Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Was Dead

I grabbed Daniel by the shirt before anyone could stop me.

"Where is my daughter?"

He shoved me back. "Get your hands off me."

"You were with Claire."

"I was trying to help her."

That stopped me.

Marcus watched him carefully. "Start talking."

Daniel rubbed his collar. "Claire contacted me three months ago. She said she had evidence that someone inside Mercer Holdings had arranged the crash that supposedly killed her."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she begged me not to. She thought your phones were monitored."

Vanessa laughed once. "How convenient."

Daniel pointed at her. "You don't get to say that."

The room went still.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Before he could answer, the prepaid phone rang.

Unknown number.

I answered.

No voice.

Just ocean wind.

Then Sophie whispered, "Dad?"

"Sophie! Where are you?"

"I'm okay. Mom is with me."

My eyes closed.

Claire's voice came on the line.

"Ethan, don't call the police yet."

Six years since I'd heard her voice.

Six years of funerals, anniversaries, nightmares, and telling our daughter that her mother loved her even though she was gone.

"Claire."

A breath broke on the other end.

"I'm sorry."

I had a thousand questions. Only one mattered.

"Where are you?"

"Somewhere Vanessa can't reach Sophie."

Vanessa shouted, "You're insane! Bring her back!"

Claire's voice changed.

"She's there?"

"Yes."

"Then listen carefully. Vanessa didn't just know I was alive. She helped make everyone believe I was dead."

Vanessa went rigid.

Claire continued.

"And Daniel knows who paid for it."

I turned toward my brother.

Daniel looked like he'd aged ten years.

"Tell him," Claire said.

Daniel lowered his eyes.

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For a few seconds, nobody spoke after Claire's voice came through the phone. I heard Sophie breathing beside her and the faint scrape of a chair. I had imagined that voice in dreams so many times that I almost believed I was dreaming again. Then Claire said my name the way she used to when she was angry and scared at the same time, and I knew this was real.

"It was Dad."