Chapter 6 - Claire Knew
I read Claire's letter three times before I could hear anything except my own heartbeat.
She wrote that Diane had become obsessed with the baby during the pregnancy. At first it seemed like excitement. Then came comments.
You won't need daycare. I'll raise him.
You two can travel. Babies do better with women who know what they're doing.
If anything ever happened to you, Evan would fall apart.
Claire had laughed those remarks off until she caught Diane going through a desk drawer in our bedroom.
Inside that drawer had been estate documents.
Claire confronted her.
Diane denied it.
Then, two weeks later, she somehow knew the amount of Claire's inheritance.
The letter ended with a warning.
She may try to make Evan look unstable. She knows about his recovery. She knows exactly which wound to touch.
My eyes burned.
Olivia pushed a tissue box toward me without speaking.
I hated that Claire had seen danger and I hadn't.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"She wrote that she was afraid it would divide your family before the baby was born. She wanted evidence first."
"Did she get any?"
Olivia reached into the file.
"One recording."
She played it.
Claire's voice came first. Calm, controlled.
"Why did you photograph our medicine cabinet?"
Then my mother's voice.
"Because my grandson may need me one day."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only answer you're getting."
Claire: "Stay out of our room."
Diane: "You should think carefully before you make me the enemy, Claire."
The recording ended.
I felt sick.
My phone rang.
Rachel.
I answered immediately.
She was crying.
"Evan, Mom's here."
"At your house?"
"Yes. And Martin Keller is with her."
"Don't sign anything."
"I already did."
My chair scraped backward.
"What did you sign?"
Rachel sobbed once.
May you like
"A statement saying you're dangerous when you're angry."
The Message on Grandma's Phone
