Chapter 9 - The Price of Silence
Vanessa asked to speak to investigators. Her lawyer sat beside her as she described how her father had manipulated her fear of losing Vincent. She admitted helping hide Elena's suitcase and lying about the photograph. She denied knowing where Elena was held.
Mara didn't offer forgiveness in exchange for a story. She demanded corroboration. Vanessa supplied a private account number and the name of a driver who had transported Elena between properties.
I watched part of the interview from an adjoining room. Vanessa cried, but I no longer mistook tears for accountability. She had watched me struggle on the stairs. She had known a little girl was missing. Her remorse mattered only if it helped stop the harm.
The driver was found at a motel outside Madison. He claimed he'd believed Elena was a patient being transferred for her own protection. Then he saw photographs of her and changed his story. Richard had ordered him to take her to a rehabilitation center that no longer appeared in public directories.
Mara obtained emergency search authorization. Vincent was told to stay away until the location was secured. He walked the length of the hospital corridor for nearly an hour while I sat nearby, folding and unfolding Daniel's letter.
"What if she hates me?" he asked at last.
"She might be angry," I said. "She has a right to be. But she deserves to hear the truth from you."
He nodded, accepting an answer that gave him no comfort.
Near midnight Mara called. Officers had entered the facility. Three women were receiving medical care. One of them had identified herself as Elena Moretti.
May you like
Vincent sat down hard. "Is she alive?"
"Yes," Mara said. "And she's asking for her daughter."
