Chapter 3: What Happened in the Basement
The knock came again.
Three slow taps.
Zoe and I stared at the door.
Neither of us moved.
Lily was asleep down the hall.
My heart hammered so hard I could feel it in my throat.
“Did you tell Mark where we were?”” I whispered.
Zoe shook her head.
“No.””
“Then who is that?””
“I don't know.””
The knock came a third time.
This time, a man's voice followed.
“Chloe?””
Mark.
I stepped backward.
Zoe immediately moved in front of me.
“Don't open it.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
“Good.””
Mark knocked again.
“Chloe, please.””
His voice sounded tired.
Not angry.
Not threatening.
Almost broken.
That made it worse.
“Tell him to leave,” I whispered.
Zoe looked at me.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
She stepped toward the door but stopped several feet away.
“Mark, go home.””
Silence.
Then Mark answered.
“I need to talk to Chloe.””
“She doesn't want to talk to you.””
“I know.””
“Then leave.””
“Zoe, please.””
“No.””
His voice changed.
“You don't understand what's happening.””
Zoe laughed bitterly.
“I understand enough.””
“You heard it?””
Neither of us spoke.
Mark exhaled on the other side of the door.
“I was afraid you would.””
My blood ran cold.
Zoe looked at me.
I mouthed, How did he know?
She shook her head.
Mark continued.
“Chloe, I know you're angry.””
“You think?””
“I know.””
“You let your sister hit our daughter.””
“I didn't let her.””
“You watched.””
“I froze.””
“You chose her.””
“No.””
“You did.””
A long silence followed.
Then Mark said, “I made mistakes.””
I moved closer to the door.
“What happened in the basement?””
Silence.
“Mark?””
Nothing.
“What happened to Lily?””
“I never hurt her.””
“But Megan did.””
“I know.””
“How many times?””
He didn't answer.
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“How many times, Mark?””
His voice broke.
“Twice.””
Zoe closed her eyes.
I gripped the edge of the wall.
“Twice?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“The first time was last year.””
“And the second?””
“Three months ago.””
My knees weakened.
Three months.
Three months ago, Lily had come home unusually quiet after spending the afternoon at her grandparents' house.
I had asked her what was wrong.
She had said nothing.
I had assumed she was tired.
I had trusted my husband.
I had trusted his family.
I had been wrong.
“What did Megan do?””
Mark didn't answer.
“Tell me.””
“She locked Lily in the basement.””
I covered my mouth.
Zoe's hand went to her chest.
“For how long?””
“Ten minutes.””
“You're lying.””
“No.””
“You're lying!””
“Chloe, I swear—”
“She was five!””
“I know.””
“You left her there?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Silence.
I looked at Zoe.
Her expression told me something was wrong.
“Zoe?””
She shook her head.
“Chloe, let him talk.””
I stared at her.
“You know something.””
“I know part of it.””
“You told me you didn't.””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
She didn't answer.
I walked toward the door.
Zoe grabbed my arm.
“Don't.””
“Move.””
“Chloe, listen to me.””
“No.””
“Please.””
I pulled free.
Then I opened the door.
Mark stood in the hallway.
His coat was wet from the rain.
His hair was disheveled.
There was a small cut above his eyebrow.
I didn't care.
“You have two minutes,” I said.
He looked at me.
His eyes were red.
“Can I come in?””
“No.””
He nodded.
“Okay.””
“Tell me everything.””
Mark glanced at Zoe.
She folded her arms.
“Don't look at me,” she said.
He swallowed.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes.””
“I wanted to.””
“But you didn't.””
“No.””
“Why?””
He looked at the floor.
“Because my father knew.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“My father knew Megan was hurting Lily.””
Zoe's face changed.
Mark continued.
“The first time, Megan took Lily downstairs because Lily wouldn't give her the rabbit.””
“Why was Lily alone with her?””
“She wasn't supposed to be.””
“That's not an answer.””
“I was outside.””
“You left my five-year-old with Megan.””
“I thought my mother was watching them.””
“And she wasn't.””
“No.””
“What happened?””
Mark closed his eyes.
“When I came inside, I heard Lily crying.””
My throat tightened.
“I ran downstairs.””
“What did you see?””
“Megan had locked the basement door.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“She said Lily needed to learn not to disobey adults.””
“And you?””
“I got Lily out.””
“You should have called the police.””
“I know.””
“You should have called me.””
“I know.””
“You should have told me.””
His voice broke.
“I know.””
“Then why didn't you?””
He looked at me.
“Because my father threatened me.””
The hallway went silent.
“What?””
“He said if I told you, he'd make sure you never saw Lily again.””
I stared at him.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“My father has money. Lawyers. Connections.””
“So you protected yourself?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
“I thought I could handle it.””
I laughed once.
It came out hollow.
“You couldn't even handle your own sister.””
Mark flinched.
I stepped closer.
“What happened three months ago?””
He looked toward Lily's bedroom.
“Megan did it again.””
“Why?””
“Lily refused to hug her.””
My stomach twisted.
“She locked her in the basement again.””
“And you?””
“I found her.””
“Where?””
“Under the stairs.””
I remembered the photograph.
The stain.
The darkness.
“Was that the first time?””
Mark looked confused.
“What?””
“The blood.””
His face changed.
“What blood?””
“The photograph.””
He stared at me.
“Chloe, what photograph?””
I showed him my phone.
The image.
Lily in the basement.
Megan beside her.
The dark stain under the stairs.
Mark stared at it.
“That wasn't blood.””
“What was it?””
“I don't know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I've never seen that picture.””
“It's from your house.””
“I know.””
“Your family.””
“Yes.””
“You said you knew everything.””
“I don't.””
“Then what do you know?””
Mark's voice dropped.
“I know someone has been lying to all of us.””
Zoe suddenly spoke.
“That's what I was trying to tell you.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
She looked at Mark.
“You never told Chloe about the camera.””
Mark went completely still.
My skin prickled.
“What camera?””
Neither answered.
I looked between them.
“What camera?””
Zoe whispered, “The basement camera.””
Mark shook his head.
“Zoe, don't.””
“She's already found out.””
“Not everything.””
“Then tell her.””
I stared at my husband.
“You had a camera in the basement?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“To watch Megan.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“After the first incident, I installed it.””
“Then you had proof.””
“I thought I did.””
“What do you mean?””
“The camera stopped recording.””
“When?””
Mark's face went pale.
“The night Lily disappeared from the dinner.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
“I checked it tonight.””
He pulled his phone from his pocket.
“There was no footage.””
Zoe moved closer.
“What about the backup?””
Mark looked at her.
“What backup?””
“The automatic cloud backup.””
Mark stared at her.
Then at me.
And suddenly I understood why Zoe had been silent.
She hadn't found just one recording.
She had found something else.
Something Mark didn't know existed.
Zoe reached into her coat pocket.
She pulled out her phone.
“I found the missing footage.””
Mark whispered, “Where?””
Zoe looked at me.
“I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure who to trust.””
I stared at the phone.
“What does it show?””
Zoe's thumb hovered over the screen.
Then she looked toward Lily's bedroom.
Her face had lost all color.
“It shows Megan taking Lily into the basement.””
My heart stopped.
“Tonight?””
Zoe nodded.
“And Mark?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Zoe pressed play.
A man's voice came from the phone.
Not Mark.
Not anyone I recognized.
The voice said:
“Take the rabbit away from her.””
Then Megan answered.
“Are you sure?””
The man's voice replied:
“Tonight, she finally tells us where her mother keeps the money.””
Zoe stopped the recording.
I stared at her.
“Money?””
Mark looked as shocked as I was.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text appeared from an unknown number.
*You still don't understand, Chloe.*
Another message arrived.
*Lily saw what happened in the basement.*
Then a third.
*And tomorrow, she is going to tell you.*
I looked toward my daughter's bedroom.
For the first time all night, I heard something from inside.
A soft cry.
Then Lily's frightened voice.
“Mommy?””
I ran.
But before I reached her door, the lights in the entire apartment went out.
May you like
And from the darkness came the sound of Lily screaming.
“Mommy! Someone's in my room!””
