Chapter 8
Eleanor was arrested at a private airfield before dawn.
She had two passports.
Seventy thousand dollars in cash.
And Clara’s second ledger in her carry-on.
Not a copy.
The original.
The one Vanessa had been searching for when Maya found the brass key.
Detective Ramirez called me personally.
“We have her.”
I sat down on the stairs.
For the first time in days, my body felt the weight of itself.
“Did she talk?”
“No. But she had something else.”
“What?”
“A sealed envelope addressed to Vanessa.”
Julian brought a copy that afternoon.
Vanessa,
If Arthur finds the key, destroy the children’s credibility first.
My hands shook.
Destroy the children’s credibility.
Not protect yourself.
Not leave.
Destroy them.
The letter continued.
The boy is loyal to Maya. Break him separately if needed.
I could not read the rest.
Julian did.
His face hardened line by line.
“She planned this.”
“Yes.”
“No,” he said. “I mean years ago.”
He showed me the final paragraph.
Once Clara is gone, Arthur will need comfort. Enter slowly. Never threaten the children until they threaten the ledger.
I walked to the bathroom and vomited.
Vanessa had not loved me.
She had entered my grief like a thief.
She had held Maya after nightmares.
She had brushed Ethan’s hair before school.
She had stood beside Clara’s grave with her hand on my shoulder.
All while knowing Clara was dead because of her family.
Maya found me sitting on the bathroom floor.
“Daddy?”
I wiped my face.
“I’m okay.”
She frowned.
“You tell me not to say that when I’m not okay.”
That broke a small laugh out of me.
“You’re right.”
She sat beside me.
“Are you sad?”
“Yes.”
“About Mommy?”
“Yes.”
“And Vanessa?”
I nodded.
Maya leaned her head against my arm.
“She tricked us.”
“She did.”
“Does that mean we were dumb?”
“No, baby.”
“Then what?”
I looked at my little girl.
“It means she was very good at lying.”
Maya thought about that.
“Mommy was better at hiding keys.”
May you like
I pulled her into my arms.
“Yes,” I whispered. “She was.”
