Chapter 7: Victoria Entered the Nursery in Disguise
“Lock down the NICU,” Daniel said.
Detective Lane nodded to nearby officers. “Nobody enters or leaves.”
Daniel ran toward the nursery window.
Inside, his tiny daughter lay inside an incubator, covered in tubes.
Emily’s voice came from behind him. “Is she beautiful?”
Daniel turned and saw her being wheeled from recovery.
“You should be resting.”
“I want to see her.”
He knelt beside the wheelchair. “She’s alive.”
Emily looked through the glass and cried. “Our little girl.”
Daniel whispered, “What should we name her?”
Emily smiled weakly. “Hope.”
Daniel nodded. “Hope Hart.”
A nurse approached. “Only parents may enter for now.”
Detective Lane checked her badge. “Name?”
“Sarah Miller.”
Daniel studied her face. “I haven’t seen you before.”
“I work nights.”
Emily suddenly whispered, “Daniel…”
“What?”
“That perfume.”
The nurse stopped.
Emily’s eyes widened. “Victoria wears that perfume.”
The nurse turned and ran.
Daniel chased her down the hall. The woman ripped off her mask and wig.
It was Clara.
“Stop!” Daniel shouted.
Clara pushed a cart into his path and ran toward the stairwell, but Michael stepped out from the elevator with a crutch.
“Going somewhere?”
Clara froze. “Michael, move.”
“You helped poison me.”
“I didn’t know it was poison.”
“You knew enough.”
Daniel caught her arm.
Clara screamed, “Let me go! Victoria made me do it!”
Detective Lane handcuffed her. “Where is Victoria?”
Clara cried, “I don’t know.”
Daniel leaned close. “You were heading toward the NICU.”
“No. I swear. I was leaving.”
Emily’s voice cut through the hall. “Search her pockets.”
Lane found a small syringe.
Daniel’s face went deadly calm. “What is that?”
Clara shook her head. “Vitamin K. For the baby.”
The detective read the label. “This is not vitamin K.”
Clara collapsed against the wall. “Victoria said the baby would suffer anyway.”
Daniel stepped back as if she had become a stranger.
“You were going to inject my daughter.”
Clara sobbed. “I loved you.”
“You loved owning me.”
A phone rang inside Clara’s bag.
Lane answered on speaker.
Victoria’s voice hissed, “Did you finish it?”
No one spoke.
Victoria continued, “Clara, listen carefully. If that baby breathes by morning, everything is over.”
Emily whispered, “It already is.”
Victoria went silent.
Then she said, “Emily, dear, look out the window.”
May you like
Everyone turned.
Across the street, on a rooftop, a red laser dot appeared on the NICU glass.
