Chapter 5 - the husband no one knew existed)
Laura thought she had misheard him.
"Her husband?"
Miles nodded.
"His name is Eric Cole."
"Daniel knows she's married?"
"I don't know what Daniel knows anymore."
Sarah leaned forward.
"Start from the beginning."
Miles looked tired.
"Vanessa joined Daniel's firm two years ago as a client relations manager. She was good. Very good. Within six months, she had access to accounts far above her position."
"How?"
"People trusted her."
Laura nearly laughed.
Miles continued.
"Last year I noticed irregular transfers connected to several elderly clients. Small amounts at first. Then larger ones."
"Vanessa stole money?"
"I couldn't prove who initiated it. But the transactions moved through shell companies."
"West Vale Holdings?"
Miles looked at Laura sharply.
"You found that."
"It owns Meadow Lane."
Miles nodded.
"West Vale is one of them."
Sarah asked, "Where does Daniel fit?"
"He approved some transactions."
Laura felt the floor shift beneath her.
"Daniel stole money?"
"I didn't say that."
"You said he approved them."
"He claims he was misled."
"Do you believe him?"
Miles hesitated.
"I believe he became involved with Vanessa before he understood what she was doing."
Laura looked away.
Even now, part of her hated hearing the affair described as though Daniel had been seduced into a trap.
He had made choices.
Miles continued.
"Eric Cole contacted me nine months ago."
"Vanessa's husband?"
"Yes. He said Vanessa had been moving money through accounts in his name. He wanted protection."
"What happened?"
"He disappeared."
"Did you report it?"
"Yes."
"Police?"
"Federal investigators too."
Laura stared at the photograph.
Vanessa stood beside Eric outside a restaurant.
She looked younger.
Happy.
Normal.
"What does this have to do with Emily?"
Miles closed the folder halfway.
"That's what I couldn't understand at first."
He took out another page.
It was a transcript.
Questions and answers.
Laura recognized the questions immediately.
Does your mother cry often?
Does she forget to feed you?
Has she ever left you alone?
Has she ever said she wants to disappear?
Laura's stomach twisted.
"These are the things Emily said Vanessa asked."
"Yes."
"Why do you have this?"
"I found the document on a shared office server before I resigned."
Sarah read quickly.
"This looks like preparation for a custody evaluation."
"It was."
Laura whispered, "They were building a case against me."
Miles nodded.
"Vanessa wanted Daniel to obtain primary custody."
"Why?"
"Control."
"Of Emily?"
"Of Daniel."
Laura stared at him.
Miles leaned forward.
"Daniel was becoming frightened. He told me privately that he wanted to cooperate with investigators. Vanessa knew that if you retained primary custody, Daniel could walk away from her more easily."
"So she wanted Emily living with them."
"Yes."
"To keep Daniel trapped?"
"And to control his decisions."
Laura felt sick.
"She used my daughter as leverage."
Miles said nothing.
Sarah asked the next question.
"Why were the interviews recorded?"
"Insurance."
"Against whom?"
"Everyone."
Miles explained that Vanessa recorded conversations obsessively.
Employees.
Clients.
Daniel.
Possibly Eric.
She gathered secrets before she needed them.
"Meadow Lane was a staging location," Miles said. "A place outside the office and outside Daniel's apartment."
Laura looked at the black folder.
"What evidence do you have?"
"Enough to interest investigators. Not enough to prove what happened to Eric."
"And the video of Emily?"
Miles hesitated.
Laura noticed.
"What?"
"I've seen a clip."
Her heart stopped.
"What clip?"
"Vanessa yelling at Emily."
"Did she hit her?"
"I don't know. The file cut off."
"Where is it?"
Miles looked down.
"I copied part of the Meadow Lane system before access was changed."
"Give it to me."
"I can't."
Laura stood.
"She is my daughter."
Owen turned from the booth behind them.
Miles lowered his voice.
"Sit down."
"No."
"Laura, if Vanessa knows I still have anything, she will disappear."
"I don't care."
"You will if she takes evidence connecting Daniel to the fraud with her."
Laura sat again.
"Why are you protecting Daniel?"
"I'm not."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Trying to finish something I failed to finish months ago."
Sarah asked, "Are you working with law enforcement?"
Miles did not answer directly.
That was answer enough.
Before leaving, he gave Sarah a flash drive.
"Not the recording," he said. "Financial documents."
Laura stared at him.
"When will I see the video?"
"When I know where the full copy is."
"Who has it?"
Miles looked toward the diner entrance.
"Possibly Daniel."
Laura drove home after midnight.
Emily was sleeping at Laura's sister's house.
For the first time in weeks, the home was completely quiet.
Laura entered the kitchen.
A lamp was on.
She had turned it off before leaving.
She stopped.
On the kitchen table lay a pale pink hair clip.
Emily's.
The same type police had found at Meadow Lane.
Beside it was a folded note.
Laura opened it.
Four words.
STOP ASKING ABOUT ERIC.
Laura did not scream.
May you like
She backed toward the door.
Then she heard movement upstairs.
