Chapter 9
We didn't go home.
Officer Martinez took us directly to the police station.
Dr. Bennett followed.
Two officers were sent to our house.
Another unit went looking for the Range Rover.
Dad called Mr. Carter.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then he called Richard Vale.
Vale answered.
Mr. Carter had left our house almost an hour earlier.
He said he was going home to confront Rebecca.
My stomach tightened.
Officer Martinez immediately requested a welfare check at the Carter residence.
Vanessa kept texting me.
Where are you?
I didn't answer.
Dad didn't want me communicating directly.
Detective Martinez agreed.
She asked me to hand over my phone temporarily.
I did.
Then we waited.
Waiting was worse than fighting.
When someone swung at me, I knew what to do.
Move.
Block.
Create distance.
Escape.
There was no move for sitting beneath fluorescent lights while strangers searched for answers.
Dr. Bennett bought coffee.
Dad didn't drink his.
At 10:26 p.m., Officer Martinez returned.
“Vanessa and her father are safe.”
I exhaled.
Dad leaned forward.
“Rebecca?”
“Not at the house.”
“Her vehicle?”
“Gone.”
My stomach dropped.
“Did Vanessa talk?”
“A little.”
Officer Martinez sat across from us.
“Vanessa says her mother left about forty minutes after Mr. Carter arrived.”
“Why?”
“They argued.”
“About what?”
“Richard Vale. The surveillance. The school.”
Dr. Bennett asked, “And the break-in?”
“Vanessa says she overheard her mother speaking to someone named Mark.”
Dad's expression tightened.
“Mark who?”
“She doesn't know.”
Officer Martinez hesitated.
“She believes he's in law enforcement because her mother once called him ‘Detective.’”
I felt cold.
“Did he break into our house?”
“Vanessa doesn't know.”
“Then why did she tell Lucas that?”
“Because earlier today she overheard her mother say, ‘Mark handled the house.’”
Dad's face hardened.
Dr. Bennett asked, “Could Mark mean something else?”
“Yes.”
Officer Martinez was careful.
“We're not assuming anything.”
I understood why.
If a police officer was involved, she had to be.
But I wasn't feeling careful.
Someone had entered my bedroom.
Someone had touched Mom's photograph.
Someone knew about a key I had discovered only hours ago.
“How did Rebecca know about the key?”
Officer Martinez's expression tightened.
“Vanessa says she didn't.”
I stared at her.
“She texted me saying her mother was coming for it.”
“Yes.”
“Then how?”
“Vanessa says she found an old letter in her mother's desk.”
My pulse quickened.
“A letter from who?”
“Your mother.”
The room went silent.
Dad stood.
“No.”
Officer Martinez continued.
“Vanessa photographed it.”
“Do you have the photo?”
“Yes.”
She placed a printed image on the table.
Mom's handwriting.
Again.
Rebecca,
If anything happens to me, the documents will not become yours.
You helped my father hide what he did. You don't get to profit from it now.
I have divided the evidence. You will never find all of it.
Leave Daniel and Emily alone.
Sarah
Dad sat down hard.
“She knew Rebecca.”
Dr. Bennett whispered, “Better than I realized.”
The letter was dated two months before Mom died.
My throat tightened.
Mom had been fighting this while dying.
Cancer treatments.
Hospital visits.
Raising me.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, she was trying to protect us from people I'd never even heard about.
I wiped my eyes angrily.
Dad noticed.
He took my hand.
Officer Martinez continued.
“Vanessa says Rebecca kept the letter in a locked desk.”
“So Vanessa broke into it?”
“She says her father opened the desk tonight while searching for documents related to Vale.”
That explained the timing.
Vanessa saw the letter.
Saw the mention of divided evidence.
Then somehow guessed the old key mattered.
Dr. Bennett asked, “Where is Rebecca now?”
“We don't know.”
“Can you track her?”
“If her phone is on, we're working on it.”
Dad looked at me.
“We should leave the state.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Tonight.”
“Dad.”
“I have friends in Maine.”
“I'm not running.”
“This isn't school drama anymore.”
“I know.”
“Someone broke into our home.”
“I know.”
“Someone may be trying to steal evidence worth tens of millions of dollars.”
“I know.”
His voice rose.
“And you are sixteen.”
That shut me up.
Dad rarely raised his voice at me.
His eyes filled immediately with regret.
He lowered it.
“I cannot protect you if you keep treating this like a test you need to win.”
I looked down.
He was right.
I hated it.
But he was right.
Dr. Bennett said, “Daniel, moving tonight may not be necessary. The police can arrange—”
“No offense, Margaret, but somebody potentially connected to law enforcement entered my house today.”
Officer Martinez didn't object.
That told me enough.
Dad continued.
“I trust you.”
He looked at Martinez.
“But I don't know who else to trust.”
She nodded.
“That's fair.”
Dr. Bennett's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Her face changed.
“It's Rebecca.”
Dad stood.
Officer Martinez immediately moved beside her.
“Answer on speaker.”
Dr. Bennett did.
“Rebecca?”
Mrs. Carter's voice came through.
“Where's Emily?”
Dad's jaw clenched.
Dr. Bennett answered.
“Safe.”
“That's not what I asked.”
“You don't get to ask.”
Mrs. Carter laughed softly.
“Still pretending you're protecting Sarah's daughter?”
Dr. Bennett's face tightened.
“What do you want?”
“The key.”
No one breathed.
So Vanessa had been right.
Mrs. Carter continued.
“Emily found the library box.”
Dad looked toward Martinez.
She was already signaling another officer to trace the call.
Dr. Bennett asked, “How do you know?”
“Margaret, you were always so naïve.”
“You're threatening a child.”
“No.”
“You broke into her house.”
“I didn't.”
“Someone working for you did.”
Silence.
Then Mrs. Carter said, “I don't care about Daniel's house.”
Dad clenched his fists.
“I care about what Sarah stole from Charles.”
I couldn't stay quiet.
“He stole from the trust.”
Mrs. Carter stopped.
Dr. Bennett looked at me.
Dad shook his head, but it was too late.
Mrs. Carter's voice changed.
“Emily.”
I leaned toward the phone.
“My mother left a letter.”
“I know.”
“How?”
A pause.
Then she said, “Because Sarah always needed an audience.”
I hated her immediately in a way I hadn't before.
Not because of Vanessa.
Because she spoke about Mom like she owned part of her story.
I said, “You're not getting the key.”
Dad looked at me.
Mrs. Carter laughed.
“You don't even know what it opens.”
“I know enough.”
“No, sweetheart. You know what Margaret wants you to know.”
“Don't call me sweetheart.”
Another pause.
Then Mrs. Carter's voice hardened.
“Your mother destroyed people.”
“You're lying.”
“She blackmailed her father.”
“She exposed him.”
“She stole records.”
“Records proving he stole first.”
Mrs. Carter went silent.
That silence felt like victory.
Only for a second.
Then she said, “Ask Margaret what happens if those documents become public.”
I looked at Dr. Bennett.
Her eyes shifted.
Again.
Another secret.
I was exhausted by secrets.
“What happens?”
Dr. Bennett didn't answer.
Mrs. Carter did.
“The Bennett Foundation collapses.”
My chest tightened.
Dr. Bennett whispered, “That's not true.”
“Really?”
Mrs. Carter laughed.
“Tell Emily where her scholarship money comes from.”
Dad stared at Dr. Bennett.
“What is she talking about?”
Dr. Bennett closed her eyes.
“The foundation owns companies.”
“So?”
“One of them was originally purchased by Charles.”
“With trust money,” I whispered.
She nodded.
My stomach dropped.
If Mom's documents proved it, then the foundation itself might contain assets belonging to the trust.
My scholarship.
The program helping hundreds of students.
All of it could become part of a massive legal battle.
Mrs. Carter said, “Your mother knew exposing everything would destroy the foundation.”
I looked at Dr. Bennett.
“Did she?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't she?”
Dr. Bennett's eyes filled.
“Because she cared about the students.”
Mrs. Carter laughed.
“No. Because Margaret paid her.”
Dr. Bennett stood.
“That is a lie.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell Emily about the settlement.”
I stared at Dr. Bennett.
“What settlement?”
Her face went pale.
Dad slammed his palm onto the table.
“No more secrets.”
Dr. Bennett looked at me.
“Your mother and I reached an agreement before she died.”
My heart sank.
“What agreement?”
“She agreed not to release certain documents publicly.”
“In exchange for what?”
Dr. Bennett could barely answer.
“Security for you.”
“What does that mean?”
“The foundation scholarship program.”
I stopped breathing.
Dr. Bennett continued.
“Sarah asked me to expand it.”
I stared.
“She didn't ask for money for herself?”
“No.”
“She asked you to help students?”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
“She asked that if you ever applied honestly and qualified, you not be rejected because of our family history.”
My throat tightened.
Mrs. Carter's voice came through the phone.
“Such a beautiful story.”
Dr. Bennett turned on the phone.
“What do you want, Rebecca?”
“The silver key.”
I looked at Dad.
She knew exactly which key.
Mrs. Carter continued.
“Give it to me tomorrow morning.”
“Or what?” Dad demanded.
She went silent.
Then she said, “Daniel.”
His face hardened.
“You stay away from my daughter.”
“I don't want Emily.”
“Then what?”
“I want what Sarah took.”
Dad leaned toward the phone.
“You broke into my home. You threatened my child. You tried to destroy her school record.”
“You can't prove any of that.”
Officer Martinez looked at the tracing officer.
He shook his head.
Burner phone.
Mrs. Carter continued.
“Tomorrow. Nine a.m.”
“Where?”
“The old Bennett house.”
Dr. Bennett's face changed.
“No.”
Mrs. Carter laughed.
“Margaret remembers.”
Dad shook his head.
“Nobody is meeting you.”
Mrs. Carter's voice became cold.
“Then I'll send the rest of Daniel's sealed file to every parent at Emily's school.”
Dad froze.
I looked at him.
“There is no rest.”
He didn't answer.
My stomach dropped.
“Dad?”
Mrs. Carter laughed softly.
“Oh, Emily.”
Dad grabbed the phone.
“You're done.”
“Am I?”
“You release private medical information and I'll bury you in court.”
“You think this is about court?”
Then she ended the call.
The room went silent.
I turned toward Dad.
“What else is in your file?”
He looked destroyed.
“Emily.”
I stepped back.
“What?”
He swallowed.
“After your mother died, I considered giving you to someone else.”
The words hurt more than I expected.
“What?”
“Not permanently.”
“But you wanted to get rid of me?”
“No.”
He stood.
“Never.”
“Then what does that mean?”
“I was scared.”
His eyes filled.
“I was barely sleeping. I was having panic attacks. I was working nights. You were waking up crying for your mother.”
He wiped his face.
“One night I called your mother's friend and asked if she could keep you for a few weeks while I got treatment.”
My anger disappeared.
“Did she?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because before I could do it, you woke up.”
His voice broke.
“You walked into the kitchen holding that stuffed bear your mother bought you.”
I remembered the bear.
Barely.
“You asked if I was leaving too.”
My chest broke.
Dad shook his head.
“I decided that night I would never let you wonder that again.”
I walked into his arms.
He held me.
Tight.
“I didn't abandon you.”
“I know.”
“Rebecca can release whatever she wants.”
I pulled back.
He looked at me.
“I'm done being ashamed of surviving your mother's death.”
For the first time that night, I felt something other than fear.
Pride.
Officer Martinez's phone rang.
She answered.
Listened.
Then looked at us.
“We located Rebecca's vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Near the old Bennett estate.”
Dr. Bennett went pale.
The officer continued speaking in her ear.
Her expression suddenly sharpened.
“What?”
Dad stepped forward.
“What happened?”
Officer Martinez ended the call.
“The vehicle is empty.”
“Rebecca?”
“Gone.”
May you like
She looked at Dr. Bennett.
“And the front gate to the estate has been forced open.”
