Chapter 6 - Vanessa Finally Talks
Vanessa called me at midnight.
I almost ignored it.
Then I remembered the photograph under my door.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
Her voice shook.
“Can you meet me?”
“No.”
“Marcus, please.”
“Tell me over the phone.”
“I can’t.”
“Then call the police.”
“No.”
That answer came too fast.
“Why not?”
“Because Daniel has something on me.”
“What?”
Silence.
I nearly hung up.
Then Vanessa whispered, “I stole money.”
My anger disappeared for half a second.
Not forgiveness.
Shock.
“How much?”
“Years ago.”
“How much?”
“Almost eighty thousand dollars.”
I closed my eyes.
“From whom?”
“Investors.”
I sat on the edge of my bed.
Jordan was asleep down the hall.
“At Cross Residential?”
“Yes.”
“Daniel was involved?”
“Yes.”
“Then why does he have something on you?”
“Because I moved the money.”
“But he told you to?”
“Yes.”
“Can you prove that?”
Another pause.
“No.”
I understood.
Daniel had built the fraud so Vanessa’s hands were the dirtiest.
She continued.
“When the company collapsed, he disappeared. I thought it was over.”
“And then he came back.”
“Six months ago.”
“What did he want?”
“Money.”
“Mine.”
“Yes.”
At least she finally said it.
My chest hurt.
“You married me years before he returned.”
Silence.
“Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“So did you marry me for money?”
“No.”
I almost laughed.
“Don’t insult me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why were you already trying to get onto my deed before Daniel came back?”
Her breathing became uneven.
“Because I was terrified of having nothing again.”
“That is not an answer.”
“My first divorce nearly ruined me.”
“You tried to take Ethan’s house too.”
Silence.
“You know about that?”
“I know everything he remembers.”
She began crying.
“I was scared.”
“You were willing to destroy Jordan.”
“I know.”
“You used your own daughter.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that like it fixes anything.”
“I don’t think it fixes anything!”
Her voice broke.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered, “I did love you.”
The sentence hurt more than I expected.
“Maybe you did.”
“I still do.”
“But not enough to stop.”
Silence.
I looked toward the hallway.
“Why did Daniel want Jordan out so badly?”
“Because you trust him.”
“What?”
“He said as long as Jordan was around, you would ask questions.”
That made no sense.
“He’s seventeen.”
“He notices things.”
I remembered Jordan asking why Vanessa had been coming home late.
Why she had suddenly started locking her phone.
Why she wanted my financial passwords “in case of emergency.”
I had dismissed it all.
Daniel hadn’t.
Vanessa continued.
“He also knew your will leaves most of the house to Jordan.”
My blood went cold.
“What?”
“Daniel found an old estate document.”
“How?”
“I showed it to him.”
I stood.
“You what?”
“He wanted to know what happened if…”
She stopped.
“If what?”
Nothing.
“Vanessa.”
“If you died.”
I gripped the phone so tightly my fingers hurt.
“And?”
“The house would be divided.”
“Between you and Jordan.”
“Yes.”
“So Daniel wanted him gone.”
“He wanted you to change the will.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you try?”
“Yes.”
I felt physically sick.
“Was the insurance part of it?”
“Yes.”
“Was Daniel planning to hurt me?”
“No.”
Too fast.
“Vanessa.”
“I don’t know.”
“That is not the same answer.”
“He talked about accidents.”
The room seemed to narrow.
“What kind of accidents?”
“I told him no.”
“What kind?”
“Car accidents.”
My breathing stopped.
Three weeks earlier, my brake warning light had come on.
The mechanic found a loose line.
He said it was probably wear.
Probably.
“Did he touch my car?”
“I don’t know.”
“Vanessa!”
“I don’t know!”
Her sob hit the phone.
“He asked where you parked at work. I refused to tell him.”
“But he knew our house.”
“Yes.”
I stood and walked straight toward Jordan’s room.
He woke as soon as I opened the door.
“Dad?”
“Get dressed.”
“What happened?”
“We’re leaving.”
I called Officer Ramirez.
Within twenty minutes, police were at the house.
They inspected both cars.
Jordan stood beside me outside in sweatpants and a hoodie.
A mechanic later confirmed that one of the brake lines showed signs of deliberate tampering.
That changed everything.
Daniel was no longer just a manipulator standing in a driveway.
He was a suspect in a potential attempt to cause serious harm.
Vanessa agreed to come to the station.
I saw her there an hour later.
She looked smaller.
No makeup.
Hair pulled back.
Eyes swollen.
She tried to approach me.
I stepped away.
“Don’t.”
Her face crumpled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Tell them everything.”
“I will.”
“Every lie.”
She nodded.
“Every document.”
“Yes.”
“Every account.”
“Yes.”
“And everything involving Jordan and Brianna.”
Her eyes filled again.
“Yes.”
Jordan stood behind me.
Vanessa looked at him.
“Jordan…”
He didn’t respond.
“I’m sorry.”
He stared at her.
Then said quietly, “You knew exactly what people would think of me.”
Vanessa looked down.
“You picked a lie that could follow me forever.”
“I know.”
Jordan shook his head.
“No.”
His voice stayed calm.
“You knew before you said it.”
Vanessa began crying.
Jordan walked away.
I followed him.
Before we reached the exit, Detective Ramirez called my name.
“We found Daniel.”
I turned.
“Where?”
“He’s gone.”
“What does that mean?”
“His apartment is empty.”
My stomach tightened.
“When?”
“Looks like he cleared out tonight.”
Then Ramirez held up a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a small notebook.
“We found this in a storage unit registered to his company.”
“What is it?”
“A list.”
“Of what?”
Ramirez’s expression darkened.
“Names.”
He turned one page toward me.
Ethan Cole.
My name.
May you like
And directly beneath mine:
Jordan Reed.
