Chapter 1 - THE BATHROOM
Claire Morgan heard the weak cry before she reached the downstairs bathroom.
Not a normal newborn cry.
Thin.
Cold.
Frightened.
She pushed the door open.
Margaret Morgan stood beside the toilet gripping a plunger.
Baby Emma was inside the bowl, wrapped loosely in a pale blanket, crying weakly.
Claire screamed.
“STOP!”
Margaret turned.
For half a second, neither moved.
Then Claire lunged.
She ripped the plunger from Margaret’s hands and threw it across the tile.
“GET AWAY FROM HER!”
Margaret stumbled backward.
Claire reached down and lifted Emma out.
The baby’s blanket was wet.
Her tiny hands felt cold.
Claire pressed Emma against her chest and wrapped both arms around her.
“Emma…”
A weak cry.
Alive.
Claire almost collapsed from relief.
Then Margaret moved toward the doorway.
Claire spun.
“DON’T MOVE!”
Margaret froze.
Claire touched Emma’s cheek.
Cold.
Her anger disappeared beneath panic.
“She’s freezing…”
Claire rubbed the baby’s arms through the blanket and held her tighter.
“Baby… please…”
Then she looked at Margaret.
“What did you do to my baby?”
Margaret’s face changed.
Not guilt.
Calculation.
“I found her like that.”
Claire stared.
“What?”
“I came in and found her there.”
“You were holding the plunger.”
“I was trying to get the blanket out of the drain.”
Claire looked at the toilet.
Then at Margaret.
“You expect me to believe Emma put herself in there?”
Margaret’s mouth tightened.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Margaret looked toward the hallway.
Claire understood before the words came.
“You.”
Margaret whispered:
“I think you did.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“What?”
“You’ve been forgetting things for weeks.”
Claire’s grip tightened around Emma.
“You’re insane.”
Margaret reached toward her pocket.
Claire stepped back.
“Don’t.”
Margaret slowly pulled out her phone.
The screen was already open to a message addressed to Ethan.
Claire could see the first sentence.
I found Emma in the downstairs toilet. Claire was upstairs and doesn’t seem to remember—
Claire’s face went cold.
May you like
The message had been drafted before Claire entered the bathroom.
And the timestamp on the draft was eighteen minutes old.
