Chapter 7 - The Truth on the Lawn
“Vanessa! Stop!”
The shout cut across the garden.
Vanessa dropped the scissors.
For a moment, no one moved.
Daniel saw his mother’s uneven hair, the silver strands scattered across the lawn, and the terror she was trying to hide.
Vanessa recovered first.
“Daniel, this isn’t what it looks like.”
“What does it look like?”
“She asked me to cut it.”
Eleanor stared at her.
Vanessa stepped toward Daniel.
“Your mother became confused. She grabbed the scissors. I was trying to protect her.”
Eleanor lifted the severed lock.
“She said you ordered her to do it.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Vanessa shook her head quickly.
“She’s lying. This is exactly what I warned you about.”
Eleanor reached for the brooch on her cardigan.
Her fingers trembled too badly to open it.
Daniel knelt beside her.
“What is this?”
“A recorder.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
Daniel pressed the button.
Her voice played through the tiny speaker.
“Once Daniel has authority, he’ll sign whatever I put in front of him.”
Another recording followed.
“You’ll be in a facility before the month ends. Daniel won’t visit once I convince him you don’t recognize him.”
Then came Vanessa’s voice from minutes earlier.
“Daniel will never believe you.”
Daniel rose slowly.
Vanessa backed away.
“I can explain.”
“Did you sabotage her wheelchair?”
“No.”
“Did you hire that consultant?”
“I was helping you.”
“Did you remove her phone?”
“She was upsetting herself.”
Daniel took out his mobile phone and called the police.
Vanessa’s confidence finally collapsed.
“You would destroy our marriage over her?”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“No. You destroyed it when you believed she was defenseless.”
Sirens approached the villa.
Vanessa tried to leave through the garden gate, but Samuel Reeves and Lila were already standing there.
Samuel held a folder.
May you like
“The trust documents are protected,” he said. “And so is Mrs. Whitmore.”
For the first time, Vanessa had nowhere to go.
