Chapter 8 - Lily's Music Box
The music box sat on Lily's dresser in Nora's house, painted white with a tiny spinning ballerina. Thomas Bennett had given it to his granddaughter before he died. Lily played it whenever she missed him.
By noon, Adrian had persuaded Patricia to let an independent doctor examine Robert, though she argued at every step. He'd also learned that Marcus Webb had canceled their meeting.
A message from Marcus read: I'M SORRY. MY FAMILY WAS THREATENED. I CAN'T TALK.
Adrian went to Nora's home with Claire and Lily. The house smelled of lemon soap and crayons. Lily raced up the stairs, then hesitated in the doorway.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, bug?”
“Is Grandma Patricia mad at Mommy because Mommy knows the bad thing?”
Adrian sat beside her on the carpet. “What bad thing?”
Lily turned the key on the music box. A tinny melody filled the room. “Grandpa Thomas said grown-ups sometimes make mistakes. But some mistakes are really choices.”
Adrian swallowed. “That's right.”
“He told Mommy to look in here if she ever got scared.”
Lily lifted the velvet lining with a fingertip. Beneath it lay a brass key and a folded strip of paper.
Claire covered her mouth.
The note said: STORAGE UNIT 214. NORTH SHORE SELF STORAGE. ASK FOR ELAINE. TRUST DOCUMENTS, NOT SMILES.
Adrian photographed the note. Then he called Nora at the hospital and told her what they'd found.
She went quiet. “I thought he was being dramatic when he said people had been following him.”
“You never told me.”
“We were already fighting about your mother. You would've said I was imagining things.”
He couldn't argue. He'd said exactly that before.
“I'm sorry,” he told her.
“I need you to be careful, Adrian. They went after my home and my child. I don't know what they're willing to do next.”
Before he could reply, Lily tugged his sleeve and pointed out the bedroom window.
A dark SUV sat across the street. Its driver held up a phone, photographing the house.
Adrian moved Lily away from the glass. The SUV engine started.
May you like
And the driver was Vanessa Hale.
