Chapter 4 - The Baby He Never Expected to Lose
Thomas Kline had taught me how to ride a bicycle.
That was my first thought.
Not the money.
Not the poisoning.
A bicycle.
I was twelve years old, furious with my father for refusing to remove the training wheels himself because he wanted me to learn patience.
Thomas had laughed, taken me to an empty parking lot, and run behind me until I stopped wobbling.
When I graduated college, he gave me a silver fountain pen.
When my father died, Thomas stood beside me at the funeral.
When I took control of the company, he told the board, "Claire has her father's instincts."
Now there was a photograph of him opening my prenatal supplements.
"Are you certain?" Ruiz asked.
"Yes."
Rachel studied the image.
"Could anyone else own that watch?"
"It's custom."
"How do you know?"
"I gave it to him."
The irony almost made me sick.
Ruiz sat down.
"When was Thomas last at your home?"
"Two weeks ago."
"Why?"
"Board dinner."
"Was Ethan there?"
"Yes."
"And your supplements?"
"Kitchen counter."
Ruiz nodded slowly.
"We need to know whether Thomas acted independently or with Ethan."
"Independently?" I repeated. "Why would he poison me?"
Rachel answered before Ruiz could.
"The company."
I looked at her.
She pulled up the emergency filing.
"Thomas signed Ethan's temporary control request."
"That doesn't mean—"
"He also chairs the compensation committee."
My mind raced.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Rachel hesitated.
"Claire, did you approve the Solara acquisition?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Too risky."
"Who pushed it hardest?"
Thomas.
I sat upright too quickly.
Pain tore through my abdomen.
Rosa rushed toward me.
"Easy."
I barely heard her.
"Thomas wanted Solara."
Rachel nodded.
"Ethan wanted it too."
I remembered months of arguments.
Solara Biopharmaceutical Distribution had been collapsing under debt. Ethan claimed we could buy its logistics assets cheaply and double our regional reach.
Thomas agreed.
I refused.
Something in the numbers felt wrong.
My father had taught me never to buy a company because someone else was desperate to sell it.
Now I understood why Ethan had been so angry.
"If they controlled my voting shares..."
"They could approve it."
"And take the company where?"
Rachel's expression darkened.
"Maybe that wasn't the point."
"What was?"
"Money."
By afternoon, investigators had more.
The fourteen million dollars had moved through three accounts before landing in an offshore holding company connected to Solara.
Thomas wasn't merely helping Ethan steal my business.
He was already stealing from it.
The attempted murder had become part of a larger financial crime.
That should have made me feel safer.
It didn't.
Because people willing to steal fourteen million dollars and kill a pregnant woman did not suddenly become reasonable when exposed.
Hospital security increased.
Two officers remained outside my room.
Rose stayed with me except during medical checks.
Ethan was transferred to county detention pending arraignment.
Dr. Hale requested an attorney and stopped talking.
Madison kept insisting she knew nothing about the murder.
Thomas disappeared.
That was the problem.
Police went to his home.
Empty.
His office.
Empty.
His car was found at the airport.
No Thomas.
"What if he comes here?" I asked.
"He won't get near you," Ruiz said.
"That's what everyone says until someone does."
Ruiz didn't argue.
Instead, he placed a small panic button beside my bed.
"If anything feels wrong, press this."
Rachel looked at him.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
That evening, the strangest thing happened.
Ethan called.
Not me.
The hospital legal department.
His attorney requested permission for him to speak to me from jail.
I said no.
Then he sent a message through counsel.
PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN.
I stared at those four words for a long time.
Rachel said, "You owe him nothing."
"I know."
"Then don't."
But some part of me needed to hear what explanation a man invented after paying for his wife's death.
So I agreed to a monitored call.
Detective Ruiz objected.
Rachel objected.
Naomi objected.
I did it anyway.
At 8:15 p.m., the phone rang.
Rachel activated recording.
I answered.
Silence.
Then Ethan's voice.
"Claire."
I said nothing.
He breathed shakily.
"I need you to understand."
"Understand what?"
"Things got out of control."
I almost laughed.
"Five hundred thousand dollars got out of control?"
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this."
"How was it supposed to happen?"
Silence.
"Claire, Thomas manipulated everything."
There it was.
Blame.
"Did Thomas make you sleep with Madison?"
"No."
"Did Thomas make her pregnant?"
"No."
"Did Thomas make you tell a doctor to infect me?"
He started crying.
Actually crying.
"I was desperate."
"For what?"
"The company was failing."
"No, it wasn't."
"You didn't know everything."
"I ran it."
"Thomas hid losses."
My anger stopped.
"What losses?"
"Solara wasn't an acquisition."
I gripped the phone.
"What was it?"
"A cover."
"For what?"
"Thomas had been moving money for years."
Rachel leaned closer.
Ethan continued.
"I found out six months ago."
"And instead of telling me?"
"He said we'd both go down."
"Why would you?"
"Because some transfers were made through my development company."
My eyes closed.
"You helped him."
"At first I thought they were tax restructuring."
"You signed them."
"I didn't know."
"Then you knew."
Silence.
"You knew, Ethan."
"Yes."
"And you still didn't tell me."
"I was scared."
"So you decided I should die."
"No!"
His voice cracked.
Then lowered.
"Not at first."
Not at first.
My stomach turned.
"Explain."
"Thomas said if you died, the trust would give me control."
"He was wrong."
"I know that now."
"But you believed him."
Silence.
"Madison was pregnant. Thomas had evidence against me. The money transfers. The affair. Everything."
"And killing me solved that?"
"I wasn't thinking."
"You thought enough to negotiate a price."
He started sobbing again.
I felt nothing.
That surprised me.
Seven years.
A marriage.
A thousand mornings.
A thousand nights.
And suddenly his grief belonged to someone else.
"Did you poison my supplements?"
"No."
"Did Thomas?"
"I didn't know until Hale said it."
"Did you know he was trying to hurt me before?"
"No."
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"I swear."
I looked at Rachel.
She was taking notes.
"Why did Hale say you told him the first attempt didn't work?"
Long pause.
"Ethan?"
"I knew you had gotten sick."
"Everyone knew."
"No. I knew Thomas had done something."
My entire body went still.
"What?"
"He told me afterward."
"When?"
"The night you were admitted four months ago."
"And you said nothing."
"I was terrified."
"You slept beside me in that hospital."
"I know."
"You watched doctors fight an infection you knew might have been deliberately caused."
"I didn't know exactly what he'd done."
"But you knew enough."
"Claire..."
"You knew enough."
He was crying harder now.
"I thought he'd stop."
"And when he didn't?"
"He said the only way out was for you to die naturally."
"Naturally."
"I didn't know what to do."
"So you paid Hale."
"I wanted control."
The truth arrived quietly.
Not love.
Not panic.
Control.
He continued.
"I thought after you were gone, Rose would be safe with me."
I almost dropped the phone.
"You don't get to say her name."
"She's my daughter."
"No."
"Claire."
"You planned her mother's death while she was being born."
"I never wanted Rose hurt."
"You said 'preferably.'"
Silence.
He remembered.
So did I.
"You heard that?"
"Every word."
The call ended five minutes later.
I hung up.
Rachel stared at me.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Good answer."
I looked toward Rose sleeping in the bassinet.
"He thinks being her biological father gives him a right to her."
"It doesn't."
"Can he fight for custody?"
"Anyone can file."
"Can he win?"
Rachel looked almost offended.
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
For the first time all day, I smiled.
The next morning, Ethan was formally charged.
Attempted murder.
Conspiracy.
Solicitation.
Financial fraud investigations followed.
The district attorney requested no bail.
Dr. Hale began negotiating cooperation.
Madison hired a lawyer.
Thomas remained missing.
I was scheduled for discharge the following day.
That terrified me.
The hospital had guards.
Home had memories.
Corners.
Doors.
Windows.
Rachel suggested I stay with her.
I agreed.
We arranged private security.
Police checked her house.
Everything was ready.
That evening, Rosa brought Rose back after her final newborn screening.
"Perfect baby."
I kissed her forehead.
"Obviously."
Rosa laughed.
Then a hospital aide entered carrying flowers.
"Delivery for Claire Mercer."
Rachel frowned.
"From who?"
The aide checked the card.
"No name."
Ruiz had warned us about unscreened deliveries.
"Leave them outside," Rachel said.
The aide nodded.
Then I saw the flowers.
White lilies.
My stomach dropped.
Thomas always sent white lilies.
Every birthday since my father died.
"Wait."
Rachel looked at me.
"What?"
"The card."
The aide handed it to Ruiz, who had just arrived.
He opened it wearing gloves.
Four words were written inside.
YOUR FATHER WAS WRONG.
Rachel went pale.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
Ruiz inspected the envelope.
"No return address."
Then another officer entered quickly.
"Detective."
Ruiz stepped into the hall.
They whispered.
His expression changed.
"What happened?" I asked.
He returned.
"Thomas's passport was used."
"Where?"
"Canada."
Relief flickered.
Then he added, "Three hours ago."
"So he's gone."
"Maybe."
Rachel looked at the lilies.
"Then who delivered these?"
The aide raised his hands.
"They came through reception."
Ruiz grabbed his radio.
The entire floor went into lockdown.
Security began checking cameras.
Five minutes later, Ruiz's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then slowly looked toward the door.
"What?"
He ended the call.
"The passport was used by someone else."
My blood went cold.
"Thomas never left the city?"
Ruiz didn't answer.
A sound came from the hallway.
A metal cart rolled past.
Then stopped.
Someone knocked once.
Not loudly.
Just once.
Rachel stood.
Ruiz drew his weapon.
The door handle began to turn.
May you like
And from the other side, a familiar man's voice said my name.
"Claire."
