Chapter 49
Everett Bell
Everett Bell was twelve when the clinic began.
The photograph showed him beside a younger Dr. Sen and Mara's mother. A child sat in the background with a paper cup in her hand.
“That is Mara,” Claire said.
Owen looked at the photograph. “She was not your sister then.”
“She was a child.”
“She was a participant.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I watched.”
Ada stepped closer to the glass. “You watched until you learned how to become the person who made the decision.”
Everett's face tightened.
“Mara believed the program could prevent grief from destroying families.”
“You believed grief was a market.”
“Grief is a market whether people admit it or not.”
Claire found the emergency release beneath the records console. The button was covered by a plastic shield.
“You cannot open those rooms,” Everett said.
“Why?”
“Because the people inside have been told who they are.”
“Then let them answer.”
She broke the shield.
The glass partitions unlocked.
Daniel entered first. He crossed to Claire but stopped when he saw Ada.
“Rowan?”
Ada did not answer.
Lucy ran to Noah. They held each other without speaking.
Eli stayed beside Claire.
“Where is the child?” Daniel asked.
“She is here,” Claire said.
“I meant Rowan.”
Ada looked at him. “You keep asking for the smaller version.”
Daniel flinched.
The printer began running again.
This time it printed Claire's death certificate.
The date was tomorrow.
The cause was listed as accidental drowning at Bellwether Lake.
Claire folded the paper in half.
Everett Bell smiled from behind the console.
“The record is already prepared.”
Claire looked at the lake map, the open files, and the people who had survived being named incorrectly.
“Then we have one day to make it impossible.”
The courthouse doors above them slammed shut.