Chapter 4 - THE TRUSTED UNCLE
Malcolm Callahan stared at Lily.
Then he laughed.
It was a warm, patient laugh.
The kind adults used when children said something foolish.
“Grant, she is clearly overwhelmed.”
Grant moved between his uncle and Lily.
“Why were you here the night Claire died?”
Malcolm’s smile faded.
“I was not.”
“Lily remembers you.”
“She was five.”
“She remembers Renata too.”
“Trauma creates false memories.”
“So does guilt.”
Malcolm’s eyes hardened.
“You should be careful.”
Grant stepped closer.
“Is that a threat?”
“It is advice.”
Malcolm looked around the nursery.
“You have allowed a domestic employee to fill your daughter’s head with accusations.”
I stood.
“I haven’t told her anything.”
Malcolm turned toward me.
“You assaulted Renata.”
“I stopped her from burning Lily.”
“You have no idea what you interrupted.”
“I saw exactly what I interrupted.”
His eyes moved over my worn uniform.
He looked at me as if I were dirt beneath his shoe.
“You are confused about your position here.”
“I know my position.”
I placed myself beside Lily.
“It’s between her and anyone who wants to hurt her.”
Malcolm’s face tightened.
Grant almost smiled.
Then Nadia entered with two security officers.
“Mr. Callahan, I need your phone.”
Malcolm looked at her.
“Excuse me?”
“Both gates were opened remotely when Renata escaped.”
“The command came from a device registered to you.”
Malcolm did not blink.
“My phone was cloned.”
“Then you won’t object to us examining it.”
“I absolutely object.”
Grant held out his hand.
“Give it to her.”
Malcolm stared at his nephew.
“You are allowing grief to destroy your judgment.”
“My judgment was destroyed two years ago.”
Grant’s voice shook with anger.
“I believed the wrong people.”
“I believed you.”
Malcolm slowly removed his phone.
Before placing it in Grant’s hand, he pressed the side button twice.
The device wiped itself.
Nadia grabbed it.
The screen turned white.
“Remote deletion,” she said.
Malcolm shrugged.
“A security feature.”
Grant’s face went cold.
“Lock him in the east study.”
“You cannot detain me.”
“This is my house.”
Malcolm smiled.
“Not for much longer.”
The statement silenced the room.
Malcolm adjusted his cuff links.
“The board voted tonight.”
Grant stared at him.
“Voted on what?”
“Your temporary removal as chairman.”
“You don’t have the authority.”
“We do under the mental-incapacity clause.”
Grant laughed once.
“You’re trying to steal my company.”
“I am trying to protect it.”
“From what?”
“From a widower who has allowed a hysterical nanny and a damaged child to create a murder investigation.”
Lily lowered her head.
Grant saw it.
He grabbed Malcolm by the front of his tuxedo.
“Call my daughter damaged again.”
“Grant,” Nadia warned.
Malcolm looked into Grant’s eyes.
“You are proving my point.”
Grant released him.
The two security officers escorted Malcolm toward the door.
Before leaving, Malcolm looked at me.
Then he looked at Lily.
“You should leave this house while you still can.”
The door closed.
Grant walked to the window.
The ballroom below remained full.
Malcolm had not canceled the gala.
He had taken it over.
Members of the board were drinking champagne while preparing to remove Grant from his own company.
Nadia opened her laptop.
“I recovered part of the bathroom recording from the local backup.”
“Send it to the police.”
“I can’t.”
She turned the screen around.
The footage had been altered.
The beginning showed Renata styling Lily’s hair.
Then the image jumped.
The next frame showed me crashing into Renata.
The threats were gone.
The burning was gone.
Everything that proved Renata’s guilt had disappeared.
Grant looked at Nadia.
“Who altered it?”
“Someone with executive access.”
“Malcolm?”
“Or Renata.”
My phone rang.
The number belonged to my mother’s dialysis clinic.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
A nurse spoke quickly.
“Emma, your mother’s insurance coverage has been terminated.”
My knees nearly gave out.
“What?”
“The company canceled it thirty minutes ago.”
I looked at Grant.
He heard every word.
The nurse continued.
“Your mother became upset.”
“She tried to leave.”
“Now we can’t find her.”
The call ended.
A photograph arrived on my phone.
My mother sat in the back seat of a car.
Her eyes were closed.
A red scarf was tied around her wrists.
May you like
Beneath the photograph was one sentence.
BRING LILY TO ME, OR YOUR MOTHER MISSES HER NEXT TREATMENT.
