Chapter 4
I did not sleep that night.
Neither did Mom.
Lily finally fell asleep around three in the morning, curled beside me in the hospital bed.
Her fingers remained wrapped around mine even after exhaustion took her.
I watched her breathe.
Every few minutes, I looked at the door.
Detective Marcus Reed was still missing.
That changed everything.
Vanessa had been detained.
But the man who threatened my daughter and apparently planned my death was somewhere outside.
Free.
At six in the morning, Officer Brooks returned.
She looked exhausted.
“Reed never boarded a flight.”
“Then why leave his car at the airport?”
“To make us think he did.”
I looked toward Lily.
“Could he come here?”
“There are officers outside.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Brooks paused.
“Yes.”
The honesty frightened me.
“But he would be incredibly stupid.”
“He planned to kill me for money.”
Brooks didn’t argue.
She showed me several recovered messages.
Vanessa: Daniel changed hotels again.
Marcus: Tracker has him.
Vanessa: Stop getting nervous.
Marcus: After this we’re done.
Vanessa: After this we’re rich.
Then another.
Marcus: What about the girl?
Vanessa: She’ll adjust.
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Adjust?”
Brooks took it back.
“There’s more.”
I didn’t want more.
But I needed it.
She showed me another exchange.
Marcus: She knows too much.
Vanessa: She’s eight.
Marcus: Eight-year-olds talk.
Vanessa: Not if they’re scared enough.
I looked away.
I could not let Lily see my face if she woke up.
Brooks waited.
Finally, I asked,
“Was Vanessa hurting Lily because she knew about the plan?”
“We believe there were multiple reasons.”
“What does that mean?”
“Control. Anger. Punishment.”
My stomach twisted.
“She resented her.”
Brooks nodded slightly.
“We found searches on Vanessa’s laptop.”
“What searches?”
“Custody after death of biological parent.”
My father’s instincts screamed before my mind caught up.
“She planned to keep Lily.”
“If you died, she may have attempted to.”
“She’s not Lily’s biological mother.”
“But she could have petitioned for guardianship, especially if she established herself as primary caregiver.”
That explained things I had never understood.
Vanessa constantly encouraged my travel.
Take the contract.
Stay the extra days.
We need the money.
She volunteered for school meetings.
Doctor appointments.
Activities.
I thought she was bonding with Lily.
Maybe she was building a paper trail.
“She wanted to look like Lily’s real parent.”
“That’s one possibility.”
“And then?”
Brooks hesitated.
“What?”
“There was another insurance policy.”
My stomach tightened.
“On Lily?”
“Yes.”
The world stopped.
“No.”
“It’s smaller.”
“I don’t care!”
Lily stirred.
I lowered my voice instantly.
Brooks stepped closer.
“Daniel, breathe.”
I stared at her.
“How much?”
“Two hundred fifty thousand.”
“Beneficiary?”
“Vanessa.”
My knees weakened.
I sat down.
Suddenly the room felt too small.
This wasn’t just about me anymore.
Maybe it had never been.
I looked at my sleeping daughter and felt terror unlike anything I had ever experienced.
“Get us out of here.”
“We’re arranging a safe location.”
“Now.”
“Daniel—”
“Now.”
Brooks understood.
An hour later, Lily was discharged.
Police did not send us home.
We were taken to a protected apartment used for endangered witnesses and domestic violence cases.
Mom came with us.
The address was confidential.
My phone was replaced.
My truck stayed at the station.
Lily thought we were having a sleepover.
I let her believe that.
She sat on the carpet coloring while Mom cooked eggs in the tiny kitchen.
For five minutes, life almost looked normal.
Then Lily asked,
“Is Vanessa going to jail?”
I sat beside her.
“She’s talking to police.”
“Can she come here?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
“Can Marcus?”
My heart tightened.
“No.”
That promise felt less certain.
She studied me.
“You’re doing the angry eyebrows.”
I forced them to relax.
“Better?”
She smiled slightly.
“Kind of.”
That smile became my reason to stay calm.
At noon, Daniel Price entered our lives.
He was a family attorney recommended by Officer Brooks.
Forty-five.
Sharp suit.
Calm eyes.
He listened without interrupting.
Then he said,
“First priority is an emergency protective order.”
“Against Vanessa?”
“And Reed.”
“Good.”
“Second, we establish that Vanessa has no legal authority over Lily.”
“She’s my wife.”
“She’s her stepmother.”
“Yes.”
“That does not automatically give her parental rights.”
Relief moved through me.
“Third,” he continued, “you stop blaming yourself long enough to make good decisions.”
I stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re angry at yourself.”
“You met me ten minutes ago.”
“I’ve represented enough parents.”
I looked away.
He continued.
“Guilt makes people impulsive.”
“I’m not impulsive.”
“You nearly went downstairs to confront your wife before remembering your daughter needed you.”
That irritated me because he was right.
Daniel Price leaned forward.
“You can fall apart later.”
I nodded.
“Fair.”
His phone rang.
He checked it.
Then answered.
He listened for only twenty seconds before standing.
“What happened?”
He ended the call.
“Police found Reed.”
My pulse jumped.
“Where?”
“Your house.”
I stood.
“What?”
“He went back.”
“Why?”
“They don’t know.”
“Did they arrest him?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“No.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
“He ran when patrol units arrived.”
“Where is he now?”
“They’re searching the neighborhood.”
I cursed.
Then Daniel added,
“But he left something behind.”
“What?”
“A gasoline container.”
My blood went cold.
“And a box of matches.”
Mom stopped cooking.
Lily looked up from her drawing.
I forced my face to remain calm.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“They think he went back to burn the house.”
“Why?”
“Evidence.”
I understood instantly.
The bedroom.
The black bag.
Anything police hadn’t found.
Then my temporary phone rang.
Officer Brooks.
Her voice sounded different.
Urgent.
“Daniel, is Lily with you?”
“Yes.”
“Put the phone where she can’t hear.”
I walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
“What?”
“We found a hidden camera inside her bedroom.”
My stomach turned.
“What was on it?”
“That’s why I called.”
I gripped the sink.
“Tell me.”
“The camera wasn’t installed by Vanessa.”
“What?”
“It transmitted to an outside account.”
“Whose?”
A pause.
“Marcus Reed’s.”
My hands shook.
“What did he record?”
Brooks exhaled.
“A lot.”
“Did he record Vanessa hurting Lily?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have proof.”
“We do.”
Something in her voice bothered me.
“But?”
“There’s footage Vanessa doesn’t know exists.”
“What footage?”
Brooks spoke slowly.
“Reed recorded her talking about what would happen after your death.”
My mouth went dry.
“And?”
“She didn’t plan to split the insurance money with him.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“She planned to frame him for your murder.”
For a second, I almost laughed.
They were both monsters.
And they were betraying each other.
May you like
Then Brooks said,
“Daniel, that means Reed has nothing left to lose.”
