CHAPTER 17: THE ROOM BENEATH THE MILL
The tunnel led to a hidden office.
It had electricity, security monitors, and shelves of documents.
Someone had been using the abandoned mill for years.
One monitor displayed live camera feeds.
Amelia recognized the hospital hallway.
The NICU entrance.
Her apartment building.
Ethan’s station.
Claire’s house.
“They’re watching all of us,” Mara whispered.
Detective Grant ordered officers to secure the room.
Noah examined a wall covered with photographs.
Amelia appeared in dozens of them.
Leaving work.
Visiting her doctor.
Buying baby clothes.
Standing beside Ethan at the gala.
A photograph from three months earlier showed Ethan entering Claire’s apartment.
Amelia looked away.
Another picture showed Noah visiting the city archive.
A red circle had been drawn around his face.
“He knows about me,” Noah said.
“Who?” Amelia asked.
Before he could answer, every monitor went black.
A timer appeared on the center screen.
00:30.
Detective Grant shouted.
“Everyone out!”
The number dropped.
00:21.
They ran through the tunnel.
00:13.
Ethan pushed Amelia ahead of him.
00:07.
Noah was still inside.
“Noah!” Amelia screamed.
He emerged holding a metal box.
00:03.
They reached the elevator shaft as an explosion tore through the hidden office.
Flames followed them into the tunnel.
Ethan shielded Amelia with his body.
Noah slammed the panel closed.
Smoke filled the elevator.
For a terrible moment, Amelia was trapped in darkness again.
Then Ethan found the outer door and forced it open.
They climbed into the ruined mill.
Noah placed the metal box on the ground.
The explosion had burned his sleeve.
“What is that?” Mara asked.
Noah used the brass key his mother had given him.
It fit the lock.
Inside were old fire-department logs.
Photographs.
Bank records.
And a sealed envelope addressed to:
May you like
AMELIA BENNETT CARTER.
The handwriting belonged to her mother.
