Chapter 9: The Names on the Wall
Police entered the old St. Anne's facility just before sunset.
Daniel and Vanessa remained at the hospital with the girls.
Simone was transferred there under guard.
Her reunion with Nia happened privately.
Daniel watched from outside the room through a small glass panel.
Nia saw her mother.
For one second, she didn't move.
Then she screamed.
“Mommy!””
Simone opened her arms.
Nia ran despite the injured ankle and nearly pulled out her IV.
A nurse tried to stop her.
Nobody really could.
Simone collapsed around her daughter.
They held each other and cried.
Vanessa stood beside Daniel.
Her hand covered her mouth.
He looked at her.
“Go.””
She shook her head.
“That's their moment.””
“She's your sister.””
Vanessa stared through the glass.
“She might hate me.””
Daniel understood why she was afraid.
But Nia looked toward the door.
Then she called:
“Aunt Vanessa!””
Simone looked up.
Her eyes found Vanessa through the glass.
Everything in Vanessa's face broke.
Daniel opened the door.
Vanessa stepped inside.
Simone stared at her.
Years passed between them in silence.
Vanessa whispered, “I'm sorry.””
Simone stood.
She was thin.
Bruised.
Older than Vanessa remembered.
But alive.
Vanessa began crying.
“I didn't know where you were.””
Simone crossed the room.
Vanessa waited for anger.
Instead, Simone embraced her.
Vanessa collapsed against her sister.
Daniel turned away to give them dignity.
Ava grabbed his hand.
“Are they okay now?””
Daniel looked down.
He wished the answer were simple.
“They're together.””
For tonight, that was enough.
Then Detective Collins called.
“We found the false wall.””
Daniel put the phone on speaker.
Simone stiffened.
Vanessa moved beside her.
“What was inside?””
“Boxes.””
“How many?””
“Twenty-three.””
Simone closed her eyes.
“That's all?””
Collins paused.
“No.””
Everyone waited.
“There are names written on the inside of the wall.””
Daniel frowned.
“What names?””
“Dozens.””
Simone whispered, “People he owned.””
Daniel looked at her.
She nodded.
“Terrence called them favors.””
“What kind of favors?”” Vanessa asked.
“Whatever kept people quiet.””
Simone sat down.
“Doctors. Police officers. Business owners. A judge.””
Daniel felt the room shrink around them.
Detective Collins continued.
“We found copies of medical records, checks, photographs, audio files.””
Daniel looked toward the hallway.
“How deep does this go?””
“Deep enough that my supervisor just called state investigators.””
Vanessa asked, “Is Terrence there?””
“No.””
Then Collins said, “But we found his phone.””
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“Where?””
“Inside the blue room.””
Vanessa looked confused.
“He left it?””
“Possibly intentionally.””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
“He never leaves his phone.””
Collins went quiet.
Simone stood.
“If you found that one, it's the burner he wants you to find.””
“How do you know?””
“Because he's done it before.””
Daniel asked, “What does that mean?””
Simone looked terrified.
“It means he's watching you search.””
Vanessa grabbed her hand.
“From where?””
Simone looked toward the hospital window.
“I don't know.””
Ava spoke from behind them.
“The old lady said he watches.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel crouched beside her.
“What do you mean?””
Ava looked embarrassed.
“The night Grandma came.””
“You already told us what she said.””
“There was more.””
Daniel's heart accelerated.
“What else?””
“She said if I ever saw a black truck, I should hide.””
Simone froze.
“What?””
Ava nodded.
“She said don't go outside if the black truck comes.””
Simone looked at Daniel.
“Terrence drives black SUVs.””
Daniel immediately approached the window.
He looked down at the parking lot six stories below.
Cars.
Ambulances.
People moving.
Then he saw it.
A black SUV stopped near the employee entrance.
“Security.””
Daniel grabbed the room phone.
Before he could dial, Simone screamed.
“Get away from the window!””
Daniel ducked.
A second later, the glass exploded.
Everyone screamed.
Daniel threw himself over Ava.
Vanessa pulled Nia and Simone toward the floor.
The window fractured but did not fully collapse.
Hospital security alarms erupted.
Daniel's ears rang.
Ava sobbed beneath him.
“Daddy!””
“I've got you.””
He checked her.
No blood.
No injury.
Vanessa looked at Nia.
Safe.
Simone was bleeding lightly from glass fragments along her arm.
Police flooded the floor.
Daniel shouted, “Parking lot! Black SUV!””
Officers moved.
Detective Collins remained on the phone.
“What happened?””
“Somebody shot the window!””
The word sounded unreal.
Daniel immediately moved Ava away from the exterior wall.
The hospital initiated lockdown.
Five minutes later, police reported the SUV had fled.
Daniel was furious.
“How does someone get close enough to do that?””
An officer said, “We don't know if Terrence was the shooter.””
“I don't care who pulled the trigger!””
Vanessa grabbed Daniel's arm.
He looked at her.
She was shaking.
“Daniel.””
He stopped.
Ava was watching him.
He forced himself to lower his voice.
Simone sat with Nia.
Her expression had changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
“He's desperate.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“Because of the blue room?””
Simone nodded.
“No.””
“What then?””
Simone looked at Daniel.
“The wall.””
“The names?””
“Yes.””
She swallowed.
“Terrence kept those names because he wanted everyone to know nobody could touch him.””
Daniel frowned.
“Then why is he desperate?””
“Because Marcus left something Terrence didn't know about.””
Vanessa sat beside her.
“What?””
Simone looked at her sister.
“I found it before he found me.””
“Found what?””
“A recording.””
Daniel's pulse increased.
“Another one?””
Simone nodded.
“Marcus recorded a meeting.””
“With Terrence?””
“And Evelyn.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“What were they discussing?””
Simone looked at Nia.
Then at Ava.
“We should move the girls.””
Daniel agreed immediately.
Police transferred both children to an interior room.
When they returned, Simone continued.
“The recording was from years ago.””
“How many?”” Vanessa asked.
“Twenty.””
Daniel calculated.
Before Nia.
Before Simone's relationship with Terrence became known.
Simone continued.
“Marcus secretly met Mom because he wanted to see you.””
Vanessa began crying.
“He came back?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't she tell me?””
Simone shook her head.
“She told him Terrence would hurt us if he stayed.””
Daniel asked, “Was Terrence at the meeting?””
“He arrived halfway through.””
“What happened?””
“Marcus accused him of controlling Mom.””
Vanessa looked away.
“Then Terrence said something.””
Simone's voice dropped.
“He said Mom didn't owe him because he helped bury Dad.””
Vanessa stared.
Simone swallowed.
“He said she owed him because he knew what really happened.””
Daniel frowned.
“We already know Evelyn pushed Simone's father.””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
Everyone went silent.
“She didn't.””
Vanessa whispered, “What?””
“Mom lied again.””
Simone's eyes filled.
“My father didn't fall.””
Vanessa stared.
“Terrence killed him.””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
“Then who?””
Simone hesitated.
“Our grandmother.””
Vanessa stepped back.
“Our grandmother?””
“Mom's mother.””
Daniel felt overwhelmed by the generations of secrecy.
Simone continued.
“She hit him with a fireplace poker after he attacked Mom.””
Vanessa stared.
“So Mom protected Grandma.””
“Yes.””
“And Terrence helped cover it up?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Simone's face tightened.
“Because he wanted this house.””
Daniel looked at her.
“What?””
“Grandma owned it.””
Vanessa slowly understood.
“The property.””
Simone nodded.
“Terrence wanted the land because of what was under it.””
Daniel frowned.
“What was under it?””
Simone looked at them.
“Access tunnels.””
The room became silent.
Daniel thought of the hidden corridor.
The crawlspace.
The service door.
Simone continued.
“This neighborhood used to connect to utility tunnels running toward St. Anne's.””
Daniel felt cold.
“Terrence used them.””
“To move things.””
“What things?””
Simone looked down.
“People sometimes.””
Vanessa's face drained.
“People?””
“Witnesses. Women hiding from him. Workers he threatened.””
Daniel stared.
“He built a network under these buildings?””
“He found an old one and used it.””
Daniel suddenly thought of the house.
The opened floor.
The space beneath Ava's room.
The camera.
The service access.
Everything connected.
His house had never merely been hiding Nia.
It had been part of Terrence's system.
Detective Collins's voice came through the phone.
“Daniel.””
He lifted it.
“Yes?””
“We found something else in the blue room.””
“What?””
“A map.””
Simone went pale.
Collins continued.
“It shows the tunnel network.””
Daniel's pulse hammered.
“Does it connect to my house?””
“Yes.””
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
Daniel closed his eyes.
May you like
Then Collins said:
“And according to this map, there's another chamber beneath your basement.””
