CHAPTER 10 — What Alex Knew
Alex had known we were together before the elevator stopped.
He denied understanding Valerie’s intention.
He said he believed she wanted to confront me.
He said he had planned to call her later.
He said he never imagined she possessed the missing maintenance key.
But every explanation created another question.
Why had he deleted the message?
Why had he taken the north entrance when his unit arrived?
Why had he personally entered the elevator after being ordered to remain outside?
Why had he called Valerie’s name before the doors were fully open?
The department retrieved his phone records.
During the seven hours we were trapped, Alex received three messages from Valerie.
The first said she was inside the elevator.
The second said I was there too.
The third said:
When the doors open, don’t hesitate.
Alex claimed he never saw the final message.
The phone data showed it had been opened.
At the disciplinary hearing, Captain Robert Hayes testified that Alex had repeatedly attempted to take control of the rescue despite being assigned to another position.
“He appeared focused on one passenger,” the captain said.
“Which passenger?” the investigator asked.
“Valerie Carter.”
“Did Lieutenant Davis mention that his pregnant wife was also trapped?”
“Not until the fifth hour.”
My stomach turned.
Alex had known from the beginning.
Yet for three hours, the rescue command had not known a pregnant woman was inside.
That information could have changed everything.
More oxygen could have been prioritized.
An obstetric team could have been waiting sooner.
The evacuation order could have placed me among the first passengers removed.
Instead, Alex had made Valerie the center of the emergency.
The fire department terminated him for misconduct, dishonesty, misuse of department property, and failure to follow rescue protocol.
He lost the career that had defined him.
When he came to the hospital afterward, he looked smaller without the uniform.
“I lost everything,” he said.
I stared at him.
“No. Grace almost lost everything.”
He lowered his head.
“I never wanted this.”
“You wanted Valerie’s attention. You wanted my loyalty. You wanted your reputation. You wanted everything without choosing.”
“I chose wrong.”
“You chose exactly what you wanted in that moment.”
He began crying.
For years, his tears would have destroyed me.
Now they only exhausted me.
Before he left, he placed a sealed envelope beside my chair.
“I found another message,” he said. “The police don’t have it yet.”
“What does it say?”
“I think you should read it yourself.”
After he walked away, I opened the envelope.
Inside was a screenshot from Valerie.
Lucy texted you that the baby stopped moving. Are you still coming for me first?
May you like
Beneath the message was Alex’s reply.
Yes.
