Chapter 11 - Claire’s Secret
Claire did not deny it.
That was the worst part.
She gripped the stair rail and sank onto the step.
Daniel stood behind her, pale and silent.
Emily felt as if the air had left the building.
“No,” she said.
Claire covered her mouth.
Patricia started crying. “Tell them.”
Claire shook her head.
“Tell them!”
“I didn’t mean to kill him!”
The words exploded through the stairwell.
Emily stepped back.
Everything went still.
Claire looked at her sister.
“I was angry.”
Emily could barely hear her own voice.
“You cut Dad’s brakes.”
“I damaged the line.”
“You cut his brakes.”
“I thought he would notice!”
Emily stared at her.
Claire’s words rushed out.
“He told me he was canceling my credit cards. He said he was done paying my debts. He said he was putting everything he could into your trust because you were responsible.”
Tears ran down Claire’s face.
“I wanted to scare him. That’s all.”
Detective Grant moved closer.
“How did you damage the line?”
Claire looked at the floor.
“With pliers.”
Patricia sobbed.
Claire continued.
“I crawled into the inspection pit. I pinched it and cut partway through. I thought the brakes would feel wrong when he backed out.”
Marcus’s jaw clenched.
“But he drove anyway,” Emily said.
Claire nodded.
“Mom saw me come out from under the car.”
Emily looked at Patricia.
“You knew.”
“I didn’t know how bad it was.”
“You let him drive.”
Patricia collapsed against the wall.
“I was furious too.”
The confession seemed to tear itself out of her.
“He had told me he wanted a divorce. He said he was changing his will. He told me I had raised Claire to believe consequences were optional.”
Claire flinched.
Patricia kept going.
“I saw the tools. I saw where she had been.”
“And you said nothing.”
Patricia whispered, “I thought he would come back.”
Emily felt something inside her go cold.
Her father had gotten into that car.
Driven onto an icy road.
Pressed the brake.
And found nothing.
Because Claire wanted to scare him.
Because Patricia wanted him punished.
Because both of them thought there would always be time to fix what they had done.
Emily walked toward Claire.
Daniel stepped slightly forward, then stopped himself.
Claire looked up at Emily from the stair.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily’s voice was quiet.
“You stole my place at your wedding because you were afraid I’d learn you also stole my father’s life.”
Claire broke.
“No. No, Emily. I loved him.”
“So did I.”
Detective Grant told Claire to stand.
Daniel turned away as the detective reached for handcuffs.
Claire began to panic.
“Daniel, please.”
He did not look back.
Then Claire shouted at Emily.
“You think Dad was innocent?”
Emily stopped.
Claire’s breathing turned ragged.
“He was hiding something from you too.”
Detective Grant told her to be quiet.
Claire ignored her.
“He wasn’t protecting you with Harbor House.”
Emily turned.
May you like
Claire’s eyes were wild.
“He was buying your silence before you even knew what you knew.”
