Chapter 16 - The Child Nobody Mentioned
Adrian stood so quickly the chair knocked against the wall. “Ethan has a daughter?”
Patricia pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Her name is Sophie. She's eight. Her mother lives in Wisconsin. Ethan sends support money, but Victor arranged the payments so Claire wouldn't find out.”
Nora felt anger rise despite her exhaustion. One more child trapped in the grown-ups' secrets.
“Where is Sophie now?” she asked.
“I don't know. Ethan called me. He said Victor showed him a picture of her outside school.”
Adrian called Detective Jackson immediately. The detective asked for the photograph, the phone number, and every detail of the threat. She also coordinated with local law enforcement to confirm Sophie's location.
For forty minutes, nobody knew whether the girl was safe.
Then Jackson called back. Sophie was with her mother. Officers had reached them and arranged protection while they investigated the threat. The photo Victor used was old, taken outside the school weeks earlier.
Patricia folded into the chair. “Thank God.”
Nora watched her. “You've spent months using Lily to scare me. Now you understand what that feels like.”
Patricia looked up, startled. “I never wanted Lily hurt.”
“You tried to take her home.”
“I thought I was keeping the family together.”
“You were keeping control.”
Patricia began to cry. Nora felt no triumph. Patricia's tears could be sincere and still change nothing about what she'd done.
Adrian asked his mother one question. “Did you know about Vanessa's plan at the wedding?”
Patricia hesitated. “I knew she meant to confront Nora. I didn't know she'd push her.”
“Did you ask her to get the folder away from Nora?”
“Yes.”
The admission hung in the room.
Patricia tried to touch his arm. He stepped back.
“I'm going to tell Jackson everything you just said,” he told her. “You should get a lawyer and give a complete statement yourself.”
Patricia nodded, then rose to leave. At the door, she paused.
“Victor called from the marina,” she said. “He's leaving tonight. He told me he has a copy of Thomas's final recording.”
Nora gripped the blanket. “Final recording?”
Patricia turned slowly.
May you like
“He said it proves Thomas's death wasn't an accident.”
