Chapter 11: Vanessa’s Father
I stared at Vanessa.
“Your father?””
She looked terrified.
“You told me Thomas was your father.””
“Biologically.””
My voice rose.
“Then who is Richard?””
“The man who raised me.””
Amanda whispered, “Richard Cole.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You know him?””
Amanda nodded slowly.
“I know the name.””
Hale closed his briefcase.
“So did Thomas.””
I looked between them.
“Someone needs to stop speaking in riddles.””
Vanessa sat down.
For several seconds, she stared at her hands.
Then she began.
“My mother was married when she had the affair with Thomas.””
“Richard was her husband?””
“Yes.””
“Did he know you weren’t his?””
“Eventually.””
Her voice became quieter.
“I was twelve when he found out.””
I waited.
“He never looked at me the same afterward.””
Amanda’s anger softened slightly.
Vanessa continued.
“Richard blamed Thomas for destroying our family. He blamed my mother. Mostly, he blamed me.””
I understood the wound.
I still couldn’t excuse what she had done to Lily.
“What does he have to do with the money?””
“Everything.””
Vanessa looked at Hale.
“You should tell him.””
Hale nodded.
“Richard discovered Thomas had created financial provisions for Vanessa.””
“How?””
“He had access to Vanessa’s mother’s old records.””
“And then?””
“He approached Thomas.””
Amanda frowned.
“When?””
“About six months before Thomas died.””
“What did he want?””
“Money.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“He always wanted money.””
Hale continued.
“Thomas refused.””
“So Richard stole the inheritance?””
“I believe he redirected it.””
“You believe?””
“I could never prove it.””
I thought about the forged signatures.
The changed dates.
The missing $750,000.
“How would Richard have my signature?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Through me.””
My stomach turned.
“Explain.””
“When we started dating, Richard came back into my life.””
“You never told me.””
“I hadn’t spoken to him in years.””
“What did he want?””
“He said he wanted to repair things.””
She wiped her eyes.
“I believed him.””
“What did you give him?””
“Nothing important.””
Hale interrupted.
“Vanessa.””
She looked at him.
“Tell Michael.””
Her shoulders sank.
“Copies.””
“Of what?””
“Household papers.””
“What household papers?””
“Old tax documents. Insurance forms.””
My voice dropped.
“With my signature.””
“Yes.””
I stepped away.
I needed distance.
Amanda stared at Vanessa.
“You gave Richard everything he needed.””
“I didn’t know.””
“Then why didn’t you tell Michael when you found out?””
Vanessa looked toward the stairs.
“Because Richard threatened Mason.””
My anger stopped.
“What?””
She started crying.
“He said if I talked, he would contact Mason’s biological father and tell him I was unstable. He said he’d help him take custody.””
Mason’s earlier words came back to me.
Mom said she’d send me away to my real dad.
“You used Richard’s threat to control Mason.””
Vanessa covered her face.
“I was scared.””
“So you made him scared too.””
She had no answer.
I went upstairs.
Mason opened the bedroom door after I identified myself.
Lily was building a tower from wooden blocks.
For a second, looking at them, everything downstairs seemed impossibly far away.
“Dad?”” Mason asked.
“Do you know someone named Richard?””
His face changed instantly.
“Yes.””
My heart sank.
“You’ve met him?””
Mason nodded.
“He’s the man from the car.””
“What car?””
“The gray one.””
I remembered the sedan Lily had noticed earlier.
“Has he been here?””
“A few times.””
“What did he do?””
“He talked to Mom.””
“About what?””
Mason hesitated.
“Lily.””
I crouched.
“What about Lily?””
“He asked where she sleeps.””
Every protective instinct in my body ignited.
“Anything else?””
“He asked when you leave for work.””
I stood immediately.
“Stay here.””
I locked the door again and hurried downstairs.
“Hale, call the police.””
Vanessa stood.
“Why?””
“Richard has been asking Mason where Lily sleeps.””
The color disappeared from her face.
“No.””
“Mason just told me.””
Amanda pulled out her phone.
Hale walked to the window.
Then he froze.
“What?””
He pointed outside.
The gray sedan was gone.
Vanessa rushed to the glass.
“He was here?””
“Mason says that’s Richard’s car.””
She grabbed her phone.
“I’m calling him.””
“No.””
I stopped her.
“We let the police handle this.””
Before anyone could move, Vanessa’s phone rang.
She stared at the screen.
“Richard.””
Nobody spoke.
“Answer it,” I said.
She put it on speaker.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice answered.
“Vanessa.””
Her hands shook.
“Where are you?””
“Close.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“What do you want?””
He laughed softly.
“Michael. Finally.””
“Stay away from my family.””
“Your family?””
A pause.
“That’s an interesting word.””
“What do you want, Richard?””
“The deed.””
“What deed?””
“Thomas’s property.””
“I don’t have it.””
“Then find it.””
“No.””
His voice hardened.
“You should reconsider.””
Vanessa whispered, “Don’t threaten him.””
Richard ignored her.
“Thomas hid something inside that property before he died. Something worth far more than the trust.””
Amanda looked at Hale.
Hale shook his head.
He didn’t know.
“What property?”” I asked.
Richard laughed again.
“You’ve already been there.””
My chest tightened.
“When?””
“The day you buried Rachel.””
Then the call ended.
I stared at my phone.
Amanda whispered:
“The cemetery?””
But I knew that wasn’t what he meant.
Because after Rachel’s funeral, there had been one other place.
Her childhood home.
A house Thomas had supposedly sold years ago.
May you like
And suddenly I remembered something Rachel told me the last time we stood inside it.
“If Lily ever needs the truth,” she had whispered, “it’s still inside these walls.””
