Chapter 14: The Night Vanessa Met Sophie
Vanessa didn’t ask what the note said.
She already knew.
“What happened the night you met Sophie?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Daniel…”
“Rachel told me to ask.””
That broke her.
She sat on the concrete outside the hangar while paramedics treated Linda and Emily.
Thomas was loaded into an ambulance under armed guard.
Vanessa stared at Bunny.
“The coffee shop wasn’t the first time I saw you.””
“I know that.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“I mean it wasn’t the first time I saw Sophie.””
My stomach tightened.
“When?””
“Two weeks earlier.””
“Where?””
“The cemetery.””
I stopped breathing.
Rachel’s grave.
Sophie and I visited every month.
“You followed us?””
“Thomas sent me.””
“Why?””
“He wanted proof Sophie was Rachel’s beneficiary.””
“How could seeing her prove anything?””
“It couldn’t. I was supposed to photograph her, learn your routine, learn who watched her.””
My hands curled into fists.
“You were stalking my daughter.””
“Yes.””
Emily looked disgusted.
Vanessa continued.
“You and Sophie left. I stayed.””
“Why?””
“I don’t know.””
“You always know.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“I saw the flowers Sophie left on Rachel’s grave.””
I remembered them.
Yellow daisies.
Sophie had chosen them herself.
“There was a card,” Vanessa said.
My chest tightened.
Sophie had dictated it.
I had written the words.
Mommy, Daddy says you can still love people when they’re in heaven. I love you biggest.
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
“I read it.””
“And?””
“And I almost walked away from Thomas’s plan.””
“Almost.””
“Yes.””
“But you didn’t.””
“No.””
“Why?””
“My parents were drowning in debt. Nathan was already trapped. Thomas promised everything would disappear if I married you.””
“So you introduced yourself.””
“Yes.””
“You manufactured our relationship.””
“At first.””
“Stop saying at first like it erases what came later.””
She nodded.
“It doesn’t.””
I looked toward Linda.
She was hugging Emily for the first time in Emily’s life.
Both women were crying.
Then I looked back at Vanessa.
“What did Rachel know?””
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“She knew Thomas would eventually use someone to get close to you.””
“So she left warnings.””
“Yes.””
“Why your name?””
“She didn’t know it would be me.””
I frowned.
“The note says ask Vanessa.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“That note wasn’t written before Rachel died.””
My skin prickled.
“What?””
“She wrote the original message differently.””
“What did it say?””
“Ask the woman who meets Sophie at my grave.””
I stared at her.
“You changed it?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Three years ago.””
“You opened Bunny?””
“I found the seam while Sophie was sleeping.””
Rage surged through me.
“You went through my daughter’s stuffed animal?””
“I was looking for the key.””
“And you found Rachel’s note.””
“Yes.””
“Why rewrite it with your own name?””
Vanessa gave a broken laugh.
“Because some part of me wanted to get caught.””
I said nothing.
“I put my name there and sewed it back inside.””
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
“You spent three years deceiving me, and your defense is that you secretly planted evidence against yourself?””
“It isn’t a defense.””
For once, her voice was steady.
“It’s proof that I knew what I was doing was wrong and kept doing it anyway.””
That silenced me.
No excuse.
No request for forgiveness.
Just the truth.
Officer Ramirez approached.
“Vanessa Mercer.””
She stood.
“You are being placed under arrest.””
He listed the suspected offenses.
Forgery.
Conspiracy.
Attempted theft.
Child abuse.
Other charges pending.
Vanessa held out her hands.
Before the cuffs closed, she looked at me.
“Daniel?””
I didn’t answer.
“Please tell Sophie one thing.””
“No.””
She flinched.
“You don’t get to put anything else on her.””
“You’re right.””
Ramirez cuffed her.
As she was led away, Linda called her name.
Vanessa turned.
Her mother stared at her.
“I love you.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
Linda continued.
“But I will not lie for you.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I know.””
Then she was gone.
The sun was beginning to rise.
Somehow, my wedding day had become the next morning.
Emily approached me.
“What happens now?””
“With Thomas?””
“With Alder Creek.””
I looked at her.
“I don’t care.””
She blinked.
“It’s worth millions.””
“I almost lost Sophie over it.””
“You can’t just ignore it.””
“No. But I can put professionals between my daughter and every dollar.””
Martin, standing nearby, nodded.
“Independent trustees. No family control.””
“Exactly.””
Emily looked relieved.
“And me?””
“You decide what you want.””
“I don’t want Thomas’s money.””
“Then don’t take it.””
She gave me a small smile.
“You sound like Rachel.””
That hurt.
But in a good way.
My phone rang.
Claire.
“Sophie wants to talk to you.””
I answered.
“Daddy?””
“Hey, sweetheart.””
“Did you get Bunny?””
I looked down.
Bunny was dirty.
One ear was torn.
But safe.
“I got Bunny.””
“Did Bunny help?””
I smiled for the first time in what felt like years.
“More than you know.””
“When are you coming?””
“Right now.””
There was a pause.
Then Sophie asked the question I had been dreading.
“Is Vanessa coming too?””
“No.””
“Ever?””
I looked toward the police car disappearing down the road.
“No, sweetheart.””
Sophie became quiet.
Then she whispered, “Good.””
I closed my eyes.
“I’ll be home soon.””
When I ended the call, Ramirez approached again.
“There’s one more thing.””
I almost laughed.
“Of course there is.””
He handed me an evidence bag.
Inside was Vanessa’s second phone.
“We recovered deleted messages.””
“Between her and Thomas?””
“Some.””
“And?””
“There’s a message from three nights ago.””
He showed me.
Vanessa had written:
I’m done. I won’t let you hurt Sophie.
Thomas replied:
Then Daniel learns what you did to Rachel.
My blood went cold.
I looked at Ramirez.
“What did Vanessa do to Rachel?””
He didn’t answer.
He handed me the phone.
The next recovered message was from Vanessa.
May you like
One sentence.
Daniel can never know I was in the hospital the night Rachel died.
