Chapter 13 - The Frame
The storage yard became a crime scene.
Police found Daniel's old pickup parked behind a locked maintenance shed.
Under the passenger seat sat a plastic tool pouch.
Inside was a brake-line cutter.
Amanda's fingerprints were on the handle.
So were Trent's.
That saved her from the trap being perfect.
It did not make her innocent.
By morning, Amanda had been arrested on financial fraud charges, evidence tampering, and child-neglect allegations while investigators continued sorting out what she had done willingly and what Trent had forced her to do later.
Lily did not understand the charges.
She understood handcuffs.
When police led Amanda away, Lily cried so hard she hiccupped.
Ethan held her.
He did not say, “She deserves it.”
He did not say, “Don't cry.”
He just stayed.
Daniel remained in Alaska, recovering from surgery.
Every night he called.
The first calls were awkward.
Ethan answered questions with one word.
School?
Fine.
Food?
Fine.
Sleep?
Fine.
On the fourth night Daniel stopped asking easy questions.
“Are you angry with me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Ethan frowned. “Good?”
“You should be.”
Daniel's voice was still weak.
“I saw clues and treated them like a case instead of treating you like my son. I wanted proof because I was afraid of blowing up the family if I was wrong.”
“You were wrong anyway.”
“I know.”
“You left me there.”
“I know.”
“You left Lily too.”
“I know.”
Ethan started crying again.
“I hate when you keep saying that.”
“What should I say?”
“I don't know!”
Daniel was quiet.
Then, “Okay. I won't make you tell me how to fix what I broke.”
That answer helped a little.
The next day, Trent's company accounts were frozen.
Police found forged signatures, shell vendors, and transfers from Daniel and Amanda's joint accounts into businesses Trent controlled.
But Trent himself was gone.
Then someone broke into Naomi's office.
Nothing expensive was taken.
Only one folder.
The original trust documents.
And one photograph was left on Naomi's desk.
It showed Ethan and Lily walking into Claire's apartment two days earlier.
Written across the back were five words:
YOU TOOK WHAT WAS MINE.
Naomi called Ramirez.
Ramirez called Claire.
Claire packed bags.
Before they could leave, Ethan noticed something outside the apartment window.
A gray SUV idled across the street.
The driver's window lowered.
May you like
Trent smiled at him.
Then raised one finger to his lips.
