Chapter 2
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
I stared at Mason.
“What did you say?”
He looked frightened.
“The man told Mom he was Lily’s real dad.”
Vanessa pounded on the front door.
“Mason! Stop talking!”
The officer immediately turned toward her.
“Ma’am, step away from the door.”
She ignored him.
“Mason, you misunderstood!”
My heart hammered.
Lily’s mother, Sarah, had died three years earlier.
There had never been any question about Lily’s paternity.
I had been there when she was born.
My name was on the birth certificate.
Sarah had never suggested anything different.
I looked at Mason.
“What did the man look like?”
“Tall. Gray jacket. Brown hair.”
“Did you hear his name?”
Mason nodded.
“Eric.”
Vanessa suddenly stopped pounding.
That reaction told me she knew exactly who he was.
I opened the door only after police positioned themselves between us.
“Who is Eric?”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“You’re upset. This isn’t the time.”
“Who is he?”
She looked toward the officers.
“I want an attorney.”
That answer scared me more than a lie would have.
One officer asked her to step aside.
I returned to Mason’s recordings.
There were twelve videos.
Most showed Vanessa denying Lily food or criticizing her until she cried.
But one clip had been recorded from beneath the dining table.
The unknown man was clearly visible.
He placed a folder in front of Vanessa.
“Daniel will never agree voluntarily.”
“He doesn’t have to.”
“What about the girl?”
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“If the court believes he’s emotionally unstable and neglecting her, custody changes.”
“To you?”
“Eventually.”
The man laughed.
“You’re not even her biological mother.”
Vanessa smiled.
“That can be fixed.”
My stomach turned.
The officer paused the video.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.”
The stranger continued.
“After that, we challenge paternity.”
Vanessa whispered:
“Daniel loses Lily, the house becomes easier, and nobody asks questions about Sarah’s trust.”
I stopped breathing.
“Sarah’s trust?”
I had never heard of one.
Lily tugged my sleeve.
“Daddy?”
I picked her up.
“You’re okay.”
But I wasn’t.
Sarah had worked as an elementary-school teacher.
She had some savings and life insurance.
Nothing large enough to inspire this.
At least that was what I believed.
Police temporarily removed Vanessa from the home while they investigated the recordings and allegations.
Mason refused to leave with her.
“I want to stay with Daniel.”
Vanessa screamed from the driveway.
“I’m your mother!”
Mason started crying.
“You hurt Lily!”
A child-services investigator was called because Mason had made allegations against his own mother.
By midnight, he was temporarily placed with his grandmother.
Before leaving, he hugged Lily.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell sooner.”
Lily hugged him back.
“You gave me crackers.”
Mason began crying harder.
I had to look away.
After both children were safe, Detective Harper sat at my kitchen table.
“Tell me about Sarah.”
“My first wife.”
“When did she die?”
“Three years ago. Car accident.”
“Estate?”
“Small life-insurance policy. Some retirement money.”
“Any inheritance from her family?”
“Not that I knew.”
Harper opened his laptop.
“Because Vanessa mentioned a trust.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know anything about one.”
He searched public probate records.
Then his expression changed.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Sarah’s parents died before she did?”
“Yes.”
“They owned land.”
“A farm.”
Harper turned the screen toward me.
The farm had been sold after Sarah’s mother died.
Sale price:
$2.4 million.
The beneficiary was not Sarah.
It was Lily.
I stared at the screen.
“My daughter has two million dollars?”
“Possibly more.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man said:
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Eric Collins.”
My entire body went cold.
“I think your wife has already told you about me.”
“No. My stepson did.”
Silence.
Then Eric said:
“You need to stop believing Vanessa.”
I nearly laughed.
“Why?”
“Because she never planned to give Lily to me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She planned to take Lily’s trust.”
“And you helped her.”
Another silence.
May you like
Then Eric whispered:
“I helped because Vanessa told me Lily was my daughter.”
