Chapter 1 - The Girl in the Water)
Juliette did not hesitate.
One second Emma was standing at the edge of the pool, her little hands curled nervously against the sides of her pale dress.
The next second, Juliette shoved her.
Christopher saw everything.
The small body disappeared beneath the bright blue surface.
For one terrible moment, the garden of the Whitmore mansion went completely silent.
Then Christopher screamed.
"Emma!"
He dropped the glass in his hand and ran.
Behind him, crystal shattered across the stone terrace.
Guests turned.
Household staff froze.
Juliette stepped backward from the pool with both hands lifted toward her mouth, already preparing the expression she wanted everyone to see.
Christopher did not see any of them.
He saw only the pale shape beneath the water.
He jumped into the pool in his dark blue suit.
The cold struck him hard, but he barely noticed.
He reached beneath the surface, found Emma's arm, wrapped both hands around her, and pulled her upward.
Her face was pale.
Her brown hair covered her eyes.
"Emma. Look at Daddy."
Nothing.
Christopher dragged her against his chest and pushed toward the pool steps.
"Emma!"
He climbed out with her in his arms.
Yvette was already running across the terrace.
Several members of the household staff followed her.
Christopher dropped to his knees.
"Baby, please."
Emma coughed.
Christopher stopped breathing.
She coughed again.
Water spilled from her mouth.
Then she began to cry.
The sound broke something inside him.
Christopher pulled her against his chest so tightly that she made a frightened little noise.
"Daddy."
"I'm here."
Her wet fingers clutched his jacket.
"Daddy."
"I'm right here."
Christopher pressed his cheek against her hair.
For several seconds, there was nothing in his world except the tiny body trembling against him.
Then Juliette hurried forward.
"Oh my God."
Christopher's head lifted.
Juliette was barefoot now. One of her champagne colored heels had fallen beside the pool.
Her face had gone pale.
She looked terrified.
But Christopher knew fear.
He had seen real fear on his daughter's face.
What he saw on Juliette's face was different.
Calculation.
"She slipped," Juliette said breathlessly. "Chris, she slipped. I tried to grab her."
Christopher stared at her.
Juliette stopped walking.
"She was running," she continued quickly. "I told her to stop. She lost her balance."
Emma's hands tightened around Christopher's jacket.
"No."
The word was so quiet that almost nobody heard it.
Christopher did.
He looked down.
Emma was staring at Juliette.
"No, Daddy."
Christopher's jaw tightened.
"What?"
Emma began crying harder.
"She pushed me."
Juliette's face changed.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Christopher saw it.
So did Yvette.
Christopher slowly stood.
He placed Emma behind him, keeping one hand wrapped around her tiny shoulder.
"You pushed her."
"Christopher, she's five. She's confused."
"You pushed my daughter."
"No."
"I watched you."
Juliette's lips parted.
Christopher took one step toward her.
The staff remained completely silent.
His voice dropped.
"You tried to kill my daughter for this house?"
Juliette went white.
That reaction gave him more of an answer than words ever could.
Christopher moved before anyone could stop him.
His fist struck Juliette across the face.
She stumbled sideways and fell onto the wet stone beside the pool.
Several guests gasped.
Christopher immediately turned back toward Emma.
He did not strike Juliette again.
He did not even look at her.
Juliette remained on the ground, clutching her cheek.
"You bastard."
Christopher lifted Emma into his arms again.
"It's okay," he whispered. "You're safe now."
Emma buried her face against his shoulder.
Yvette stepped between Christopher and Juliette.
But the housekeeper was not looking at Christopher.
She was looking at Juliette.
And in her right hand was a small black voice recorder.
Juliette noticed it.
Her expression changed again.
This time the panic was real.
Yvette raised the recorder.
"Mr. Whitmore."
Christopher looked at her.
Yvette's voice trembled.
"You need to hear this before the police arrive."
Juliette pushed herself upright.
"Yvette."
The housekeeper ignored her.
"Mrs. Whitmore came into the study this afternoon."
Juliette stood.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"I was cleaning the adjoining room."
"Stop."
"And I heard her speaking to someone."
Juliette's panic sharpened.
"Yvette, give me that."
Yvette stepped backward.
Christopher moved between them.
"Who was she speaking to?"
"I don't know."
Yvette looked down at the recorder.
"But I recorded part of the conversation."
Juliette rushed forward.
Christopher blocked her.
"Don't."
Her eyes locked on his.
"Chris, you don't understand."
"Then explain."
"I can't."
"You just pushed my five year old daughter into a swimming pool."
Juliette glanced toward the driveway.
In the distance came the first sound of sirens.
Her breathing grew shallow.
Then she said something Christopher would remember for the rest of his life.
"You think Emma dying would have given me this house?"
Christopher stared at her.
Juliette laughed once.
It was a small, broken sound.
"You still don't know what your daughter owns."
The sirens grew louder.
Yvette slowly turned the recorder over in her hand.
May you like
And Christopher realized the nightmare had not begun at the pool.
The pool was simply the first moment he had finally seen it.
