Chapter 8: The Locked Bedroom
I don’t remember the drive to Emily’s house.
I remember red lights.
Sirens.
Marcus shouting at me to slow down.
And Lily’s voice repeating inside my head.
*She tells people to come alone.*
Police reached Emily’s street seconds before us.
Her front door stood open.
I jumped from the car.
Detective Bennett grabbed my arm.
“Stay behind us.””
“That’s my daughter.””
“And rushing inside could get her hurt.””
Two officers entered.
“Police!””
A crash came from upstairs.
Then Emily screamed.
I ran.
Nobody stopped me quickly enough.
I reached the second floor and found Emily in the hallway.
She was holding her forehead.
Blood trickled between her fingers.
“Where’s Lily?””
She pointed.
“Bedroom.””
The door was locked.
“Vanessa?””
“No. Patricia.””
I stared at her.
Vanessa’s mother.
An officer forced the door.
Patricia stood beside the window.
Lily was behind her.
My daughter’s face was soaked with tears.
Patricia held no weapon.
She didn’t need one.
One hand was wrapped tightly around Lily’s wrist.
“Let her go.””
Patricia looked at me.
Her elegant wedding clothes were wrinkled now.
Her makeup had streaked.
“You ruined everything.””
“Take your hand off my daughter.””
“She wasn’t supposed to hear us.””
Lily cried harder.
“Grandma, please.””
“Don’t call me that!””
Patricia shouted so suddenly Lily jumped.
I moved forward.
Two officers raised their hands.
“Ma’am, release the child.””
Patricia laughed.
“You people have no idea what you’re protecting.””
“What does that mean?”” I asked.
Her eyes moved to me.
“Rachel knew.””
There it was again.
“About Vanessa?””
“About all of us.””
“Who is ‘all of us’?””
Patricia’s face changed.
Regret.
She had said too much.
“Let Lily go.””
“No.””
“Patricia.””
“You think Vanessa started this?””
My heart pounded.
“She was twenty-four years old when Rachel found out.””
“Found out what?””
Patricia stared at me.
“That your wife had been keeping records.””
“What records?””
“She worked in finance, Ryan. Do you really think she never noticed where your family money was going?””
I froze.
My father had left me a substantial inheritance.
Most of it sat in trusts and investments I rarely touched.
Rachel had managed our finances.
After she died, I handed everything to an adviser Vanessa later recommended.
“You were stealing from me.””
Patricia smiled bitterly.
“Not you.””
“Then who?””
“Your father.””
I stared at her.
“My father died eight years ago.””
“Yes.””
Patricia’s voice became almost a whisper.
“And before he died, he discovered exactly who Vanessa’s father was.””
The statement made no sense.
“Vanessa’s father?””
Patricia’s eyes filled with something close to panic.
Behind me, Detective Bennett entered.
“Patricia Whitmore, release Lily.””
Patricia’s grip loosened.
Lily saw it.
She ran.
“Daddy!””
I caught her.
Patricia didn’t resist when the officers moved in.
She simply stared at me.
“You should have married Vanessa.””
I held Lily tighter.
“Why?””
“Because then she might have stopped.””
“Stopped what?””
Patricia looked at Lily.
“Trying to become Rachel.””
My stomach turned.
Officers handcuffed her.
As they led her away, Patricia twisted toward me.
“Ask Claire why Rachel was in that garage!””
Then she was gone.
Emily leaned against the wall.
“What does any of that mean?””
“I don’t know.””
But I knew where we could start.
Storage unit 214.
Detective Bennett wanted police present.
I agreed.
The facility was thirty minutes outside town.
Unit 214 sat at the end of a long concrete corridor.
The brass key fit.
I opened the door.
Inside were six boxes.
A desk.
An old laptop.
And dozens of photographs.
Vanessa.
Patricia.
My father.
Rachel.
Then I saw Claire Monroe.
She appeared in photograph after photograph beside Rachel.
On the desk sat a digital recorder.
Detective Bennett pressed play.
Static filled the unit.
Then Rachel’s voice came through the speaker.
My knees weakened.
“Ryan, if you ever hear this, I’m sorry.””
Lily squeezed my hand.
Rachel continued.
“Vanessa isn’t who she says she is.””
A pause.
Then another voice entered the recording.
Claire.
“You need to tell him tonight.””
“I will.””
“Rachel, if Patricia knows you copied the accounts, you’re in danger.””
“I know.””
The recording crackled.
Then Rachel said something that made every person in the storage unit go silent.
“Ryan thinks Vanessa is a stranger.””
My heart stopped.
“She isn’t.””
May you like
Rachel inhaled.
“Vanessa has been watching my husband for years.””
