Chapter 8 - THE HEARING
The courtroom was smaller than Sarah expected.
That somehow made everything worse.
There was nowhere to hide.
Mark sat across the aisle wearing a navy suit.
Calm.
Clean-shaven.
Concerned father.
Evelyn was nowhere to be seen.
Sarah sat beside attorney Rebecca Stone, one of Daniel’s oldest friends.
Rebecca was in her forties, sharp-eyed and terrifyingly calm.
“Do not react to him,” she whispered.
“He stole my daughter.”
“He obtained a temporary order.”
“He lied.”
“And we’re about to prove it.”
Mark’s attorney began.
He described Sarah as unstable.
Grieving.
Aggressive.
Obsessed with money.
He mentioned the party.
The police.
The accusation of an affair.
The threatening messages.
Then he suggested Sarah might have sent the messages to herself.
Sarah’s hands curled into fists.
Rebecca touched her arm.
“Don’t.”
Mark took the stand.
“I’m worried about my wife.”
Sarah wanted to laugh.
He looked so sincere.
“She hasn’t been herself since her father died.”
The attorney asked, “Do you believe your daughter is safe with her?”
Mark hesitated just long enough.
“I want to believe that.”
Sarah felt physically ill.
Then Rebecca stood.
“Mr. Bennett, are you having an affair with Evelyn Cross?”
Mark blinked.
“My marriage is not the issue.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“For eight months?”
“Approximately.”
“Did Ms. Cross push your daughter at the party?”
“I didn’t see a push.”
“Did Lily say she was pushed?”
“Yes.”
“And did you defend Ms. Cross?”
“I tried to calm everyone.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Let’s talk about calm.”
She placed a flash drive on the table.
Mark’s eyes moved.
Small movement.
But Sarah saw it.
Rebecca continued.
“Your Honor, we have exterior security footage from the Bennett residence.”
Mark’s attorney stood.
“We haven’t reviewed this.”
“You received it forty minutes ago.”
Rebecca connected the video.
First clip.
Mark meeting the SUV driver.
Second.
Mark removing Sarah’s father’s records.
Third.
The argument with Evelyn.
Then the audio played.
“I’ll get control of Lily.”
Mark’s face changed.
“Once I have Lily, I control the money.”
The courtroom went silent.
The judge looked directly at Mark.
“What money?”
Mark’s attorney whispered urgently to him.
Rebecca spoke.
“A multimillion-dollar trust established for Lily Bennett.”
The judge’s expression hardened.
“Was this disclosed in your petition?”
“No, Your Honor.”
Mark jumped in.
“I didn’t know the amount.”
Rebecca turned.
“But you knew the trust existed?”
Mark hesitated.
“Yes.”
“And you sought emergency custody three months after preparing legal documents claiming your wife was unstable?”
Mark looked at Sarah.
His eyes were full of hate now.
Not love.
Not regret.
Hate.
The judge called a recess.
Twenty-five minutes later, everyone returned.
The judge lifted the emergency order.
Lily was to be returned to Sarah immediately.
Mark received supervised visitation until further review.
Sarah cried silently.
For the first time in twenty-four hours, she could breathe.
Outside the courtroom, Mark passed close to her.
Rebecca stepped between them.
Mark smiled.
“You think you won.”
Sarah said nothing.
He leaned closer.
“You don’t know where Lily is.”
Sarah’s blood froze.
Rebecca turned sharply.
“What did you say?”
Mark kept walking.
Sarah called Rachel.
No answer.
She called again.
Nothing.
Then a text came from an unknown number.
A photo.
Lily sitting in the back seat of a car.
Crying.
May you like
Underneath:
THE JUDGE CAN’T RETURN WHAT YOU CAN’T FIND.
