Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN WHO REMEMBERED THE WHISTLE
Margaret Dunlevy lived in a long-term care facility outside the city.
Some days she remembered her daughter's name.
Other days she believed Mave was still a little girl.
But when Mave showed her the photograph of Liam Gallagher, something changed.
Margaret's hands began trembling.
“Liam.”
Mave leaned forward.
“Mom?”
Margaret stared at the photograph.
“He tried to save them.”
Declan went still.
“Save whom?”
Margaret looked at him.
Her expression filled with fear.
“The dogs.”
She explained in fragments.
Years earlier, she had volunteered with an animal welfare organization.
Liam had contacted her about an illegal training facility.
He believed animals were being abused and used in criminal operations.
He had photographs.
Names.
Records.
He wanted to expose it.
Margaret had agreed to help.
They arranged to meet at a warehouse.
But Liam never arrived.
Days later, she learned he was dead.
Mave held her mother's hand.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?”
Margaret began crying.
“They came to the house.”
Mave's stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Margaret looked toward Declan.
“The smiling man.”
Declan's face went pale.
“Anthony?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“He said if I spoke, he'd take my little girl.”
Mave stopped breathing.
She had spent years believing her mother was simply cautious.
Now she understood.
Margaret had been protecting her.
Then Margaret whispered:
“Shadow.”
Mave nodded.
“Yes, Mom.”
Margaret gripped her hand.
“Shadow had something.”
Mave frowned.
“What?”
“A collar.”
Margaret's breathing quickened.
“I hid it.”
“Where?”
Margaret looked toward the window.
Then whispered:
“Where the flowers never died.”
Mave stared.
She knew exactly what her mother meant.
Behind their old apartment building was a small greenhouse.
Margaret had kept it full of flowers.
Even in winter.
That evening, Mave and Detective Bennett visited the property with permission from its current owner.
The greenhouse was abandoned.
Most of the glass was broken.
But beneath a wooden planting bench, investigators found a rusted metal box.
Inside was an old dog collar.
And a waterproof pouch.
The pouch contained a memory card.
On it was a video.
Liam Gallagher.
Alive.
Standing inside the illegal training facility.
May you like
He looked directly into the camera.
“If anything happens to me, Anthony Rourke is responsible.”
