Chapter 8 - THE WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN BESIDE ME ALL ALONG
I thought Caleb was lying.
He had lied about his car.
He had ordered men to attack me.
He had helped cover up crimes involving children.
Why should I believe anything he said?
“Who?” I demanded.
Caleb looked at Dominic.
“Tell her.”
Dominic's face was tense.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Caleb laughed bitterly.
“Of course you don't. Your father made sure of that.”
“Who is she?” I repeated.
Caleb leaned forward.
“Her name is Lily Bennett.”
My breath caught.
Lily.
The twenty-one-year-old kitchen assistant.
The quiet girl with dark curls who had arrived at the estate six months earlier.
She always volunteered to help me carry heavy laundry baskets.
She brought me tea when I worked late.
Once, she'd told me I reminded her of someone.
I had laughed.
Now I couldn't breathe.
“No.”
Caleb nodded.
“She was placed with a family in Wisconsin after the fire. They renamed her. She didn't know who she was until recently.”
Dominic looked at Victor.
“Find Lily.”
Victor reached for his radio.
Caleb suddenly stood.
“Wait!”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“If she's still here, she's in danger.”
“From whom?”
Caleb's face twisted.
“From the person who brought her here.”
I stepped closer.
“Who brought her?”
“Your father,” Caleb told Dominic.
The room fell silent.
“He wanted both sisters under one roof. He thought one of them would lead him to Margaret's evidence.”
I stared.
“So Lily was being watched?”
Caleb nodded.
“Every day.”
My stomach turned.
I thought of all the times Lily had asked about my mother.
About the necklace.
About whether I had family photographs.
I'd answered every question.
Had she been using me?
Dominic's radio crackled.
Victor answered.
A guard's voice came through.
“Sir, Lily Bennett isn't in the kitchen.”
“Check her room.”
A pause.
“Already did.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“Where is she?”
“There's blood on the floor.”
My heart stopped.
Dominic moved immediately.
I followed despite my injured ankle.
He tried to slow me down.
“Emily, let me carry you.”
“No.”
“You're hurting yourself.”
“Then walk faster.”
He looked at me for half a second.
Then, without another word, he lifted me into his arms.
I should have protested.
Instead, I clung to his shoulders.
We reached the servants' wing.
Lily's bedroom door stood open.
A broken vase lay beside the bed.
There was blood on the white carpet.
And on the dresser sat a photograph of my mother holding two little girls.
Me.
And Lucy.
I began crying.
Dominic held me tighter.
Then his phone rang.
An unknown number.
He answered.
A young woman's voice whispered.
“Emily?”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Lily?”
“I'm sorry.”
“Where are you?”
She was crying.
“I didn't know he was going to hurt anyone.”
Dominic put the call on speaker.
“Lily, tell us where you are.”
A man's voice sounded in the background.
“Time's up.”
Lily gasped.
Then she shouted one final sentence.
May you like
“Emily, don't trust the woman who hired you!”
The line went dead.
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