Chapter 6 - The Woman in the Window
The drive contained a video recorded in a dim kitchen. Daniel was younger, thinner, and exhausted. Beside him sat Elena Moretti, alive, holding an infant wrapped in a yellow blanket.
"My name is Elena," she said to the camera. "If anyone tells you I abandoned my husband, they are lying. Richard Sterling threatened to take my daughter. Daniel helped us escape."
Daniel spoke next. "We have documents showing forged signatures and payments to the people who blocked Elena's calls. I kept copies away from Richard's office. If anything happens to me, Nora knows the rest."
The footage ended with a knock at the door. Elena looked toward it. Daniel switched off the camera.
Vincent watched the recording twice. His grief was so visible that I turned away to give him privacy. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady. "I should have listened when she told me Richard was dangerous."
"He deceived you," I said. "That doesn't make what happened your choice."
"I still have choices now."
That afternoon Mara received confirmation that Nora and Grace had been located at a safe address. But Elena wasn't with them. Nora would not explain over the phone. She asked to meet Vincent without his security team.
Mara arranged a supervised meeting at a county family-services office. I waited outside with Vincent. Through the glass door I saw a woman approach, holding a small girl's hand. Grace had a rabbit tucked beneath one arm.
Vincent made a sound I had never heard from another adult: a small, broken breath of recognition. Grace looked at him without smiling.
"Are you the man from Mommy's picture?" she asked.
He knelt so they were eye level. "Yes," he said. "I'm Vincent."
May you like
She considered that. "Mommy said you were looking for us."
"Every day," he whispered.
