Chapter 8
Emily had been my best friend for twelve years.
She stood beside me at my wedding.
She was Ethan’s godmother.
She had a key to my house.
When Ethan was a baby, she came over constantly.
She helped with feedings.
Laundry.
Baths.
Everything.
I trusted her more than almost anyone.
“That’s a lie.”
Mark shook his head.
“No.”
“Emily never worked for you.”
“She worked for Victor.”
“You’re trying to turn me against everyone.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“Why would Emily spy on me?”
“She needed money.”
I laughed bitterly.
“She’s an attorney.”
“She had gambling debt.”
I froze.
I knew Emily had gone through financial problems after her divorce.
She told me legal fees wiped out her savings.
Was that another lie?
Mark continued.
“She approached BrightSteps before Ethan was born. She wanted contract work.”
“What kind?”
“Legal compliance.”
“That sounds normal.”
“It was. At first.”
I hated those words.
At first.
Everything evil in my life seemed to begin as something normal.
“At some point, Victor realized she was close to you.”
Mark nodded.
“He paid her to report on me.”
I stared.
“On you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t trust me.”
“So she wasn’t spying on me?”
“Not originally.”
“Originally.”
Mark looked ashamed.
“After Ethan was born, she installed the first camera.”
I felt the world tilt.
“No.”
“She hid it in a baby gift.”
My mouth went dry.
“What gift?”
“A white noise machine.”
I remembered it instantly.
A little gray machine shaped like a cloud.
Emily brought it to the hospital.
She said every new mother needed one.
It had sat beside Ethan’s crib for two years.
I had donated it after he outgrew it.
I felt violated all over again.
“What did she record?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I never had access to Victor’s full archive.”
“You had enough access to watch Rachel hit Ethan.”
His face twisted.
“I know what I did.”
“No. I don’t think you do.”
I put the phone down.
Mark tapped the glass.
I hesitated.
Then lifted it again.
“Why tell me this now?”
“Because Victor won’t stop.”
“What does Emily know?”
“A lot.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“She visited me two days ago.”
Mark’s eyes widened.
“At home?”
“No. At my office.”
“What did she want?”
“She asked whether Daniel left me anything.”
His face went pale.
I remembered thinking the question was innocent.
She said she wanted a keepsake because she missed him too.
Now it sounded completely different.
“I told her no.”
“Good.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
“You don’t.”
At least that was true.
I ended the call.
Detective Bennett waited outside.
I told her everything.
She didn’t dismiss it.
Instead, she asked for Emily’s full name.
“Emily Hart.”
Bennett typed it into her phone.
Then her expression changed.
“What?”
“She’s already connected to the investigation.”
My heart dropped.
“How?”
“Her law firm represented one of Victor Hale’s subsidiaries.”
I sat down.
Of course.
Another connection hidden in plain sight.
“Where is she now?”
“We’ll find out.”
I called Emily from a monitored phone.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then I received a text.
SARAH? I HEARD ABOUT MARK. ARE YOU SAFE?
I stared at it.
Detective Bennett nodded for me to respond.
I typed:
YES. WHERE ARE YOU?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
A minute later:
HOME. DO YOU NEED ME?
Bennett whispered, “Ask to meet.”
I typed:
YES. I NEED YOU.
Emily responded immediately.
ANYTHING.
We arranged to meet at a coffee shop under police surveillance.
I hated the plan.
But I needed to see her face.
Two hours later, Emily walked inside.
She looked exactly like my best friend.
Jeans.
Black coat.
Hair pulled back.
Concern on her face.
She rushed toward me.
“Oh my God.”
I stood.
She hugged me.
My body went stiff.
She pulled back.
“You look terrible.”
“Thanks.”
“You know what I mean.”
She sat.
“Where’s Ethan?”
“Safe.”
“Can I see him?”
“No.”
She flinched.
“What happened?”
“Tell me about Victor Hale.”
The color drained from her face.
That was enough.
I felt something inside me collapse.
“Sarah—”
“How long?”
“It’s complicated.”
“How long?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Twelve years.”
I stared.
“You met me twelve years ago.”
“I know.”
“Was that an accident?”
She looked down.
I nearly stopped breathing.
“No.”
My hands went cold.
“You became my friend because of Victor?”
“At first.”
I stood.
She grabbed my wrist.
I pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Sarah, please.”
“You were assigned to me?”
“No. Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“Victor was investigating Mark before you even met him.”
“What?”
Emily swallowed.
“Mark worked for one of Victor’s companies in college. He stole proprietary code.”
This was new.
“Victor caught him?”
“Yes.”
“And instead of calling police, he recruited him.”
Emily nodded.
“Mark had talent. Victor saw potential.”
“So what did I have to do with anything?”
“Nothing. At first.”
There it was again.
At first.
“You met Mark later,” she continued. “Victor wanted someone close enough to monitor him.”
“So he sent you.”
“I was young. I had law school debt. Victor had helped my father.”
“Your father?”
She shut her eyes.
“My father worked for Hale Technologies.”
I remembered Emily telling me her father died when she was in college.
A heart attack.
“Did he really die from a heart attack?”
She looked at me.
“I don’t know anymore.”
The anger in me shifted.
Not gone.
Never gone.
But complicated.
“Did you install a camera in Ethan’s room?”
She began crying.
“Yes.”
I wanted to slap her.
My hand actually moved.
Then stopped.
“Why?”
“Victor said Mark might be putting you in danger. He said surveillance would protect you.”
“And when you discovered what the cameras were really for?”
“I tried to remove it.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell me?”
“No.”
“Then you didn’t protect me.”
“I know.”
“Did Daniel know about you?”
Her face changed.
“Yes.”
My heart pounded.
“When?”
“The week before he died.”
“What happened?”
“He confronted me.”
“About the recordings?”
“About Victor.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Everything I knew.”
I searched her face.
“Did you tell Victor that Daniel found out?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Emily looked toward the window.
Then back at me.
“Your mother.”
I stood.
“No.”
“Sarah—”
“No.”
“Listen.”
“My mother would never—”
“She didn’t know what she was doing.”
“What does that mean?”
“Victor called her after Daniel visited. He pretended he was helping Daniel with an investigation. Your mother told him Daniel had documents.”
My stomach twisted.
Mom had told me Daniel visited her.
She never said Victor called.
“Why would she believe him?”
“Because Victor knew your father.”
I froze.
“My father?”
Emily leaned closer.
“There’s something your family never told you.”
“My father left us.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Your father didn’t leave.”
I stared at her.
Emily whispered, “He worked for Victor Hale.”
May you like
My knees weakened.
“And he disappeared.”
