Chapter 19
A silver bird at her throat.
Nora Bell looked up toward the camera.
She did not appear angry.
She looked tired.
I called the police.
Then I opened the intercom.
“Who are you?”
The woman stepped closer to the door.
“My name is Nora Bell. I need to speak with Marcus.”
“He isn’t here.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you come?”
Her face tightened.
“I need to give him something before tomorrow.”
“You went to my daughter.”
“I didn’t intend to frighten her.”
“You came into my house.”
“The door was open.”
“That doesn’t give you permission.”
“No,” she said. “It doesn’t.”
Her willingness to agree unsettled me.
“You left her a card.”
“I left it for Marcus.”
“You handed it to an eight-year-old.”
“I didn’t know she was alone.”
“She told you her father wasn’t home.”
Nora lowered her eyes.
“I thought she was being cautious.”
“You should have left.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Patel stepped beside me.
“Nora, it’s Dr. Patel.”
Nora looked toward the camera.
“Then you know why I’m here.”
“I know why you believe you’re here.”
Nora’s mouth trembled.
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No.”
“What did you want to give Marcus?”
Nora reached into her coat pocket.
She held up a small envelope.
“I found this among Lily’s things.”
“Why would Marcus need it?”
“Because she wrote it to him.”
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“Lily wrote him a letter?”
“She wrote it the night before the accident. She was supposed to give it to him after surgery.”
Dr. Patel looked startled.
“Why have you never mentioned this?”
“Because I didn’t know about it until last week.”
Nora held the envelope toward the camera.
“It was in a box of her school papers. My sister gave it to me when we were cleaning out Lily’s room.”
“What does it say?” I asked.
Nora’s gaze shifted toward me.
“Lily knew she might not wake up.”
Emily made a small sound behind me.
I turned quickly.
“Go with Mrs. Alvarez,” I said. “Downstairs, okay?”
“But—”
“Please, sweetheart.”
She nodded and took Mrs. Alvarez’s hand.
When they were gone, I returned my attention to Nora.
“What does the letter say?”
“It says Lily was afraid. She says she had hidden information about the accident because she didn’t want her parents to know she had been drinking.”
Dr. Patel’s expression hardened with concern.
“The toxicology report showed no alcohol.”