Chapter 2 - The Woman With a Reason to Hate Mercer
Claire woke beneath heated blankets at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Her fingers hurt as circulation returned.
A nurse named Paula checked the monitor beside her.
“You nearly bought yourself a night in intensive care.”
Claire managed a tired smile.
“I’ve had worse shifts.”
Paula did not smile back.
“There are detectives outside.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“And Mercer?”
“Also outside.”
“Of course.”
Ethan had been admitted to pediatrics for observation after aspiration and hypothermia. His initial imaging showed no major injury.
That should have been enough to let Claire breathe.
It wasn’t.
Detective Elena Ruiz entered with her partner, Daniel Cho.
Ruiz placed a recorder on the table.
“Ms. Bennett, you understand you are not under arrest?”
“Yes.”
“We need your timeline.”
Claire told them everything.
The scream.
The jump.
The woman running.
The glove.
The missing footage.
Ruiz listened without interruption.
Then she asked, “Do you know Roman Mercer?”
“No.”
“Have you ever met him?”
“No.”
“What about Mercer Urban Group?”
Claire hesitated.
Ruiz noticed.
“There it is.”
Claire looked at her.
“My father worked on one of their projects.”
“What project?”
“Calder River Tower.”
Cho opened his notebook.
Claire continued.
“Nine years ago.”
“And?”
“He died there.”
The room became quieter.
Joseph Bennett had been a structural maintenance supervisor during construction of Calder River Tower, one of the earliest projects that transformed Mercer Urban Group from a wealthy family company into a national developer.
A temporary platform failed.
Joseph fell seventeen stories.
The official investigation blamed an incorrectly secured anchor.
Claire had been twenty-four.
She had blamed Mercer.
Publicly.
She had spoken outside the courthouse during the civil suit.
She had called the company reckless.
Roman’s lawyers had eventually settled with several families without admitting wrongdoing.
Ruiz watched her carefully.
“You sued Mercer Urban.”
“My mother did. I was part of the claim.”
“How much did your family receive?”
“Three hundred eighty thousand dollars after fees.”
“And you still believed the company was responsible.”
“Yes.”
The door opened.
Roman entered without waiting for permission.
Ruiz stood.
“Mr. Mercer.”
“I was told I could speak with Ms. Bennett.”
“Not during an interview.”
Claire stared at him.
Roman’s gaze had changed since the river.
He had clearly learned who she was.
“My security team found your history with my company.”
Claire leaned back.
“There it is.”
Ruiz said, “Mr. Mercer—”
Roman ignored her.
“You accused my father of killing yours.”
“I accused his company of ignoring safety warnings.”
“So you did know the Mercer name.”
“I knew the company.”
“And you expect me to believe you didn’t know Ethan?”
Claire’s exhaustion turned to fury.
“I jumped into water cold enough to stop my heart for your son.”
“That does not answer my question.”
“No. I did not know your child.”
Roman studied her.
Claire recognized the problem.
The coincidence looked terrible.
A woman with a documented grievance against Mercer Urban happened to be beside Roman Mercer’s son moments after he entered the river.
Ruiz stepped between them.
“We’re done for now.”
Roman’s jaw flexed.
Before leaving, he said, “My son said something.”
Claire looked up.
Roman hesitated.
“What?”
“He said someone wanted his mother’s key.”
Claire remembered.
“Do you know what that means?”
“No.”
“Who is his mother?”
Roman’s expression hardened.
“My wife, Olivia.”
“Where is she?”
“She died four years ago.”
Claire’s anger cooled slightly.
“I’m sorry.”
Roman gave no response.
“Did she have a key?”
“I said I don’t know.”
He left.
Twenty minutes later, Claire’s phone began vibrating continuously.
Her name had leaked.
A local news site had published:
WOMAN WITH MERCER GRIEVANCE QUESTIONED AFTER BILLIONAIRE’S SON FALLS INTO CHICAGO RIVER
Claire’s photograph accompanied the article.
Her hospital employment.
Her father’s death.
Her old courthouse quote.
Someone had given reporters far more information than police had released.
Paula looked at the screen.
“That was fast.”
Too fast.
At noon, Claire’s department director called.
“Until this is resolved, we’re placing you on administrative leave.”
Claire sat upright.
“You’re suspending me for saving a child?”
“We’re protecting the hospital.”
“I work in emergency medicine.”
“I know.”
“So you know exactly what I did.”
“I also know there are reporters outside.”
The call ended.
Claire stared at the wall.
Someone was not merely suggesting she might have pushed Ethan.
They were constructing a motive.
That afternoon, she was released.
Two reporters followed her to the elevator.
A cameraman shouted, “Claire, did you blame the Mercer family for your father’s death?”
She said nothing.
Near the lobby, she saw a woman wearing an ivory wool coat.
Claire stopped.
The woman turned.
Early forties.
Blond.
Elegant.
Familiar somehow.
Roman stood beside her.
“Claire Bennett,” he said coldly. “This is my sister.”
The woman extended one hand.
“Lydia Mercer.”
Claire stared at the sleeve.
Ivory.
The same color she remembered disappearing into the darkness.
May you like
Then Claire looked down.
Lydia wore only one glove.
