Chapter 21 - THE RED WINE RETURNS
Rowan refused to open the bottle.
Instead, she placed it inside a sealed evidence bag.
Wells contacted a private investigator.
Within hours, they learned the bottle had been purchased from an exclusive wine shop under a false name.
But the security footage showed the buyer.
An elderly man.
Walking with a cane.
His face partially hidden.
The investigator enhanced the footage.
There was no doubt.
Victor Hale.
Rowan stared at the screen.
"He's been watching us."
Wells nodded.
"Apparently."
"How long?"
"We don't know."
Then the investigator found something else.
Victor had purchased another item.
A storage locker.
Under the name Rebecca Hart.
Rowan's heart stopped.
"Where?"
"New Haven."
They drove there that afternoon.
The locker contained dozens of boxes.
Childhood clothes.
Photographs.
Letters.
And one large envelope.
Rowan opened it.
Inside was a newspaper clipping.
LOCAL GIRL REPORTED MISSING.
The girl was Rebecca.
But the date was wrong.
Rebecca had supposedly disappeared on September 14.
The newspaper was dated September 13.
One day before.
Rowan stared at the paper.
"That's impossible."
Wells examined it.
Someone had predicted the disappearance.
Then Rowan found another document.
A birth certificate.
Rebecca's.
Except there was something strange.
The mother's name had been blacked out.
The father's name had been replaced.
Rowan looked at Daniel.
"You knew."
Daniel looked away.
"You knew who Rebecca's real father was."
Daniel finally whispered:
"Yes."
"Who?"
Daniel's face went pale.
"Your mother lied about that too."
Rowan's voice trembled.
"Who is Rebecca's father?"
May you like
Daniel looked directly at her.
"Victor Hale."
