Chapter 12 - THE HOUSE IN MALIBU CANYON
Ethan entered the abandoned house alone.
At least Vanessa thought he was alone.
Hale’s team waited outside.
A microphone was taped beneath Ethan’s shirt.
“Vanessa?”
Her voice came from upstairs.
“You actually came.”
Ethan climbed slowly.
She stood in an empty bedroom.
Sophie’s purple notebook was in her hand.
“You look tired,” she said.
“My daughter was kidnapped.”
“Cole did that.”
“You paid him.”
“Not for Sophie.”
“You abused her.”
Vanessa’s smile disappeared.
“She was always watching.”
“She was four.”
“She remembered everything.”
“That’s what children do.”
“She would stand in doorways.”
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“Listening.”
“So you hurt her?”
“I disciplined her.”
“You locked her in closets.”
“She needed to learn.”
Ethan’s hands curled.
“Learn what?”
“When adults tell you to keep quiet, you keep quiet.”
The sentence nearly made him attack her.
Hale’s voice whispered through the earpiece.
“Keep her talking.”
Ethan forced himself to remain still.
“Daniel didn’t keep quiet.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Daniel thought he was smarter than everyone.”
“So you drugged him.”
“He wasn’t supposed to die.”
“Cole says otherwise.”
“Cole is weak.”
“You told him to hold Daniel under.”
Vanessa looked toward the window.
“I told Cole to stop him from ruining us.”
“By killing him?”
“He made his choice.”
Ethan stared at her.
“And Emily?”
For the first time, Vanessa looked surprised.
Good.
“You followed her.”
Vanessa recovered quickly.
“You’re reaching.”
“We have a photograph.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Rachel?”
“Answer me.”
Vanessa walked closer.
“Emily was going to ruin everything before it began.”
Ethan’s blood turned cold.
“What began?”
“You.”
He stared.
Vanessa smiled sadly.
“I met you before you ever met me.”
“What?”
“At a fundraiser.”
“I don’t remember.”
“I know.”
She moved closer.
“You spoke for ten minutes about your projects, your daughter, your perfect wife.”
Ethan felt sick.
“I went home and looked you up.”
“You stalked my family.”
“I studied you.”
“That’s insane.”
“No.”
Vanessa’s voice became bitter.
“It was survival.”
“What did you do to Emily?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“Did you kill her?”
“She drove too fast.”
“Did you touch her car?”
Vanessa’s eyes shifted.
Ethan saw it.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing that should have killed her.”
His entire body went rigid.
Hale’s voice sounded in his ear.
“We have it.”
But Ethan needed the truth.
“What did you do?”
Vanessa’s face crumpled with anger.
“I loosened a line.”
“What line?”
“Brake line.”
Ethan stopped breathing.
“She was supposed to have a scare.”
“You cut my wife’s brakes.”
“Loosened!”
“She died!”
“I didn’t plan that!”
“You killed her!”
Vanessa screamed, “I didn’t know Sophie would be in the car!”
Ethan froze.
Sophie had not been in the car.
Not that day.
Vanessa realized her mistake.
Too late.
Ethan whispered, “How did you know Sophie sometimes rode with her?”
Vanessa backed away.
Police stormed the house.
“Hands!”
Vanessa grabbed the notebook.
She ran toward the balcony.
Hale shouted, “Vanessa!”
She climbed over the railing.
Ethan’s heart jumped.
“You’ll die!”
She laughed through tears.
“You already think I’m a murderer.”
Then she dropped the notebook.
Pages scattered into the canyon wind.
Ethan lunged.
Vanessa slipped.
May you like
Her body vanished over the railing.
And for one horrible second, Ethan thought the woman who had destroyed his family had taken every remaining answer with her.
