Chapter 9 - THE SHOT
Ethan reached Sophie before anyone else.
“No, no, no.”
She lay on the ground.
“Sophie!”
She opened her eyes.
“Daddy?”
He nearly collapsed.
The bullet had missed.
She had tripped.
Behind him, officers tackled Cole.
Hale kicked the gun away.
Ethan lifted Sophie.
“You’re okay.”
She sobbed against him.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“You came.”
“I will always come.”
He pressed his face into her hair.
For the first time in years, Ethan Bennett cried without caring who saw.
At the hospital, doctors examined Sophie.
Bruising.
Dehydration.
No serious physical injuries.
But one doctor quietly told Ethan something worse.
“She shows signs of prolonged anxiety.”
Ethan looked through the glass at his daughter.
“What does that mean?”
“She’s been living in fear.”
The words destroyed him more than any accusation Vanessa had made.
Living in fear.
In his house.
While he signed contracts in other cities.
While he praised Vanessa for being such a wonderful stepmother.
Rachel sat beside him.
“You found her.”
“I should have protected her before she needed finding.”
Rachel didn’t argue.
She simply held his hand.
The next morning Hale arrived.
“Cole confessed.”
Ethan looked up.
“To Daniel?”
“Partially.”
“What does that mean?”
“He admits holding Daniel under.”
“Then it’s murder.”
“He claims Vanessa ordered it.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“Of course.”
“He also says Vanessa drugged Daniel.”
“Can he prove it?”
“Maybe.”
Hale placed a folder on Ethan’s lap.
“Cole saved copies.”
Financial documents.
Bank records.
Transfers.
Forged signatures.
Vanessa had been moving money from Ethan’s companies into shell accounts for more than a year.
Nearly $1.8 million.
Ethan stared.
“She planned all this.”
“Looks like it.”
“Why marry me?”
Hale didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Money.
Access.
Status.
Opportunity.
Ethan turned the page.
Then stopped.
A life insurance policy.
His name.
Insured: Ethan Bennett.
Beneficiary: Vanessa Bennett.
Ten million dollars.
Policy activated eight months earlier.
Ethan felt cold.
“I never approved this.”
Hale stared.
“You didn’t?”
“No.”
The signature looked like his.
It wasn’t.
Rachel whispered, “Oh my God.”
Hale took the document.
“This changes things.”
Ethan’s phone vibrated.
A notification from his security system.
Motion detected at home.
Police still had access restrictions around the property.
Ethan opened the camera.
Vanessa was inside.
He stood.
“How the hell is she at my house?”
Hale immediately called dispatch.
Vanessa appeared on the upstairs camera.
She entered Sophie’s room.
She carried a gasoline can.
Ethan stared at the screen in horror.
“She’s going to burn the house.”
Hale ran.
But before they reached the door, Ethan saw Vanessa kneel beside Sophie’s bed.
She reached underneath it.
And pulled out a small purple notebook.
Then she looked directly into the security camera.
For three seconds she stared at Ethan through the screen.
May you like
And smiled.
Then the camera went black.
