CHAPTER 6 — “The Lawyer Everyone Trusted Was the Real Monster”
Marcus Kane attended Edward Cross’s emergency bail hearing the following morning.
Calm.
Elegant.
Perfectly composed.
He smiled at reporters as though nothing had happened.
“No comment.”
No one suspected him.
Except one person.
The little girl.
The moment Marcus entered the courthouse hallway, she froze.
Her stuffed rabbit slipped from her hands.
Her face turned white.
Then she whispered…
“That’s him…”
“That’s Uncle Marcus…”
“He took Mommy away.”
Every head turned.
Marcus stopped walking for only a fraction of a second.
Then smiled warmly.
“You must be mistaken, sweetheart.”
But the little girl began trembling uncontrollably.
“You told Mommy…”
‘If she ever came back… Daddy would die too.’
The hallway exploded with reporters shouting questions.
Marcus laughed softly.
“A frightened child has a vivid imagination.”
He turned to leave.
But Adrian suddenly grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Marcus slowly looked back.
“What did you say?”
Adrian’s eyes were filled with anger.
“For eight years, you told me Emily abandoned us.”
“You handled every document.”
“You destroyed every investigation.”
“You even convinced me my own daughter was dead.”
Marcus’s smile finally disappeared.
Then he leaned close enough that only Adrian could hear.
“You're finally remembering…”
“You should have stayed confused.”
Before Adrian could react…
Marcus shoved him backward and sprinted through a side exit.
Police officers chased him into the underground parking garage.
But by the time they reached his car…
It was empty.
On the driver's seat sat only a sealed envelope.
Written across the front in red ink were five chilling words:
“Emily never died that night.”
The investigators slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a recent photograph.
Taken only three weeks earlier.
A woman who looked exactly like Emily…
Was standing outside a small seaside church.
Alive.
May you like
Watching someone…
Who looked exactly like Adrian’s daughter.
