Chapter 9
Vanessa asked to see me.
Julian said no.
Then she asked again through her lawyer.
She said she would only talk if I came.
Detective Ramirez advised against it.
“You owe her nothing.”
“I know.”
But I went.
Not for her.
For Clara.
For the children.
For the part of me that needed to look into the face of the woman who slept beside me while planning to erase my family.
Vanessa sat behind glass in the county detention center.
No makeup.
Hair pulled back.
Still beautiful.
That made me angry.
Monsters should look like what they are.
But Vanessa looked like a tired wife waiting for forgiveness.
“Arthur,” she whispered.
“Do not use that voice.”
Her eyes filled.
“I loved you.”
“No.”
“I did.”
“You were sent to me.”
“At first.”
I stared at her.
“At first?”
She pressed her hand to the glass.
“I didn’t know Eleanor would hurt Clara.”
“You knew after.”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“And you married me.”
“Yes.”
“And you held my children.”
Her face twisted.
“I wanted a life.”
I laughed softly.
“A life built on my wife’s grave.”
She flinched.
“Eleanor would have killed me too.”
“So you helped her.”
“I survived.”
I leaned closer.
“No. Ethan survived. Maya survived. Clara tried to survive. Peter survived. You chose.”
Vanessa’s tears fell now.
Real or fake, I no longer cared.
“She has Silas,” she whispered.
I went still.
“Eleanor?”
Vanessa nodded.
“He isn’t gone. She kept him close.”
“Where?”
Vanessa looked toward the camera.
“If I tell you, I want protection.”
“For yourself?”
“For Ellie.”
I froze.
“Who is Ellie?”
Her face crumpled.
“My daughter.”
My blood turned cold.
“We have no daughter named Ellie.”
Vanessa whispered, “I do.”
The room tilted.
“Where is she?”
May you like
Vanessa began to sob.
“Eleanor has her.”
