Chapter 4 - The Paper Trail of Misery
By noon, Daniel was sitting in a private corner of the hospital’s executive lounge. A spread of fresh warm soup, sandwiches, fruit, and hot chocolate sat untouched on the glass table before him.
Lily had been examined, bathed, and dressed in soft, warm flannel pajamas provided by the hospital staff. Her dark hair was clean and brushed, revealing a tiny, crescent-shaped scar near her left hairline. She sat on the edge of the sofa, holding a warm cup of cocoa with both hands, staring at Daniel with a mixture of profound awe and lingering suspicion.
"Is Toby sleeping in a real bed?" she asked softly, her voice small and raspy.
"He's in a big, soft bed with warm blankets, Lily," Daniel assured her, offering her a half-smile. "My sister Sarah is taking care of him. Would you like to eat some soup?"
Lily looked at the warm chicken noodle soup, then up at Daniel. "Is it for me? All of it?"
"All of it," Daniel said gently. "And if you want more, we'll get more."
Lily carefully set her cocoa down, picked up the spoon with trembling hands, and began to eat with a slow, desperate hunger that brought a lump to Daniel's throat. She didn't spill a single drop, eating with an agonizing, meticulous care that spoke of years spent being scolded for making mess in places where she didn't belong.
The heavy glass door opened, and Marcus stepped inside, carrying a thick leather folder. His expression was grim.
"Mr. Mercer," Marcus said, stepping close to Daniel and lowering his voice so Lily wouldn't hear over the soft hum of the television in the corner. "I ran the background checks through our regional security contacts and local police databases."
"What did you find?" Daniel asked, leaning in.
"The mother's name is Eleanor Vance," Marcus revealed.
Daniel froze. His eyes snapped up to meet Marcus's. "Vance? As in... Curtis Vance? My site foreman?"
"She's his daughter-in-law, sir," Marcus whispered, opening the folder to display a mugshot photograph of a pale, thin twenty-six-year-old woman with hollow cheeks and sad, bruised eyes. "Eleanor was married to Curtis Vance's son, Ryan. Ryan was a veteran who passed away two years ago from severe PTSD-related complications. After Ryan died, Eleanor fell into deep financial ruin. She lost her apartment six months ago."
Daniel felt a white-hot wave of fury begin to simmer in his gut. "And Curtis? His own grandchildren were living in an abandoned laundry room on his job site?"
"It gets worse, sir," Marcus continued, his voice dropping an octave. "Three days ago, Eleanor went to the local pharmacy five miles down Route 30 to try and get amoxicillin for Toby's chest infection. She didn't have a prescription, and she didn't have money. She begged the pharmacist. When he refused, she panicked, grabbed a forty-dollar bottle of antibiotics off the shelf, and ran out the door."
Marcus took a deep breath. "The pharmacist called the police. She was arrested two blocks away for shoplifting and resisting arrest. She’s currently being held at the Westmoreland County Jail on a five-thousand-dollar cash bail she couldn't possibly pay."
"Did she tell the police about the children?" Daniel demanded, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.
"She tried, sir," Marcus said, handing Daniel a copy of the police arrest report. "According to the arresting officer's log, she was screaming hysterically about her babies being locked in a room at the Hillcrest Motor Lodge. But the officer noted her as 'intoxicated or mentally unstable,' dismissed her claims, and booked her into a cell. Nobody ever went to check the motel."
Daniel stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor. Lily flinched, dropping her spoon.
Instantly, Daniel caught himself. He turned to Lily, forcing his face into a soft, calm expression. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I just dropped something. You keep eating your soup."
Lily gave a timid nod and went back to her meal.
Daniel walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the snow-covered streets of Pittsburgh, his mind spinning with terrifying clarity.
"Curtis Vance knew," Daniel whispered, his voice shaking with pure rage. "He knew his daughter-in-law was arrested three days ago. He knew she had the kids at that motel. That's why he locked the laundry room door from the outside with a padlock, and that's why he was so eager to run excavators over the site this morning. He wanted to erase them."
"He wanted to hide the embarrassment, sir," Marcus agreed grimly. "Or worse... he knew that if those kids were found dead on a property owned by Mercer Freight under his supervision, his entire life would be over."
Daniel pulled his phone from his pocket. His blue eyes burned with a lethal, absolute vengeance.
May you like
"Marcus," Daniel commanded. "Get my legal team on the line. Pay Eleanor Vance's bail immediately and have a private car bring her here to the hospital. Then call the District Attorney."
Daniel turned his head to look back at the Hillcrest Motor Lodge site map on Marcus's tablet. "It's time to pay Curtis Vance a visit."
