CHAPTER 4: THE NOTEBOOK OF LIES
CHAPTER 4 – THE LIE THAT LASTED NINE YEARS
Henry's heart shattered.
"I'm your father."
The young woman stared blankly.
"My father?"
She repeated the words as though testing a language she'd forgotten.
"I don't remember having one."
Dr. Brooks quietly touched Henry's shoulder.
"Please don't overwhelm her."
But Henry couldn't move.
Nine years.
Nine birthdays.
Nine Christmas mornings spent standing beside an empty grave.
Nine years believing his daughter had died.
And now she was lying three feet away...
Alive.
Yet unable to remember him.
"What do you remember?" Henry asked gently.
She closed her eyes.
"A house."
Silence.
"A woman singing."
Another pause.
"Fire."
Her breathing quickened.
"A truck."
Then suddenly—
"No!"
Every monitor began beeping.
She grabbed both sides of her head.
"They're coming!"
"Nurses!" Dr. Brooks shouted.
Two nurses rushed inside.
The young woman screamed.
"Don't let him take me!"
Henry immediately stepped backward.
"No, sweetheart..."
She wasn't looking at him.
She was staring toward the doorway.
Toward empty space.
As if someone invisible stood there.
After several minutes, the sedative finally calmed her.
She fell asleep again.
The room became silent.
Henry looked at Dr. Brooks.
"What happened to her?"
"We don't know."
"What about fingerprints?"
"They're processing them."
"DNA?"
"We've already collected samples."
"How long?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Henry nodded.
Then Richard's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed instantly.
"Sir..."
Henry didn't even look up.
"What now?"
"It's Detective Aaron Mills."
"The detective who investigated Sophie's disappearance?"
"Yes."
Henry took the phone.
"This is Henry."
The detective spoke without greeting.
"Don't let anyone leave that hospital."
Henry frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"I reopened the case thirty-five minutes ago."
"Why?"
"Because somebody broke into the evidence warehouse tonight."
Henry's blood ran cold.
"What was stolen?"
The detective answered with four words.
"Emma Caldwell's case file."
Henry closed his eyes.
"Who took it?"
"We're reviewing security footage."
"Anything else missing?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"The original bridge inspection report."
Henry's mind raced.
The bridge collapse.
The flood.
Emma's death.
Sophie's disappearance.
All officially ruled an accident.
"So you're saying..."
"I'm saying someone doesn't want us reading those files."
Henry looked through the ICU window toward the sleeping girl.
A terrifying thought entered his mind.
What if Sophie hadn't been lost...
What if she'd been taken?
Before he could respond, another call came through Richard's phone.
It was the security chief at Caldwell Manor.
"Mr. Caldwell..."
"What is it?"
"We found someone inside your house."
Henry stiffened.
"Who?"
The answer made every hair on his neck stand up.
"They were in your late wife's music room."
"What did they take?"
"They didn't steal anything."
Henry frowned.
"Then why were they there?"
The security chief hesitated.
"Because..."
"They left something."
"What?"
"A handwritten note."
Henry unfolded the paper minutes later.
May you like
There were only seven words written in neat black ink.
You buried the wrong truth, Henry.
