Chapter 6 - THE THREAT
Sarah didn’t sleep.
At seven in the morning, Rachel found her sitting at the kitchen table with cold coffee and a baseball bat leaning against her chair.
“You look terrible.”
“Thanks.”
“I mean terrified.”
Sarah slid the phone toward her.
Rachel read the messages.
Her face changed instantly.
“We’re calling the police.”
“I already did.”
“And?”
“They took a report.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
Rachel slammed the phone down.
“They threatened Lily.”
“I know.”
“You can’t stay here.”
“I know.”
“You need a lawyer.”
“I know.”
Rachel stared at her.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I’ve had six hours to think about how badly I screwed up my life.”
“You married a liar. That doesn’t mean you’re stupid.”
Sarah looked away.
Rachel sat across from her.
“What are you going to do?”
“Meet Daniel.”
“No.”
“Rachel.”
“No. Somebody followed you last night.”
“And somebody stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from me.”
“Money isn’t worth Lily.”
“This isn’t about money anymore.”
Sarah’s voice hardened.
“This is about knowing what Mark is capable of.”
At nine, Sarah left Lily with Rachel.
She took Rachel’s car instead of her own.
Then she drove to Daniel Price’s office.
Daniel was in his sixties with silver hair, tired eyes, and the kind of face that looked permanently disappointed in humanity.
He locked the office door behind her.
“You were followed?”
“Yes.”
He listened as Sarah explained the messages.
When she finished, Daniel leaned back.
“Your father was afraid of Mark.”
Sarah swallowed.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He tried.”
“He never said anything.”
“He believed you would defend your husband.”
That stung because it was true.
Daniel opened a safe.
He removed a thick file and a white envelope.
Sarah recognized her father’s handwriting immediately.
Sarah—
My girl.
Her eyes filled.
Daniel slid it across the desk.
“He told me to give you this only if Mark tried to interfere with the trust.”
Sarah opened it with shaking hands.
The letter was three pages.
She read the first line.
Sarah, if you’re reading this, then I was right about Mark, and I’m sorry.
Her chest collapsed.
She kept reading.
Her father explained that he had discovered Mark owed nearly $600,000 to investors after a failed real estate deal.
He had confronted him.
Mark begged him not to tell Sarah.
Her father refused.
Then came the worst part.
Three weeks before he died, someone tried to access his investment accounts using Mark’s computer.
Sarah stopped reading.
“Oh my God.”
Daniel nodded.
“Your father hired a private investigator.”
“What did he find?”
Daniel pushed another folder toward her.
“Mark had multiple debts.”
Sarah opened it.
Loan statements.
Business filings.
Wire transfers.
Then photographs.
Mark meeting men Sarah didn’t know.
Evelyn entering a hotel.
Mark handing someone an envelope.
Sarah looked up.
“Who are these people?”
“We don’t know all of them.”
“And Evelyn?”
“Your father believed she was helping Mark move money.”
Sarah’s head spun.
“There’s more.”
Daniel hesitated.
“What?”
“Your father suspected Mark might try to challenge the trust.”
“On what grounds?”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“By claiming you were mentally unfit.”
Sarah stared at him.
“What?”
Daniel handed her one final document.
A petition.
Already drafted.
Sarah Bennett suffers from severe emotional instability and presents a danger to herself and her minor child.
Sarah’s hands went numb.
“This is fake.”
“Yes.”
“He planned this?”
“It appears so.”
Sarah scanned the date.
Three months ago.
Her breathing stopped.
Three months.
Mark had been planning to take Lily.
Her phone rang.
Rachel.
Sarah answered immediately.
“What happened?”
Rachel was crying.
“Sarah…”
“Where’s Lily?”
“She’s okay.”
Sarah stood.
“What happened?”
“Mark came here.”
“What?”
“He had papers.”
Sarah’s heart slammed against her ribs.
“What papers?”
Rachel’s voice cracked.
“A temporary custody order.”
Sarah couldn’t speak.
May you like
Rachel continued.
“And two officers just took Lily with him.”
