Helen came to the door.
“She wants her sister.”
“Can we bring Maisie?”
“Not yet. We prepare both children.”
Adrian nodded.
“Does she know Elena?”
“We don’t know.”
“Does she know me?”
“She’s afraid of adult men. That may have nothing to do with you personally.”
It did not feel like nothing.
Later, Keene interviewed Julian.
Adrian watched through one-way glass.
“Who abused Lily?” Keene asked.
Julian’s face went rigid.
“Harrow’s staff.”
“Names.”
“I gave you names.”
“Did you ever strike her?”
“No.”
“Restrain her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she tried to run into traffic twice.”
“Did you lock her in rooms?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if she disappeared, my mother’s people would take her.”
Keene leaned forward.
“You understand how that sounds.”
“Yes.”
“Like every captor who says confinement was protection.”
Julian looked at the table.
“I know.”
“Did Lily think she was free?”
“No.”
“Then she wasn’t.”
Julian’s eyes filled.
“I know.”
Adrian hated him slightly less for not defending it.
Keene asked, “Why didn’t you call police?”
“Because Deputy Commissioner Saye was on Celeste’s payroll.”
“Federal?”
“I didn’t know who was clean.”
“So you kept a child hidden for four years.”
“Yes.”
“Did Celeste know?”
“She thought Lily was moved through trusted placements. I kept changing them.”
“Why?”
Julian looked through the one-way glass.
Directly at Adrian.
“You think I’m the obedient son.”
Adrian went still.
Julian continued.
“I was. Until I found Maisie’s file.”
“What was in it?” Keene asked.
“A behavior report.”
His voice cracked.
“Age three. She refused to sell flowers. Victoria held dinner. Maisie cried for Elena. Harrow ordered isolation.”
Adrian’s stomach tightened.
Julian pressed his fists into his eyes.
“I read four pages describing a toddler like she was a defective machine.”
Keene waited.
“What did you do?”
“I stole Lily the next week.”
“Why not Maisie?”
“Because Evelyn was protecting her inside.”
Adrian entered the room before Keene could stop him.
“You knew Evelyn was alive?”
Julian nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Celeste watched you.”
“My mother?”
“Every call. Every investigator. Every person you hired.”
“Nolan?”
Julian looked at the one-way glass.
“He wasn’t on payroll.”
Nolan entered.
“Thanks.”
Julian ignored him.
“Celeste believed grief made you manageable.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“She was right.”
“For a while.”
Keene stepped between them.
“We need facts.”
Adrian stared at his brother.
“Is father alive?”
Julian nodded.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you see him after his funeral?”
“Twice.”
“When?”
“Four years ago. Then last summer.”
Adrian felt numb.
“What did he want?”
“Lily.”
“Why?”
“DNA.”
“For succession?”
“For legitimacy.”
Julian looked toward the hospital room.
“Richard isn’t the only Vale child your grandfather hid.”
Nolan sighed.
“Here we go.”
Julian said, “There are people who can challenge the entire trust.”
“Who?”
“Children processed through Harbor House.”
Adrian stared.
“His children?”
“Some.”
“How many?”
Julian shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Keene asked, “Where are the records?”
“Celeste has the master ledger.”
“Where?”
Julian looked at Adrian.
“In the mausoleum.”
Adrian laughed once.
“Our family cemetery?”
“Your mother built a safe behind Richard’s crypt.”
Of course she had.
Before they could leave, Helen called Adrian.
“Lily wants to show you something.”
He entered the room slowly.
Lily sat under the blanket.
She did not look at him.
Helen pointed to a paper.
A child’s drawing.
Two little girls.
A woman.
A tall man with gray hair.
And a black building with a bell.
Adrian crouched at a distance.
“Who is he?”
Lily whispered, “Grandfather.”
His throat tightened.
“Richard?”
The child nodded.
“What did he do?”
Lily’s face went blank.
Then she took the crayon and drew a locked door.
Inside it, she drew a small stick figure.
Beside the door, she drew another.
She pointed at the first.
“Mommy.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
Elena had not merely been moved between facilities.
Richard Vale had personally visited the place where she was held.
Lily pointed at the second figure.
“Me.”
Then she drew one more figure outside.
A woman with white hair.
“Grandma.”
Celeste.
May you like
Lily looked up at Adrian for the first time.
“She said Mommy had to disappear because you loved her too much.”
