Chapter 5 - THE FILES
Veronica lunged.
“Give me that!”
Alexander caught her wrist before she reached Sofia.
“Back away.”
Veronica stared at him.
He released her.
Sofia held the USB drive tightly.
“What’s on it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why did you take it?”
Sofia swallowed.
“Because it had your name on it.”
Alexander looked at the small label.
A.V. — PRIVATE.
Veronica tried to laugh.
“It’s probably financial paperwork.”
“Then you won’t mind if I check.”
“I do mind. It’s mine.”
Alexander looked at her.
“You just said it was probably mine.”
She fell silent.
Alexander took his laptop from his briefcase.
They went downstairs.
He plugged in the drive.
A password box appeared.
Veronica turned toward the staircase.
“Where are you going?” Alexander asked.
“To bed.”
“No.”
She stopped.
“You’re staying.”
He tried Elena’s birthday.
Wrong.
Sofia’s birthday.
Wrong.
Their wedding anniversary.
Wrong.
Rosa spoke.
“Try ‘Elena.’”
Alexander looked at her.
“Why?”
“Mrs. Vale used that name for everything she hated.”
Veronica’s face tightened.
Alexander typed ELENA.
The drive opened.
Dozens of folders filled the screen.
Alexander clicked the first.
EMAIL.
Inside were screenshots of messages sent from Alexander’s account.
Messages he had never written.
One to Sofia’s school.
BUSINESS TRAVEL HAS BECOME EXTENSIVE. PLEASE DIRECT NON-URGENT FAMILY MATTERS TO MY WIFE, VERONICA.
One to Rosa.
YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED.
One to Alexander’s sister, Claire.
SOFIA NEEDS SPACE AFTER ELENA’S DEATH. PLEASE STOP VISITING WITHOUT NOTICE.
Alexander felt sick.
Claire had stopped coming around.
He had thought she was giving them time to adjust.
He opened another folder.
CALENDAR.
His schedule had been altered for months.
Dinner with Sofia — deleted.
School play — marked canceled.
Parent conference — moved to a date he was overseas.
Alexander stared at the screen.
“I missed her school play because my calendar said it was canceled.”
Sofia looked down.
“I thought you didn’t want to come.”
He shut his eyes.
“I was sitting in a hotel room in Chicago that night.”
Veronica said, “You’re blaming me for your career now?”
Alexander opened another folder.
AUDIO.
Sofia stiffened.
“What?”
She looked at Veronica.
“Nothing.”
Alexander clicked the newest recording.
Veronica’s voice filled the room.
“You can cry all you want. Your father won’t hear you.”
Then Sofia’s voice.
“Please give me my phone.”
“No.”
“I want to call Dad.”
“He doesn’t have time for you.”
The recording continued.
“You know why he stays away, don’t you?”
“No.”
“Because every time he looks at you, he remembers your mother.”
“Stop.”
“And he hated what she did to him.”
“That’s not true.”
“You’re not even his real daughter.”
Alexander stopped the audio.
His hand shook on the trackpad.
Sofia covered her mouth.
She clearly hadn’t known the conversation was recorded.
Alexander looked at Veronica.
“Did you record yourself?”
Veronica’s face had turned gray.
Rosa whispered, “It sounds like a security recording.”
Alexander looked toward the ceiling.
The house had an integrated smart security system.
Cameras in common areas.
Audio sensors.
He rarely checked them.
Veronica had always managed the system.
Alexander pulled up the security app.
ADMIN ACCOUNT: V.VALE.
He looked at her.
“Give me the password.”
“No.”
“Give me the password.”
“Call your lawyer.”
Alexander stared at her.
“That was already my next move.”
He called someone.
“David. I need you at my house tonight.”
Veronica’s confidence flickered.
Alexander continued.
“And bring someone who understands digital evidence.”
He ended the call.
Then another notification appeared.
The USB contained one final hidden folder.
BANK.
Alexander clicked it.
The first document showed a transfer from Sofia’s trust fund.
$85,000.
Transferred three months earlier.
May you like
The recipient name made Alexander go completely still.
VERONICA VALE.
