Chapter 8 - DANIEL'S FIRST CHILD
The name was hidden inside Arthur's files.
Mia Bennett.
Age seven.
Mother deceased.
Kiora stared at the photograph.
The little girl had Daniel's eyes.
There was no question.
"Where is she?"
Elias searched.
The guardianship records had been sealed.
Then transferred.
Then sealed again.
Someone powerful had worked hard to hide her.
They finally found an address.
A modest house outside Baltimore.
Elias insisted on going first.
Kiora refused.
"This child may be my husband's daughter."
"Which is exactly why you should stay here."
"No."
They drove together.
A woman named Grace Holloway answered the door.
She was in her late fifties.
When Kiora introduced herself, Grace nearly closed the door.
"Please."
Kiora stopped her.
"I didn't know."
Grace stared at her.
"That's what Arthur said."
Kiora froze.
"You knew my father?"
Grace opened the door.
Inside, Mia sat at a kitchen table drawing.
She looked up.
Kiora's heart broke.
Daniel's eyes.
Daniel's smile.
But none of Daniel's coldness.
"Who's that?"
Grace answered softly.
"Someone who needs to talk to me."
Mia returned to her drawing.
Grace led them outside.
"Mia's mother was my daughter."
"What happened?"
"She died when Mia was eleven months old."
"And Daniel?"
"Disappeared."
Kiora closed her eyes.
"Arthur found us when Mia was two."
"Why?"
"He said Daniel was trying to erase evidence that Mia existed."
Elias asked the obvious question.
"Why?"
Grace looked toward the house.
"Because of a DNA test."
Kiora's stomach tightened.
"What DNA test?"
Grace disappeared inside.
She returned carrying a folder.
"The test Daniel never wanted anyone to see."
Kiora opened it.
Daniel Bennett was listed as Mia's biological father.
Probability greater than 99.9 percent.
Kiora frowned.
"Why would that matter?"
Grace looked at her belly.
"Because Daniel told someone he couldn't have children."
Kiora understood.
The medical report.
It wasn't proof Daniel couldn't father a child.
It was part of his deception.
"He lied about the procedure."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Grace looked toward Elias.
"Arthur believed Daniel planned to use infertility as a weapon."
Against Kiora.
Against her unborn child.
Kiora felt sick.
"Where is the original test?"
"Arthur took it."
Elias frowned.
"It wasn't in the vault."
Grace's expression changed.
"Then someone took it from him."
A car stopped across the street.
Elias noticed immediately.
Black SUV.
Tinted windows.
Engine running.
"Inside."
Kiora looked at him.
"What?"
"Now."
They entered the house.
Elias locked the door.
The SUV remained outside.
Grace pulled Mia away from the window.
"Who is that?"
Elias called Agent Morris.
Before she answered, the SUV drove away.
But not before Kiora saw the driver.
Richard Harrow.
Vanessa's father.
He had found them.
Which meant someone had told him where they were going.
Elias looked at Kiora.
Only three people knew.
Kiora.
Elias.
And Agent Morris.
May you like
Someone inside the investigation was leaking information.
And Richard Harrow had just shown them exactly how close that person was.
