CHAPTER 7: THE WOMAN WHO FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH
Emma and Detective Brooks raced to the underground parking garage.
An ambulance was already waiting.
An elderly woman sat inside, wrapped in a blanket.
Her face was pale.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
The moment she saw Emma...
She burst into tears.
"You came..."
Emma stepped closer.
"Are you Evelyn Carter?"
The old woman nodded.
"I've prayed for this day every single night."
Emma's voice shook.
"Where is Lily?"
Evelyn looked down.
"She's alive."
Relief washed over Emma, but it lasted only a second.
"Then tell me who's behind this!"
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"I made one terrible decision..."
"...and someone spent six years turning it into a nightmare."
Detective Brooks leaned forward.
"What happened the night Lily was born?"
Evelyn took a deep breath.
"A fire alarm went off in the maternity ward."
"Nurses were running everywhere."
"For less than three minutes..."
"...every newborn was left unattended."
Emma felt her heart pounding.
"When we returned, two baby girls had been moved."
"I thought I corrected the mistake."
"But I was wrong."
Emma whispered,
"So Lily..."
Evelyn interrupted.
"Lily was never stolen."
"But someone discovered what happened before I did."
She reached into her coat and handed Emma an old photograph.
It had been folded so many times the edges were worn away.
The picture showed two newborn girls sleeping side by side.
On the back, written in faded blue ink, were the words:
'Baby 26 ā Baby 27'
Emma stared at the image.
The bracelet Lily had worn...
Read Baby #27.
Then Evelyn pointed at the second infant.
"That little girl..."
"...grew up believing another woman was her mother."
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
"Where is she now?"
Evelyn looked toward the parking garage entrance.
"Closer than you think."
Suddenly...
A loud engine roared through the garage.
A black SUV crashed through the security gate.
Masked men jumped out.
Gunshots echoed off the concrete walls.
People screamed and scattered.
Detective Brooks pulled Emma behind a pillar.
"Stay down!"
The attackers weren't aiming at the police.
They were heading straight for Evelyn.
One masked man shouted,
"She can't be allowed to talk!"
Before anyone could stop them...
Evelyn grabbed Emma's hand and slipped a small brass key into her palm.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Locker... 317..."
"The truth is inside..."
A gunshot rang out.
Evelyn collapsed into Emma's arms.
With her final breath, she whispered five chilling words:
"Don't trust Detective Brooks..."
Emma froze.
Brooks slowly turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
At that exact moment...
Emma noticed something she had somehow missed before.
On the inside of Brooks' left wrist...
Was a small crescent-shaped birthmark.
The very same mark that had haunted every clue since the beginning.
And then...
His phone buzzed.
Emma caught a glimpse of the screen.
One unread message.
"Phase Three Complete. Bring Emma to the warehouse."
Brooks looked up.
He realized she had seen it.
May you like
Neither of them spoke.
The truth had just become far more dangerous than Emma had ever imagined.
