Chapter 7 - Vanessa Had Done This Before
Diane agreed to meet us at a diner across town.
Ben came with me.
Claire stayed with Lily.
Diane was already in a booth when we arrived.
She looked ten years older than she had at the birthday party.
No makeup.
Dark circles under her eyes.
Hands shaking around a coffee cup.
Ben sat beside me.
“You said Vanessa has done this before,” I said.
Diane nodded.
“When she was twenty-four, she dated a man named Eric.”
“So?”
“He had a son.”
My stomach tightened.
“How old?”
“Eight.”
I stared at her.
Diane looked down.
“Vanessa hated how close they were.”
Ben asked, “What happened?”
“She would complain that Eric’s son was rude to her. Then things started breaking. A watch went missing. Money disappeared from her purse.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “The boy got blamed.”
Diane nodded.
“Eventually Eric installed a camera.”
I leaned forward.
“And?”
“The boy wasn’t taking anything.”
Of course he wasn’t.
“Vanessa was hiding her own things.”
My jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“To make Eric choose.”
“Choose what?”
Diane finally looked at me.
“Her or his son.”
The words made me sick.
“What happened after he found out?”
“He ended the relationship.”
“And Vanessa?”
“She told everyone he beat her.”
Ben’s pen stopped moving.
“Was that true?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she admitted it to me.”
I pushed back from the table.
Every part of the last week rearranged itself in my head.
The necklace.
The car.
The social media video.
Lily being called a liar.
Same game.
Different family.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Diane’s face crumpled.
“I thought she changed.”
“You watched her around my daughter for three years.”
“I know.”
“You knew this.”
“I wanted to believe she was better.”
“That belief could have cost Lily years of her childhood.”
Diane covered her face.
“I know.”
I wanted to scream at her.
Instead, Ben asked the question that mattered.
“Do you have proof?”
Diane lowered her hands.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“After Eric left, Vanessa sent me messages. She was furious. She said horrible things.”
“What things?”
Diane took out an old phone.
“I kept it.”
She unlocked the screen.
The messages were eight years old.
Most were angry.
Some were worse.
One made my skin crawl.
Kids are easy. Adults believe whatever you say if you cry first.
Another said:
Eric picked that brat over me. I should’ve made the story bigger.
Ben photographed everything.
Then Diane showed us one final message.
If I ever date a dad again, I’ll make sure the kid knows who comes first before the wedding.
I had to stand up.
I walked outside.
The air felt too thin.
My phone rang.
Claire.
I answered immediately.
“What happened?”
Her breathing was fast.
“Mark, someone just left a package on the porch.”
“Don’t touch it.”
“I already brought it inside.”
“Claire—”
“There’s no name.”
“What’s in it?”
She went quiet.
“Claire?”
Her voice dropped.
“It’s Lily’s missing picture of Sarah.”
My knees nearly gave out.
May you like
Then Claire added,
“Mark… there’s something written across Sarah’s face.”
