THE MAN WHO NEVER KNOCKED

I stared at the photograph until the faces began to blur Daniel was standing outside a hospital entrance with one hand resting on Claire’s shoulder She looked pale and tired but she was alive Her hair was tied behind her head and she was wearing the same necklace I had seen in the earlier photograph Two days after she disappeared I slowly lowered my phone Explain this Daniel didn’t answer immediately Daniel I said explain this He rubbed his forehead and looked towards the window I was at that hospital because someone called me Who I don’t know The person refused to give me a name They told me Claire was there and that I needed to come immediately I looked at the photograph again And you found her Yes My heart began beating faster Then why did you tell everyone she was missing Because when I arrived she was already gone I frowned What do you mean gone You are standing beside her in this picture Daniel took a deep breath I arrived at the hospital that afternoon A nurse told me Claire had been brought in earlier that day She was weak frightened and barely speaking I asked to see her but before they could take me to her room someone told me she had left Just like that That’s what they told me I shook my head And you believed them No I searched the entire hospital I questioned the nurses and spoke to the doctor who had examined her Nobody could tell me where she went I looked at him carefully Why didn’t you tell me this before Because I didn’t want you involved until I understood what happened I laughed bitterly Well congratulations Daniel I’m involved now He stepped towards me but I moved away Please don’t do that Do what Act like you are protecting me when you have been hiding things from me since the day we met His expression softened I never wanted you to become part of this But I already was wasn’t I He looked at the photograph in my hand For a moment neither of us spoke Then I noticed something Wait I brought the photograph closer to my face What is it Daniel asked I pointed towards the background Look at the entrance He leaned over my shoulder Behind him and Claire was a glass door with a small sign attached to it The words were difficult to read but I could make out the name of the hospital It was Brookhaven Medical Centre I looked at Daniel That’s the hospital near the old railway road isn’t it He nodded slowly Yes Something strange happened inside my head A flash of memory appeared I was standing in a hospital corridor My hands were trembling and someone was crying behind a closed door Then I heard a voice Amara you shouldn’t have come here I stepped backwards Daniel caught my arm What’s wrong I pressed my fingers against my forehead I’ve been there before His eyes widened At the hospital I nodded I don’t know when but I remember that corridor I remember someone speaking to me What did the person say I closed my eyes trying to hold on to the memory Amara you shouldn’t have come here Daniel went completely still Are you sure Yes He released my arm slowly That hospital is where Claire was treated I stared at him Are you saying I visited her I don’t know Daniel I need the truth He looked away I think you should sit down No I’m tired of sitting down while everyone decides what I deserve to know He sighed and reached into his pocket There was something else he had not shown me A folded piece of paper He opened it carefully and placed it on the table It was a hospital visitor’s record My eyes moved across the names until I reached the bottom My name was there Amara Bennett I felt my stomach turn The date was the same day the photograph had been taken What is this I whispered Daniel’s voice was barely audible It was found among Claire’s belongings I looked up at him Why would my name be on a hospital visitor’s record That’s what I’ve been trying to find out I picked up the paper and examined it again There was another name written underneath mine Rebecca Collins I remembered the name from the memory card Rebecca I whispered Daniel nodded She worked at the hospital for a short time before Claire disappeared Where is she now I’ve been trying to find her for three years Before I could ask another question my phone began ringing It was Ethan I stared at the screen Daniel immediately shook his head Don’t answer I ignored him and picked up What do you want Ethan For a few seconds there was only silence Then his voice came through Amara where are you That’s none of your business Are you with Daniel I looked at Daniel who was watching me carefully Why are you asking Because you need to get away from him I closed my eyes Is that all you know how to say Stay away from Daniel Listen to me You don’t understand what he has done Then tell me Ethan hesitated I heard a door closing on his end Did he show you the hospital photograph My heart stopped How do you know about that He let out a frustrated breath Because I was there too I gripped the phone tightly What I saw Claire that night Amara And I saw you My mouth went dry Where were you At the hospital I turned towards Daniel His expression had changed He was listening Ethan what happened to Claire Before he could answer the call suddenly ended I stared at my phone A new message appeared It was from Ethan I CAN PROVE DANIEL IS LYING BUT YOU MUST COME ALONE I read the message twice Then another message arrived BRING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND DO NOT TELL HIM WHERE YOU ARE GOING I slowly lowered my phone Daniel stepped closer Was that Ethan I nodded What did he say I looked at him unsure whether I could trust anything he told me He wants to meet Daniel’s face hardened You’re not going Why Because he’s dangerous I folded my arms And you’re not He stared at me For the first time I saw something in his eyes that I couldn’t understand Fear Not fear for himself Fear that I might discover something he had spent years hiding Amara he said quietly Whatever Ethan tells you remember one thing What Claire trusted me before she disappeared I swallowed And what if she stopped trusting you Daniel said nothing I picked up my handbag and walked towards the door Where are you going he asked I turned around To find out what happened three years ago Amara wait But I had already opened the door As I stepped outside my phone vibrated again This time it wasn’t Ethan It was an unknown number The message contained only one sentence YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO CLAIRE THAT NIGHT I stopped walking Then another message appeared ASK DANIEL WHY HE WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HER ALIVE.