Chapter 5 - Vanessa Prepared To Take Mason
The guardianship petition was incomplete.
It had never been filed.
That mattered legally.
It did not make Ethan feel better.
The document claimed he suffered episodes of confusion, anger, and
memory loss.
None were true.
The attached physician letter looked convincing.
Officer Grant contacted the clinic.
The doctor denied writing it.
Now police had something concrete.
A forged medical document.
Vanessa returned to the house with an attorney the next morning to
collect belongings.
She denied creating the letter.
She admitted knowing about the guardianship form.
“Why?”
Vanessa looked exhausted.
“Ryan thought Thomas might come after Mason.”
Ryan, standing across the room with his own attorney, immediately
objected.
“I never said you needed guardianship.”
Vanessa turned.
“You said Ethan could become a target.”
“That doesn’t mean fake a doctor’s letter.”
“I didn’t fake it.”
Ethan watched them.
Their secret partnership was collapsing.
“Who prepared the form?” Detective Grant asked.
Vanessa named a man.
Peter Sloan.
A private investigator.
Ethan recognized the name from Claire’s notes.
Peter had worked for Thomas Cole years earlier.
Vanessa claimed Peter approached her after she contacted Ryan.
He said Claire had discovered evidence against Thomas.
He also warned that Ethan might be financially implicated without
knowing it.
According to Peter, if authorities froze Ethan’s assets or detained him,
Mason might need an emergency guardian.
“So you volunteered yourself,” Ethan said.
“I was living with you.”
“You were also starving my son as punishment.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I know.”
“Did Peter tell you to do that too?”
“No.”
“Good. Then don’t mix those things together.”
Vanessa cried.
She admitted the food punishments.
Not every day.
But repeatedly.
She said Mason had become defiant after she moved in.
He refused chores.
Ignored instructions.
Mentioned Claire whenever angry.
“I thought I had to establish authority.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You were not his mother.”
“I know.”
“You were not entitled to manufacture hunger so he would obey you.”
“I know.”
“No, Vanessa. You know now because I caught you.”
She had no answer.
Detective Grant redirected the interview.
Peter Sloan could not immediately be located.
Then police examined the printer in Claire’s office.
Its internal memory contained recently printed files.
The forged medical letter.
Guardianship forms.
Copies of Ethan’s financial documents.
And a photograph.
Mason getting off his school bus.
Taken from across the street.
Vanessa stared at it.
“I didn’t take that.”
Ryan agreed.
Neither had seen it.
Ethan’s anger turned to fear.
May you like
Someone had been watching Mason.
And whoever printed the photograph had access to Claire’s office.
