Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO KILLED DANIEL
My knees nearly gave out.
Daniel’s accident had happened three years earlier.
A rainy night.
A two-lane highway.
A delivery truck crossed the center line and crushed the driver’s side of his car.
Thomas Harris pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
He served eighteen months.
That was supposed to be the whole story.
“Why is Preston texting him?” I whispered.
Ruiz didn’t answer.
She couldn’t.
But my brother could.
I turned toward him.
He looked trapped now.
Not angry.
Not smug.
Cornered.
“You knew Harris?”
Preston shook his head.
“No.”
“Your second phone says otherwise.”
“That phone isn’t mine.”
Ruiz held it up.
“It was ringing when I called the number connected to the messages you sent Eli.”
Preston looked at Dad.
“Say something.”
Dad hesitated.
That hesitation scared me.
“Dad?”
He rubbed his face.
“Rachel, maybe this isn’t the place.”
My stomach dropped again.
“What do you know?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you scared?”
“I’m not.”
“You look terrified.”
Mom stepped in.
“Please. Sophie is here.”
Sophie stood behind Vanessa, eyes wide.
I swallowed everything I wanted to scream.
Then Ruiz said, “We can continue this somewhere private.”
“No,” Vanessa said.
Everyone looked at her.
Her face was pale beneath her makeup.
She stepped toward Preston.
“No more private conversations.”
“Vanessa.”
“No.”
Her voice cracked.
“You accused a child of stealing at our wedding. You paid someone to destroy a drive. You have a secret phone connected to the man who killed Rachel’s husband.”
She pulled off her veil.
“I want to know what I married.”
Preston’s face twisted.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
He looked around the ballroom.
Two hundred people.
Family.
Friends.
Business partners.
Clients.
His entire carefully built image.
I suddenly understood why he had framed Sophie.
Distraction.
Chaos.
Maybe he needed me thrown out before someone discovered something.
Maybe Sophie was just convenient.
That realization made me sick.
Ruiz turned to Delaney.
“Can we access the camera footage now?”
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
Preston stepped forward.
“My attorney needs to be present.”
“You’re not under arrest,” Ruiz said.
“Then I’m leaving.”
Ruiz studied him.
“You can.”
He blinked.
Then started walking.
Five steps.
Six.
Then Dad said something so quietly I almost missed it.
“Preston, don’t run again.”
Preston stopped.
I turned toward my father.
“Again?”
Dad closed his eyes.
May you like
And suddenly I knew.
Whatever happened three years ago, my father had known about it.
