Chapter 12 - THE WRONG GUARDIAN
Leo returned to Naomi's office just after midnight.
Mia was asleep on the conference room sofa beneath Leo's navy suit jacket.
The sight of her nearly broke him.
He sat on the floor beside the sofa and brushed hair away from her face.
The pink scrunchie rested on the table beside Bunny.
Rosa had washed the rabbit's fur but left the repaired seams visible.
Leo thought about how much truth had been hidden inside something so soft.
Celeste waited in the next room.
He carried the microfilm capsule with him when he entered.
She looked at it and closed her eyes.
“You found it.”
Leo stopped.
“You knew.”
“I knew there was a final copy.”
“Of what?”
Celeste sat down.
“Before I answer, you need to understand the accident.”
Leo remained standing.
“Grant told me to ask who was driving.”
Celeste's face tightened.
“Of course he did.”
“Who was driving, Celeste?”
She looked at him.
“Elena wasn't.”
Leo felt the room go cold.
“The police report says she was alone.”
“The police report was changed.”
“By Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Who was driving?”
Celeste looked toward the closed door where Mia slept.
“Dr. Sarah Kent.”
Leo stared at her.
“Why?”
“Elena had decided to leave Mercer House for a few days.”
“Not leave you.”
“Leave the house.”
“She believed the trust fraud was bigger than Grant.”
“She wanted Mia somewhere safe while she met federal investigators.”
Leo's pulse quickened.
“Federal investigators?”
Celeste nodded.
“The microfilm is a copy of financial records connected to an offshore fund.”
“Grant was moving Mercer money, but he was not keeping all of it.”
“Where did it go?”
“To people Daniel represented.”
“Politicians, contractors, private security clients.”
“Bribes?”
“Kickbacks, hidden ownership, favors.”
Leo sat slowly.
“Why microfilm?”
“Because Elena believed every digital copy could be traced or erased.”
Leo thought of the remote access attempt.
“She was right.”
“Yes.”
He looked at Celeste.
“And the crash?”
“Sarah drove because Elena believed her own car was being tracked.”
“They switched vehicles.”
“On the mountain road, someone forced Sarah's car off the shoulder.”
Leo's jaw tightened.
“Grant?”
“We never proved who was in the other vehicle.”
“What happened to Elena?”
Celeste looked away.
“I don't know everything.”
Leo's voice dropped.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
“Sarah survived.”
“Yes.”
“Elena?”
Celeste's eyes filled.
“I was told there were two women in the car.”
“One was taken to a private hospital under an alias.”
“The other died before transport.”
“Which one?”
“Daniel told me Elena died.”
“And you believed him?”
“I saw dental records.”
“You saw documents prepared by the man now forging documents against me.”
Celeste flinched.
Leo regretted the cruelty immediately, but he did not take it back.
Celeste nodded.
“Yes.”
“I believed him.”
“For three years?”
“No.”
Leo went still.
Celeste folded her hands tightly.
“Six months ago, I received a letter.”
“From who?”
“I don't know.”
“It contained a photograph of Elena taken after the date of her funeral.”
Leo stopped breathing.
“Show me.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Someone stole it from my safe.”
“Grant?”
“I assumed so.”
Leo stood again.
“You found evidence my wife might be alive and said nothing to me.”
“I was afraid the photograph was bait.”
“For what?”
“To make you start searching openly.”
“So I searched quietly.”
“That is why I entered Elena's room.”
“That is why I filed before Grant could use another petitioner.”
“That is why I kept Mia in the house.”
Leo paced once across the room.
Every explanation made sense and still felt like betrayal.
He stopped at the window.
“Who sent the photograph?”
“There was no return address.”
“What was written on it?”
Celeste's voice became softer.
“One sentence.”
Leo turned.
“What sentence?”
Celeste looked at him.
“Tell Mia her mother kept the promise.”
Leo's chest tightened.
He looked through the glass wall into the conference room.
Mia shifted beneath his jacket.
Bunny sat on the table beside her.
The bright pink marker lay beside the rabbit.
Leo walked into the room and sat near his daughter again.
Mia opened her eyes.
“Daddy?”
“I'm here.”
“Did you find Bunny's secret?”
“Yes.”
She blinked sleepily.
“Did you find Mommy?”
Leo froze.
Celeste stepped into the doorway behind him.
Leo looked down at Mia.
“Why would you ask me that?”
Mia rubbed one eye.
“Because she said you'd find her when the heart got big enough.”
Leo's skin went cold.
“Who said that?”
Mia looked confused by the question.
“Mommy.”
“When?”
Mia yawned.
“At Grandma's other house.”
Celeste made a small sound behind him.
Leo turned slowly.
“What other house?”
Celeste's face had gone white.
“I don't have another house.”
Mia pointed at her.
“Yes, you do.”
“The one with the red door.”
Leo stared at Celeste.
Celeste stared back.
Neither of them spoke.
Mia closed her eyes again.
May you like
Then she whispered one last sentence before falling asleep.
“The lady there looks like Mommy, but Grandma told me not to call her Mommy yet.”
