She Found Her Grandmother’s Diary in the Attic — Then Discovered Her Name Among 15 Missing Children
CHAPTER 6
Sheriff Hale finally admitted that his father had been involved.
But he insisted William Hale had not created the operation.
“He was covering it up.”
“For whom?”
Hale refused to answer.
Daniel placed the diary on the desk.
“Then tell us why Evelyn trusted your father.”
Hale looked at Maya.
“Because he was the only officer who tried to stop it.”
Maya stared at him.
That contradicted everything.
“Then why did he erase the records?”
“Because powerful people threatened his family.”
Hale opened a drawer.
Inside was an old cassette tape.
“My father left this.”
They played it.
William Hale’s voice filled the room.
“If anyone hears this, Evelyn Bennett was not responsible for the disappearances.”
Maya closed her eyes.
The recording continued.
“She discovered the project after her own granddaughter was born.”
Maya opened her eyes.
Her own granddaughter.
That meant something was wrong.
Daniel stopped the recording.
“Wait.”
He rewound it.
William said:
“After her own granddaughter was born.”
Maya whispered:
“That means I wasn’t Subject 15.”
Silence.
Daniel looked at the diary.
The name beside Subject 15 had been altered.
Someone had replaced the original name with Maya’s.
Maya’s stomach dropped.
“Someone wanted me to believe I was one of them.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“Why?”
A new voice came from the doorway.
“Because you were never the victim.”
Lily Carter stood there.
Older now.
Alive.
And holding a photograph.
Maya stared at her.
Lily walked into the room.
“Your grandmother didn’t save you from Briarwood.”
She placed the photograph on the desk.
“She saved Briarwood from you.”
