Chapter 16 - The Window
Nathan called the police and gave them the envelope. Nora helped make sure Lucy, Caroline, and Max were somewhere secure while officers assessed the threat. The frightening photograph changed the tone of everything: someone had been watching the house closely enough to photograph a sleeping child.
Lucy listened while Nathan explained that they'd be staying at a different home for a few nights.
"Are we running away?" she asked.
"No. We're making sure you can sleep without worrying."
"I was worrying anyway."
He sat beside her. "I know. You should never have had to."
That evening Nora received a call from a detective. The police had obtained nearby camera footage showing a silver sedan circling the block. Its license plate connected to a rental account paid by one of Vale's contractors. Investigators were following the lead.
Meanwhile the family-law hearing was set for Friday. Evelyn's petition claimed Nathan's reaction at dinner proved he couldn't control his anger. Nathan did not deny overturning the table.
"It was dangerous and it scared everybody," he told his attorney. "Including Lucy. I wish I had handled that differently."
"Owning that mistake matters," the attorney said. "So does the full context and what you've done since."
Nathan asked Lucy whether the crash of the dishes had frightened her. She nodded.
"I thought you'd be mad at me for making a mess," she whispered.
"I was angry at what happened to you, not at you. But throwing that table was wrong, and I'm sorry you saw it."
Lucy hugged him. "You still came for me."
At 9:14 p.m., Caroline's phone rang. It was their mother.
"I need you to listen," Evelyn said without greeting. "Gerald is going to blame everything on me. He has documents I never approved."
"Then tell the truth," Caroline replied.
May you like
Evelyn's next words came out ragged.
"If I do, he's going to tell everyone what happened on the staircase."
