Chapter 8 - The Story Nobody Told

"My father died in a car accident," Evelyn said. The statement came out automatically. Her father-in-law had been buried before Grant was born. Daniel had never liked to talk about him.

"He died in this lake," Grant said. "Right under that dock."

Daniel closed his eyes.

"Dad?" Evelyn whispered.

"Not here," Daniel said.

"Oh, we're doing it here." Grant pulled him closer to the doorway. "All my life you called him a monster. Then I found his letters. His bank statements. You took everything he had."

"He stole from our clients," Daniel said. "I reported him."

"You forged the report."

"No."

Evelyn looked at Vale. "You knew about this?"

The doctor's silence told her enough.

From the trees came a sharp whistle, answered by two more. Owen had found someone. The larger hired man glanced toward the trail. He and his partner were getting nervous.

Mara pressed her hand against her bleeding forehead. "Grant, this is not what you told me. You said you just wanted the documents."

"You were there when I pushed the chair."

"I thought you were going to stop it."

He laughed bitterly. "You saw exactly what I was doing."

The words landed like a slap. Evelyn saw Mara flinch. She wanted to hate her, and she did, but she also saw a woman waking up from years of being told not to trust her own judgment.

Daniel pulled free long enough to turn toward Evelyn. "My father threatened you when you were pregnant. He said he'd take the baby. I went to the police. That night he drove drunk into the lake. Grant has only the letters my father wrote to control people."

Grant's expression flickered. "That's a lie."

"Look at the dates," Daniel told him. "Look at the dates on the police report."

A shout came from the tree line. "Sheriff's office! Hands where we can see them!"

Grant shoved Daniel toward the open water. Evelyn swung the oar at her son and caught his arm. Daniel stumbled but stayed on the ramp.

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A gunshot cracked through the boathouse.

For one terrible second, nobody moved. Then Mara slid down the wall, a red stain spreading across her olive coat.