Chapter 8 - THE HOUSE WHERE THEY MET
Saint Catherine’s had been closed for twelve years.
Daniel parked outside the rusted gates as evening settled over the empty building. He and Vanessa had first met there during a charity renovation project ten years earlier.
At least, that was the story she had arranged for him to believe.
He entered through a broken side door.
“Vanessa?”
His voice echoed through the corridor.
A light shone beneath the door of the former dining room.
Daniel entered and found Evelyn sitting at a table. Vanessa stood beside the window holding a small camera.
Evelyn rose when she saw him.
“Daniel.”
He crossed the room and embraced her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He looked at Vanessa.
“You took her from the house.”
“I saved her.”
“From whom?”
“Marcus sent someone.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because your phone may be monitored.”
“You have lied to me for ten years.”
Vanessa lowered the camera.
“I know.”
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“You were at the lake house.”
“Yes.”
“You are Marcus Vale’s daughter.”
Her eyes filled, but she did not look away.
“Yes.”
Daniel’s voice became colder with every answer.
“Did you marry me to get the property?”
“No.”
“Then why did you choose me?”
“At first, because Marcus told me to.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Daniel felt something inside him break.
“At first?”
“I was supposed to find out whether your mother still had the key. Marcus believed she had hidden evidence from the blue room.”
“And after that?”
“I loved you.”
“Do not say that.”
“It is true.”
“You built our marriage on a lie.”
“I tried to leave after the first year.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Marcus threatened to expose Evelyn.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“She knew who you were?”
Evelyn nodded.
“I recognized her after the wedding.”
“And you said nothing?”
“She begged me.”
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Marcus had photographs showing Evelyn behind the wheel after the crash. He said Daniel would hate her. He said the police would reopen the case.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“So both of you decided I could not handle the truth.”
“We were trying to protect you,” Evelyn said.
“Everyone keeps using that word.”
Vanessa placed the camera on the table.
“This contains recordings of Marcus and Dr. Cole. I have collected them for two years.”
“You were working with them six days ago.”
“I was pretending.”
“The medication?”
“I changed the pills.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What?”
“Cole ordered stronger doses. I replaced most of them with harmless tablets.”
“Most?”
“I couldn’t replace everything without making him suspicious.”
“You still gave my mother drugs that made her confused.”
“I know.”
Evelyn spoke quietly.
“She also stopped Marcus from taking me last winter.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“What happened last winter?”
Vanessa answered.
“He came to the house while you were away. He wanted Evelyn to sign the transfer. I told him her memory was too unstable and the signature could be challenged.”
“That was why you began telling everyone she had dementia.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed her credibility to delay him?”
“I thought I could gather enough evidence before he moved against us.”
Daniel stepped away from them both.
“You let me believe my mother was disappearing.”
Vanessa’s face crumpled.
“I had no safe way to tell you.”
“There is always a way to tell the truth.”
A noise came from the corridor.
Vanessa grabbed the camera.
The dining-room door slammed shut from outside.
The lock turned.
Smoke began pouring through the ventilation grate.
Evelyn coughed.
Daniel ran to the door and struck it with his shoulder.
It did not move.
Vanessa searched the room.
“There was another exit years ago.”
“Where?”
“Behind the pantry wall.”
They pulled aside an old cabinet and found a narrow service door hidden beneath peeling wallpaper.
Daniel forced it open.
The three of them escaped into the courtyard as smoke filled the dining room.
A black vehicle accelerated away from the rear gate.
Vanessa checked the camera in her hand.
May you like
The memory card was gone.
Someone had entered the room before them and replaced it with an empty one.
