Chapter 2: The Other Pictures
"Call her.""
Dad's voice was low.
I looked up from my phone.
"What?""
"Daniel's mother. Call Catherine.""
Linda immediately shook her head.
"Absolutely not.""
Dad turned on her.
"Why?""
"Because this family is already upset, Robert. Dragging Daniel's mother into some ridiculous misunderstanding at eleven o'clock at night isn't going to help.""
"She sent the photograph.""
"And?""
"And the photograph shows your daughter inside Daniel's apartment wearing Emily's engagement ring.""
Madison folded her arms tighter.
"I already said there's an explanation.""
"Then give it," I said.
She looked at Linda.
That look was enough.
I pressed Catherine's number.
Linda stepped forward.
"Emily, don't.""
The call connected.
"Emily?""
Catherine sounded relieved and frightened at the same time.
"I'm here.""
"Are you alone?""
I stared directly at Madison.
"No. My father, Linda, and Madison are here.""
Silence.
Then Catherine said, "Good.""
Madison's face tightened.
"Catherine," I said, "where did you get that picture?""
"From Daniel's old tablet.""
My heart stumbled.
"What?""
"He left it at our house months ago. Your engagement party invitation arrived today, and I wanted a few childhood pictures of Daniel for tomorrow. I turned on the tablet and found it still connected to his cloud account.""
Madison interrupted loudly.
"That's an invasion of privacy.""
Catherine heard her.
"Madison?""
"Yes.""
Another pause.
"Then perhaps you can explain why there are seventeen photographs of you inside my son's apartment.""
Seventeen.
My fingers went numb.
Dad whispered, "Jesus.""
Madison shook her head.
"They're old.""
"Three weeks isn't old," I said.
Linda grabbed Madison's arm.
"We're leaving.""
Dad blocked the doorway.
"No.""
"Move.""
"No one leaves until Emily gets an explanation.""
Linda laughed bitterly.
"You don't get to imprison us in our own home.""
"I'm not imprisoning anyone. I'm asking why your daughter has been secretly visiting my future son-in-law.""
Madison finally exploded.
"Because Daniel invited me!""
The kitchen went silent.
Even Linda looked startled.
I felt as if someone had punched me in the chest.
"What did you say?""
Madison lifted her chin.
"You heard me.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"Daniel invited you?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Maybe you should ask him.""
That answer hurt more than I wanted it to.
I turned away.
For six months, Daniel and I had been planning our future.
A house.
Children someday.
The small bookstore I'd dreamed of opening.
He knew everything about me.
Or I thought he did.
Catherine's voice came through the speaker.
"Emily, listen to me. Don't assume anything yet.""
"Why shouldn't I?""
"Because Daniel wasn't in those photographs.""
I stopped.
Madison's expression changed.
"What?""
Catherine continued.
"I checked the dates. Daniel was in Chicago for a conference when several were taken.""
Dad looked at Madison.
"Then how did you get inside?""
Madison said nothing.
I remembered something.
Three weeks ago, Daniel had called me from Chicago. He'd joked that his apartment was probably becoming a dust museum because neither of us had been there for days.
But Madison had been there.
"Did you have a key?"" I asked.
"No.""
"Then how did you get in?""
"I don't remember.""
"You don't remember entering someone else's apartment seventeen times?""
"It wasn't seventeen times!""
Catherine interrupted.
"She's right.""
I blinked.
"What?""
"The pictures weren't taken on seventeen different visits. There are seventeen pictures from four separate dates.""
Four visits.
Somehow that was worse.
Dad moved closer to Madison.
"Who let you in?""
Madison stared at the floor.
Linda answered for her.
"Maybe the building staff.""
I turned sharply.
"How would you know?""
"I don't.""
"You answered pretty quickly.""
Linda's jaw tightened.
"Stop interrogating me.""
My phone buzzed.
Catherine had sent another photograph.
I opened it.
Madison was kneeling beside Daniel's desk.
A drawer was open.
Papers were scattered across the floor.
My engagement ring was still on her finger.
But there was something else.
A small black folder rested beside her knee.
I recognized it.
Daniel kept our wedding-planning documents inside it.
Guest lists.
Venue contracts.
Insurance papers.
Copies of identification we'd needed for our marriage-license application.
"Madison," I whispered.
She saw the photograph.
Her face drained of color.
Dad took my phone.
"What was she doing?""
"I don't know.""
I enlarged the picture.
One document was partially visible.
My name was printed across the top.
EMILY CARTER.
Below it was a photocopy of my driver's license.
"Why were you going through my documents?""
"I wasn't.""
"You're literally holding them.""
"I dropped something.""
"Inside Daniel's locked desk?""
Madison suddenly screamed, "I didn't steal your fiancé!""
Nobody had accused her of that.
Not directly.
The words hung there.
Dad slowly lowered the phone.
"Who said anything about stealing Daniel?""
Madison's breathing quickened.
Linda grabbed her shoulders.
"Stop talking.""
"No!"" I shouted.
"She keeps looking at you before she answers. Why?""
Linda glared at me.
"Because you're attacking her.""
"I'm asking why she was secretly inside my fiancé's home with my ring and my identification.""
Dad turned toward Madison.
"Where did you get Emily's ring?""
She hesitated.
"Her bedroom.""
"When?""
"The day she lost it.""
I felt sick.
"You stole it.""
"I borrowed it.""
"For what?""
Madison's eyes filled with angry tears.
"You've had everything handed to you.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"Dad paid for your college.""
"My mother left me a college fund.""
"You got the better bedroom.""
"I lived in it before you moved here.""
"You got Daniel.""
There it was.
Dad closed his eyes.
"Madison...""
"No! Everybody acts like Emily earned this perfect life. She didn't. She just happened to be born first.""
I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"So you broke into Daniel's apartment because you're jealous?""
"I didn't break in!""
"Then who gave you access?""
She stopped.
Catherine spoke quietly through the phone.
"Emily, there's one more thing.""
"What?""
"I checked Daniel's building records.""
My pulse hammered.
"How?""
"His father knows the property manager. I called after I found the pictures.""
"And?""
Catherine hesitated.
"Madison didn't use Daniel's key.""
Linda backed toward the kitchen counter.
I noticed.
So did Dad.
"Then whose key?"" I asked.
"It wasn't a key.""
Catherine's voice became colder.
"Someone added Madison's fingerprint to Daniel's smart-lock access list.""
I stared at my stepsister.
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
"Madison.""
"I swear.""
My phone buzzed again.
Catherine had sent a screenshot.
ACCESS AUTHORIZATION HISTORY.
Madison Carter — fingerprint added.
Below it was the administrator account that had approved the change.
I expected Daniel's name.
Instead, I saw an email address I recognized immediately.
Not Daniel's.
Not Madison's.
Linda's.
Dad read it over my shoulder.
May you like
Then he looked at his wife.
"Why does Daniel's security system say you gave Madison access to his apartment?""
