Chapter 7
I couldn’t understand the sentence.
Now I get my family back.
Rachel had never had my family.
She had never been Emma’s mother.
She had never been part of Sarah’s marriage to me.
Unless she didn’t see it that way.
Unless, in her mind, everything Sarah had belonged to Rachel first.
Michael.
A future.
A family.
Maybe even Emma.
I called Karen immediately.
She listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she said, “We need an emergency protective order.”
“Against Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
“I’ll file today.”
“Can she come near Mom’s house?”
“Not once the order is granted.”
“What about school?”
“We include Emma’s school and your workplace.”
I stared out the window.
Emma was drawing chalk flowers on Mom’s driveway.
“Will she be arrested?”
“That depends on the criminal investigation.”
“She drugged us.”
“Allegedly. Let police establish the evidence.”
“She had photographs through my windows.”
“I know.”
“She wrote—”
“I know, Daniel.”
Karen’s calm voice stopped me.
“Focus on what you can control.”
Emma.
That was what I could control.
I walked outside.
She looked up.
“Daddy, look.”
A giant yellow chalk sun covered the pavement.
“That’s huge.”
“It’s our safe sun.”
I sat beside her.
“What’s a safe sun?”
She drew little lines around it.
“When it’s dark, you remember the sun is still there.”
I stared at my six-year-old daughter.
“Who taught you that?”
“Mommy.”
My throat tightened.
“You remember?”
“A little.”
She pointed at the center.
“She said when she got sick, if I got scared, think about the sun.”
I fought tears.
Emma handed me blue chalk.
“You draw.”
“I’m terrible.”
“That’s okay.”
So I drew.
Badly.
She laughed.
For a few minutes, my life felt human again.
Then a black sedan turned onto the street.
My body reacted before my mind did.
I stood.
Emma stopped laughing.
The car slowed.
Same type of vehicle I had noticed the day Michael came.
It stopped in front of Mom’s house.
I pulled Emma behind me.
“Go inside.”
“Daddy—”
“Now.”
Mom opened the front door.
Emma ran to her.
The driver’s window lowered.
Michael.
I stormed toward the curb.
“What did I tell you?”
He raised both hands.
“Daniel, listen.”
“No.”
“I’m not here to see Emma.”
“You’re outside her house.”
“Rachel disappeared.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“Her car was found near my apartment.”
“Why were you near her car?”
“I wasn’t. Police called me.”
My anger shifted into unease.
“Why?”
“Because there was a note inside with my name.”
I glanced toward the house.
Emma was safely inside.
“What did it say?”
Michael looked exhausted.
“It said, ‘You always choose her.’”
“Sarah?”
“I assume.”
“Where is Rachel?”
“No one knows.”
I pulled out my phone.
No missed calls from Ruiz.
“You should leave.”
“I know.”
“Then why come?”
“Because she called me this morning.”
My jaw tightened.
“And?”
“She asked if I remembered the lake.”
“What lake?”
“There’s a place about an hour outside town. Rachel’s family had a cabin there when we were young.”
“Tell the police.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“They’re checking.”
“Then why are you here?”
Michael looked toward Mom’s house.
“Because she also asked if Emma likes water.”
Every hair on my arms rose.
“What?”
“She asked if Emma can swim.”
I stepped closer.
“What did you tell her?”
“I hung up and called police.”
My heart hammered.
“You should have led with that.”
“I’m sorry.”
I called Ruiz.
She answered instantly.
“We know.”
“You know about the lake?”
“Yes.”
“Is Rachel there?”
“Units are checking several locations.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“We were about to.”
“Did she threaten Emma?”
“Not directly.”
“She asked if my daughter can swim!”
“I understand why you’re concerned.”
“Concerned?”
“Daniel, keep Emma inside. Doors locked. Do not leave unless necessary.”
I looked up and down the street.
Suddenly every parked car seemed dangerous.
“Do you think Rachel will come here?”
“We have patrols in the area.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No, we do not know what she intends.”
After I hung up, Michael remained at the curb.
“You need to go.”
He nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“I know you hate me.”
“I don’t know you well enough to hate you.”
“Fair.”
“But if you ever bring chaos to Emma’s door again, I won’t be polite.”
“I understand.”
He drove away.
I went inside.
Emma was curled on Mom’s couch.
“Was that the stranger?”
“Yes.”
“Is he bad?”
The question stopped me.
“I don’t know.”
“Rachel said strangers are bad.”
“Some are. Some aren’t.”
“Then how do you know?”
“You take your time.”
She thought about that.
“Are we hiding?”
I sat beside her.
“We’re being careful.”
“From Rachel?”
“Yes.”
Emma leaned against me.
“I think Rachel is sad.”
My chest tightened.
“Why?”
“Sometimes she cried when you weren’t home.”
“Did you ask why?”
Emma nodded.
“She said Mommy ruined her life.”
I closed my eyes.
“What else?”
“She said I looked like Mommy.”
“Did that make her angry?”
Emma nodded.
“She cut my hair once because she said Mommy liked it long.”
I remembered that haircut.
Rachel told me Emma had gotten gum stuck in it.
I had believed her.
Another lie.
“Sweetheart, did Rachel ever talk about someone named Michael?”
Emma frowned.
Then nodded.
My heart raced.
“What did she say?”
“She had a picture.”
“What picture?”
“A man.”
“What did she tell you?”
Emma looked nervous.
“It was a secret.”
“You can tell me.”
“She said he was supposed to be my daddy.”
I stopped breathing.
“When?”
“A long time ago.”
“How long?”
She shrugged.
“Before my birthday.”
“Which birthday?”
“Six.”
So months ago.
Rachel had known.
Or suspected.
Long before the box was opened.
“What exactly did she say?”
Emma thought.
“She said you stole me.”
I felt sick.
“From Michael?”
Emma nodded.
Then she quickly added, “But I told her you didn’t.”
“What did Rachel say?”
“She got mad.”
“How?”
“She made me stand in the laundry room.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
I rubbed my forehead.
Rachel hadn’t simply discovered the paternity secret yesterday.
She had been feeding it to Emma.
Shaping a story.
Daniel stole you.
Michael was supposed to be your father.
Sarah ruined my life.
What was she preparing Emma for?
My phone rang.
Officer Ruiz.
“We located Rachel.”
Relief hit me.
“Where?”
“At the lake property Michael described.”
“Is she in custody?”
“Not currently.”
“What does that mean?”
“She’s inside the cabin. Officers are speaking with her.”
“Why aren’t they arresting her?”
“We still need probable cause for specific criminal charges. The investigation is active.”
“She drugged my child.”
“We’re working on that.”
“She threatened—”
“Daniel.”
I stopped.
“She is contained. Emma is safe. That is what matters right now.”
I breathed.
“Okay.”
“Also, we need you to bring Emma to the hospital.”
My heart jumped.
“Why?”
“Given her statement about being given medication, we want a medical evaluation.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Mom drove with us.
At the pediatric hospital, Emma was brave until she saw the exam room.
Then she clung to me.
“Am I sick?”
“No.”
“Then why doctor?”
“To make sure you’re healthy.”
She whispered, “No needles?”
The nurse smiled gently.
“We’ll try to make everything as easy as possible.”
The doctor asked questions.
Emma described the day she drank “special juice” Rachel gave her.
She remembered it tasted bitter.
She remembered sleeping.
She remembered waking up at night and hearing Rachel talking to someone downstairs.
“Who?”
Emma frowned.
“I don’t know.”
“A man or woman?”
“A man.”
My heart raced.
“What did he say?”
The doctor gently stopped me.
“Let her answer without suggestions.”
Emma closed her eyes as if trying to remember.
“He said, ‘You can’t keep doing this.’”
“Doing what?” the doctor asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What did Rachel say?”
Emma’s face tightened.
“She said, ‘You wanted your daughter. I’m giving you a chance.’”
I nearly stood.
The doctor glanced at me.
“Emma, do you remember anything else?”
She nodded slowly.
“The man said, ‘She isn’t mine until there’s a test.’”
Michael.
It had to be.
But he claimed Rachel only contacted him yesterday.
I looked at Mom.
She had reached the same conclusion.
Someone was lying again.
After the exam, while Emma ate crackers, I stepped into the hallway and called Michael.
He answered.
“Daniel?”
“Have you been inside my house?”
Silence.
My stomach dropped.
“Michael.”
“When?”
“Don’t play games.”
“I’m not.”
“Months ago. Rachel gave Emma something that made her sleep. Emma heard Rachel speaking to a man about a daughter and a test.”
Michael went quiet.
“That wasn’t me.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t know Emma existed.”
“Everybody keeps saying things I’m supposed to trust.”
“I can prove where I was if you give me a date.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Then I can’t prove anything.”
I gripped the phone.
“Who else could it be?”
“I don’t know.”
Then Michael said, “Unless Rachel wasn’t talking about me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Daniel, Sarah had another secret.”
My stomach turned.
“How many secrets can one person have?”
“This one isn’t about Sarah sleeping with someone.”
“Then what?”
Michael hesitated.
“Rachel has a brother.”
I frowned.
“So?”
“He disappeared years ago.”
“Disappeared?”
“Cut off the family. Changed his name.”
“Why does that matter?”
Michael’s voice became quiet.
“Because he believed Rachel’s life was destroyed because of Sarah.”
A cold feeling spread through me.
“What’s his name?”
“Thomas.”
I stared through the hospital room window at Emma.
“And where is Thomas now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because Rachel’s brother used to say something whenever he talked about what Sarah had done.”
May you like
“What?”
“That one day he’d give Rachel back the family Sarah stole.”
