Chapter 5 - THE EMPTY STAIRWELL
Dominic reached St. Matthew’s in eight minutes.
The hospital administrator met him at the emergency entrance.
Dominic walked past him.
“Where?”
“Third floor.”
“Show me.”
“Mr. Blackwood, police are—”
“Show me.”
The administrator led him toward the elevator.
Marcus followed with four security officers.
Nobody spoke.
When the elevator doors opened, two police officers were standing outside Ethan’s room.
Dominic approached them.
“Where is my son?”
“Inside.”
“Who is with him?”
“Dr. Reeves and two nurses.”
Dominic opened the door.
Ethan was asleep.
His small arm was immobilized.
Dr. Reeves sat beside the bed.
Dominic crossed the room and touched his son’s hair.
Only then did he breathe.
“What happened?”
Dr. Reeves stood.
“Lily was sitting beside him.”
“What time?”
“About twelve forty.”
Dominic looked at the clock.
1:16 a.m.
“A man wearing hospital scrubs entered.”
“Name?”
“No badge.”
“What did he want?”
“He claimed he was taking Ethan for another scan.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“There was no scan scheduled.”
“No.”
“How did Lily know?”
Dr. Reeves almost smiled.
“She asked him which wrist had been fractured.”
Dominic looked at him.
“He answered the wrong one.”
Despite everything, something like pride moved across Dominic’s face.
“What happened next?”
“She refused to let him take Ethan.”
“And?”
“He tried anyway.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“She hit the emergency button.”
“Then?”
“He ran.”
Dominic waited.
Dr. Reeves looked toward the hallway.
“Lily followed him.”
Dominic’s anger erupted.
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
Marcus spoke from the doorway.
“Because she thought he might lead her to whoever sent him.”
Dominic turned.
Marcus held Lily’s phone.
“You found that?”
“In the stairwell.”
Dominic walked toward him.
Marcus handed him the device.
The screen was cracked.
There was blood along one edge.
Dominic stared at it.
“Whose blood?”
“Lab is checking.”
“Cameras?”
Marcus’s expression answered before his mouth did.
Dominic laughed once.
There was nothing humorous about it.
“Of course.”
“Third-floor service camera went offline eleven minutes before the man entered Ethan’s room.”
“Someone inside the hospital?”
“Looks that way.”
Dominic stared through the glass wall.
“Find Lily.”
“We are.”
“Find her.”
Marcus nodded.
Dominic walked into the corridor.
A detective approached.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
Dominic stopped.
“Detective Collins.”
She showed her badge.
“I need to ask you some questions.”
“Ask while we walk.”
She kept pace.
“Does Miss Parker have enemies?”
“Yes.”
Collins looked surprised.
“Who?”
“My fiancée.”
The detective stopped.
Dominic continued walking.
She hurried after him.
“You believe your fiancée is involved?”
“I believe my fiancée assaulted my son.”
“Did you witness it?”
“I witnessed the aftermath.”
“And Miss Parker?”
“She witnessed everything.”
Detective Collins looked toward the stairwell.
“Which gives someone a reason to silence her.”
Dominic stopped.
For the first time, he looked directly at Collins.
“Yes.”
The detective studied him.
“You understand how serious that accusation is?”
Dominic stepped closer.
“My fourteen-month-old son has a fractured wrist.”
His voice remained calm.
“A woman protecting him disappeared from a hospital after someone attempted to remove him under false pretenses.”
He looked toward the bloodstained stairwell.
“I’m considerably past accusations.”
Collins held his gaze.
“Then let us do our job.”
Dominic almost responded.
Marcus interrupted.
“Sir.”
Something in his tone made Dominic turn immediately.
Marcus held a tablet.
“We recovered thirty-seven seconds from a backup camera.”
“Show me.”
They moved into an empty consultation room.
Marcus placed the tablet on the table.
The footage was grainy.
A service corridor appeared.
Timestamp.
12:46:11.
A man in blue scrubs ran into frame.
Lily followed several seconds later.
She was still wearing the hospital clothing she had changed into after her examination.
She was holding her ribs.
But she kept running.
The man reached the stairwell.
Lily followed.
They disappeared.
Dominic watched.
Nothing happened for fourteen seconds.
Then the stairwell door opened.
A second person stepped out.
Dominic leaned closer.
The figure wore a dark hooded coat.
Face hidden.
Height average.
Build impossible to determine.
The person looked directly toward the camera.
Then raised one hand.
A ring reflected the hallway light.
Dominic stopped breathing.
Marcus paused the footage.
“What?”
Dominic took the tablet.
“Zoom.”
Marcus enlarged the image.
The picture became grainier.
But the ring remained visible.
A black stone.
Silver border.
A small crest carved into its surface.
Marcus looked at Dominic.
“You recognize it.”
Dominic did not answer.
Detective Collins entered behind them.
“What is it?”
Dominic stared at the ring.
A memory surfaced.
His father’s study.
Twenty-two years earlier.
Two men arguing behind a closed door.
His father shouting.
A glass breaking.
A hand resting on the desk.
That ring.
The same black stone.
The same silver border.
The same crest.
Dominic had not seen it since the night his father died.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
Collins repeated.
Dominic finally looked up.
“That ring belonged to my uncle.”
Marcus frowned.
“Victor Blackwood?”
Dominic nodded.
Marcus stared at him.
“That’s impossible.”
Detective Collins looked between them.
“Why?”
Dominic’s eyes remained fixed on the screen.
“Because Victor Blackwood has been dead for eighteen years.”
Nobody spoke.
Then Dominic’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Silence.
“Who is this?”
Nothing.
Then a woman gasped.
Dominic’s blood turned cold.
“Lily?”
A trembling voice came through the phone.
“Dominic…”
He gripped the phone.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you hurt?”
Lily’s breathing was uneven.
“I’m okay.”
“Tell me what you can see.”
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s dark.”
Dominic looked at Marcus.
Marcus was already signaling his team to trace the call.
Lily whispered.
“They took me somewhere.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lily, listen to me.”
Dominic forced his voice to remain calm.
“We’re tracing you.”
“No.”
Her answer came immediately.
“Don’t.”
Dominic frowned.
“What?”
“Don’t trace the call.”
“Why?”
A sound came from Lily’s side.
A door opening.
Her breathing stopped.
Then a man spoke somewhere near her.
“Tell him.”
Lily began crying.
Dominic’s face hardened.
“Tell me what?”
She struggled to speak.
“Dominic…”
“I’m here.”
“They want Serena released.”
Dominic looked at Marcus.
Marcus shook his head.
Do not agree yet.
Dominic ignored him.
“What happens if I don’t?”
Lily was silent.
“Lily?”
The man’s voice returned.
“Tell him the rest.”
Lily inhaled shakily.
“They said you have until sunrise.”
“To do what?”
“Release Serena.”
“And?”
“Sign the wedding documents.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What wedding documents?”
“I don’t know.”
The man laughed in the background.
Then Lily whispered the words that silenced everyone in the room.
“They said if you refuse…”
She stopped.
Dominic’s grip tightened around the phone.
“What?”
“They’re not coming for me.”
Lily’s voice broke.
May you like
“They’re coming back for Ethan.”
The call ended.
