Chapter 10
I woke again past four. Room felt cold. Fluorescent light buzzed overhead. Marcus still knelt beside bed. Knuckles scarred, bruised, wrapped around rail where he had held on hours. Andrea stood near monitor with Deputy Harris. Door stayed locked. Shades pulled down over dark window.
Harris nodded toward Marcus. Harris whispered low.
Harris said envelope and drive needed viewing here. Harris said hospital security held outside. Harris said lab would want chain intact but Andrea said time mattered more.
I clutched rabbit tighter. Beige rabbit with pink nose stayed in both hands. Rabbit smelled like hospital soap now. I breathed slow. I watched.
Andrea pulled rolling table close. Andrea set manila envelope down. Envelope looked old, creased, taped at corner. My mom's handwriting on front. Mom wrote LILY in black marker.
Marcus asked if I recognized envelope.
I shook head. I said I saw mom slide something under floorboard. I said mom lifted loose board near my bed. I said mom told me not to touch until she said so.
Andrea glanced at Marcus. Andrea exhaled sharp.
Andrea said Sarah hid it in child's floorboard because Ray would never look there. Andrea said Ray tossed apartment before, checked closets, checked kitchen, ignored kid's room as mess.
Harris pulled gloves on. Harris opened envelope. Photos slid out first.
I saw photos upside down. I saw mom's face bruised. I saw mom's arm with dark marks. I saw garage interior I recognized — cinderblock wall, workbench, Ray's truck tools. I saw stacks of cash on desk. I saw ledger pages mom had photographed, numbers handwritten, names listed.
Andrea spread photos out. Andrea's hands steadied but breath caught.
Andrea said Sarah was bookkeeper for Ray's garage operation. Andrea said Sarah kept ledger, tracked cash, tracked runs. Andrea said Sarah photographed proof to bargain exit with me. Andrea said Sarah stole copies to trade for freedom.
Marcus stared at ledger photo. Marcus jaw tightened. Scar on his knuckles went white.
Marcus said Sarah called him weeks ago. Marcus said Sarah asked for help but begged him not to call police yet. Marcus said Sarah feared Ray's sheriff contacts. Marcus said Ray drank with deputies, bragged about friends inside. Marcus said Sarah trusted Iron Wolves over badge because badge leaked.
Harris plugged USB drive into department laptop. Screen glowed blue. Drive held folder named BACKUP. Inside folder — scanned ledger pages, phone photos, video clip timestamped last week.
Harris clicked photo. Photo showed Ray counting cash beside open duffel. Photo showed license plates stacked. Photo showed ledger entry: deliveries, amounts, dates. Harris clicked spreadsheet. Spreadsheet tracked money moving through garage, fake invoices, payouts.
Andrea whispered. Andrea said this was trafficking records. Andrea said cash records tied to garage as front. Andrea said enough here for warrant, for state investigators, for custody protection.
I asked if mom did something bad.
Andrea knelt to my eye level. Andrea said mom did brave thing. Andrea said mom hid evidence so bad man couldn't destroy it. Andrea said mom stored copies where bad man would not find — under my floor.
Marcus reached but didn't touch rabbit. Marcus asked if I remembered mom saying where key was.
I nodded. I said mom tucked key inside rabbit pocket. I said rabbit pocket had tiny zipper. Deputy had found key earlier that night, used it to get envelope, but now meaning clicked.
Harris bagged photos careful. Harris said Ray's urgency made sense now. Harris said Ray needed envelope before sunrise before police saw it. Harris said Ray knew Sarah hid copies, came back to clean apartment, would return before light.
Clock above door read 4:47. Sunrise near six. Room stayed locked. Outside hall footsteps passed, walkie crackle, then silence.
Andrea looked at Harris. Andrea said we now had motive, had proof. Andrea said we could now call county, bypass Ray's contacts, push case to state level.
Marcus finally looked at me. Eyes red-rimmed, tired. Marcus said Sarah did this for me. Marcus said Sarah tried to buy us time.
I held rabbit against chest. Pink nose pressed to my chin. I breathed. I felt less scared, more small. I understood mom hid thing not because she left me, but because she planned to come back for me.
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Harris closed laptop. Harris said evidence stayed in locked hospital safe until detectives arrived. Harris said no one entered this room except us.
Door stayed locked. Machines beeped steady. Marcus stayed kneeling.
