Chapter 4 - Lily's RabbitThe next morning, Amara asked me a question.
“Mister Julian?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to see Lily's rabbit?”
My entire body went still.
“What rabbit?”
“The white one.”
“Where is it?”
She pointed toward her mother.
Grace closed her eyes.
“I didn't want her to bring it here.”
I walked closer.
Grace opened an old suitcase.
Inside was a small stuffed rabbit.
One ear was sewn.
The fabric had faded.
A blue ribbon was tied around its neck.
I knew it immediately.
Lily had carried it everywhere.
“Where did you get this?”
Grace whispered:
“Daniel gave it to me.”
I took the rabbit.
Something rattled inside.
I opened the seam.
A tiny memory card fell out.
Marcus connected it to a laptop.
A video appeared.
Lily.
She was three years old.
Alive.
Sitting on a couch.
Someone was filming her.
My hands shook.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Daddy?”
I stopped breathing.
The video continued.
A man's voice came from behind the camera.
“Tell your father what you saw.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Mommy said secrets keep people safe.”
The man laughed.
“Your mommy isn't here.”
Lily looked frightened.
Then she said:
“Grandpa knows.”
I froze.
The recording ended.
Marcus looked at me.
“Sir.”
I couldn't speak.
My father had been alive when Lily disappeared.
He had known.
Maybe he had ordered it.
Maybe he had been protecting her.
Maybe he had been protecting himself.
We needed answers.
And there was only one person left who could give them.
Victor Crane.
My father's lawyer.
I called him.
“Victor.”
“Julian.”
“I need to see you.”
“Of course.”
“Now.”
A pause.
“Where?”
“My house.”
He agreed.
I hung up.
Marcus looked at me.
“You trust him?”
“No.”
“Then why invite him here?”
I looked at the rabbit.
“Because I want to see what he does when he thinks he has nowhere to run.”
Victor arrived an hour later.
He entered the mansion smiling.
Then he saw Grace.
His smile disappeared.
He saw the rabbit.
He went pale.
And finally, he looked at me.
“You found it.”
Three words.
That was enough.
I stood.
“What did you do to my daughter?”
Victor's face hardened.
“I didn't hurt Lily.”
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I protected her.”
“From whom?”
Victor stared at me.
“From your father.”
The room went silent.
He continued.
“Your father was planning to kill Lily.”
My blood froze.
“Why?”
“Because she saw him murder someone.”
“Who?”
Victor looked at Grace.
“Daniel.”
Grace covered her mouth.
Victor whispered:
“Daniel wasn't killed after Lily disappeared.”
“He was killed before.”
I stared.
“What?”
Victor nodded.
“The man you thought was Daniel was not Daniel.”
I felt the world shift.
“Then who died?”
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Victor answered:
“A man your father hired to make everyone believe Daniel was dead.”
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