Chapter 8 - WE WEREN’T SAFE
“We need to call the police.”
This time, nobody argued.
Not even Daniel.
Frank called.
I showed him every message.
Every photo.
The recording.
Evelyn sat at the table with her arms wrapped around herself.
For the first time all night, she looked small.
But I wasn’t fooled.
Fear didn’t erase what she had done.
Daniel stood beside me.
“I’m sorry.”
I looked at him.
“For which part?”
He flinched.
“I should’ve stopped her.”
“Yes.”
“I froze.”
“No, you chose.”
“That’s not fair.”
I laughed.
“Fair?”
“Rachel, come on.”
“You knew she planned to accuse me.”
His face changed.
“I didn’t know she was going to hit you.”
“So you did know about the accusation.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“She said she needed a distraction.”
My stomach dropped.
“A distraction?”
“She said Dad had started asking questions about the money.”
“So she decided to make me the family criminal?”
“She said it would buy her time.”
I stared at him.
“And you agreed?”
“No.”
“You didn’t stop her.”
“I thought she was just going to say you took cash.”
I couldn’t believe him.
“You thought that was acceptable?”
“No!”
“Then what did you do?”
Nothing.
That was the answer.
Nothing.
He had done nothing.
He had driven me to his parents’ house knowing his mother planned to publicly accuse me of theft.
He had eaten dinner beside me.
Passed me the potatoes.
Asked if I wanted wine.
All while waiting for the explosion.
My throat tightened.
“I want you out of our house.”
His face went blank.
“What?”
“When we leave here, you’re not coming home with me.”
“Rachel.”
“No.”
“You’re emotional.”
I stared at him.
“Say that again.”
He stopped.
I stepped closer.
“You helped your mother frame me for a crime.”
“I didn’t help.”
“You kept quiet.”
“I was trying to protect everyone.”
“You protected her.”
He said nothing.
There it was.
The truth.
The police arrived twenty minutes later.
Two officers.
A woman named Officer Martinez and a younger man named Carter.
They separated us.
Asked questions.
Took photos of my lip and knees.
Evelyn suddenly became very polite.
Very calm.
Very victim-like.
“I lost control,” she said softly.
Officer Martinez stared at her.
“You dragged her by the hair?”
Evelyn swallowed.
“Yes.”
“And slapped her?”
“Yes.”
“Twice?”
Evelyn looked at me.
I said, “Once on the face. She tried again.”
Martinez nodded.
Then she asked the question Evelyn feared most.
“Did Ms. Collins steal five hundred dollars from you?”
Evelyn hesitated.
Too long.
“No.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Frank looked sick.
Officer Martinez leaned forward.
“Then why did you accuse her?”
Evelyn started crying.
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
Before she could answer, Officer Carter walked in from outside.
He was holding the envelope from my windshield.
“We’ve got a problem.”
He placed it on the table.
Inside was one photograph.
Evelyn and Greg.
Kissing.
And on the back, written in black marker:
MIDNIGHT.
May you like
BRING THE MONEY.
OR EVERYONE GETS THE REST.
