Chapter 15 - The Hospice Nurse
Her name was Nicole Ames.
Daniel had trusted her in the final weeks of Claire’s life.
Nicole had been gentle, calm, and almost invisible in the way good hospice nurses often tried to be.
After Claire died, Nicole attended the funeral.
Then Daniel never saw her again.
Detective Vega found her nursing license had been suspended nine months earlier for falsifying medication records at another facility.
More troubling, bank records showed repeated cash deposits totaling forty-eight thousand dollars over the previous year.
Several deposits matched withdrawals from an account tied to Michael Carter.
Daniel stared at the numbers.
“She helped Vanessa?”
“Possibly,” Vega said.
Rachel looked sick.
“Was she helping even when Claire was alive?”
That question hit the room like a dropped plate.
Daniel went still.
“No.”
Vega’s tone stayed careful.
“We do not have evidence of that.”
“Then why was Michael paying her?”
“We’ll find out.”
A statewide alert went out for the blue sedan.
For forty-three minutes, there was nothing.
Daniel paced until his legs hurt.
Then a highway camera picked up the car heading north.
Vega mapped the route.
“Toward Wisconsin.”
Rachel looked at Daniel.
“Claire and Vanessa worked in Chicago.”
“Where would Vanessa go?”
Daniel remembered something from one of Claire’s old stories.
A lake cabin near the Wisconsin border. The nonprofit used it for staff retreats.
Claire hated the place.
“Too quiet,” she had said once. “You could scream and nobody would hear you.”
Daniel’s skin went cold.
He gave Vega the name.
The Fairhaven cabin still existed. It belonged to a former board member and sat empty most of the year.
Local deputies headed there.
Daniel wanted to go too.
Vega stopped him.
“If Vanessa has Lily, your presence could escalate things.”
“That is my daughter.”
“And getting her home safely matters more than you being the one who walks through the door.”
Daniel hated her for being right.
They drove to a staging area two miles from the cabin.
As darkness fell, a deputy called in.
“Vehicle located.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Any visual on the child?” Vega asked.
“Negative.”
Minutes passed.
Then another radio call.
“Movement inside. Two adult females. One small child.”
Daniel gripped Rachel’s hand.
Vega listened.
“Child appears mobile. No visible injury.”
Daniel almost collapsed from relief.
Negotiators called the cabin.
No answer.
Called again.
Nothing.
Then Vanessa called Daniel directly.
Vega motioned for him to answer on speaker.
He did.
“Vanessa.”
Her voice was calm.
“You ruined everything.”
“Put Lily on the phone.”
“You think Claire beat me from the grave.”
“I don’t care about Claire right now. I care about Lily.”
“That’s your problem. It was always Lily, Lily, Lily.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Let her go.”
Vanessa laughed softly.
“You never loved me.”
“I did.”
That silenced her.
Daniel continued.
“I loved the person you pretended to be.”
Her breathing changed.
Behind her, Daniel heard Lily crying.
“Daddy?”
His heart shattered.
“Lily! I’m here, baby.”
Vanessa hissed, “Be quiet.”
Daniel’s voice sharpened.
“Do not touch her.”
Then another female voice shouted in the background.
“Vanessa, stop! This wasn’t the deal!”
Nicole.
A crash.
Lily screamed.
The call disconnected.
Vega grabbed her radio.
May you like
“Go. Go now.”
