Chapter 3 - Lily Saw Papers In The Bedroom
Daniel carried Lily upstairs despite Margaret ordering him to stop.
Vanessa followed close behind.
“Daniel, she misunderstood.”
“Then this should be easy to explain.”
He entered the guest room he shared with Vanessa and locked the door
behind him.
Vanessa remained outside.
“Open this door.”
Daniel ignored her.
He sat Lily on the bed and examined her fingers beneath the bedside
lamp. The burn looked superficial, but that did nothing to cool his
anger.
“Tell me about the paper.”
Lily stared at her shoes.
“I wasn’t snooping.”
“I know.”
“I was looking for Bunny.”
Her stuffed rabbit had disappeared that morning.
“Where?”
“Grandma’s room.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“What did you see?”
“A folder with my picture.”
“What picture?”
“My school picture.”
Lily wiped her nose.
“And your name. And Vanessa’s.”
Daniel had never encouraged Lily to call Vanessa “Mom.” Rachel, Lily’s
biological mother, had died when Lily was two.
Vanessa had initially respected that.
Lately, Daniel had noticed Lily using her first name more often.
He had assumed it was a phase.
Now he wondered what had happened when he was not present.
“What else?”
“I heard Grandma say you would fight.”
“Fight what?”
“She said they had to make it look like you were dangerous first.”
Daniel felt cold.
A hard knock struck the door.
“Daniel.”
Margaret.
He opened it but blocked the entrance.
“Where’s the folder?”
Margaret’s face remained composed.
“I don’t know what fantasy Lily has invented.”
“She described documents with my name.”
“Children see things.”
Daniel stepped into the hallway.
“Then you won’t mind if I look.”
Margaret’s smile vanished.
“This is my home.”
“And that is my daughter.”
He walked toward Margaret’s suite.
Vanessa stood outside it.
Daniel stopped.
“Move.”
“Please listen.”
“Did you make Lily hold that pan?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“I was angry.”
“Yes or no.”
“I told her to touch the handle.”
Daniel stared.
Vanessa rushed on.
“I thought it had cooled.”
“You thought?”
“She kept taking food.”
“Because you weren’t feeding her.”
“That isn’t true.”
“Then why did she say yesterday?”
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“Because Margaret said we needed to document behavioral problems.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You starved my daughter to make her misbehave?”
“No!”
Vanessa looked horrified by the words.
“No. I never agreed to that.”
“But Margaret did.”
Vanessa said nothing.
Daniel pushed past her.
Margaret’s bedroom was immaculate.
He checked the desk.
Nothing.
Closet.
Nothing.
Then Lily appeared at the doorway.
“Under the bed.”
Margaret grabbed her arm.
Daniel moved instantly.
“Don’t touch her.”
Margaret released Lily.
Daniel knelt and looked beneath the bed.
A satellite phone lay beside a leather document case.
He pulled both out.
Margaret’s face hardened.
“You have no right.”
Daniel opened the case.
Inside were court forms.
A petition seeking emergency temporary guardianship of Lily.
The petitioner was Vanessa Caldwell Mercer.
Attached was an affidavit alleging Daniel had become emotionally
unstable, verbally aggressive, and dangerously neglectful since Rachel’s
death.
Daniel almost laughed.
Rachel had died four years before he even met Vanessa.
Another document requested restrictions on his contact with Lily.
Then he saw the draft letter from a physician.
It claimed Daniel had exhibited “episodes of disorientation and
uncontrolled rage.”
The physician’s signature line was blank.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“You were going to take my daughter.”
“No.”
“Your name is on the petition.”
“I didn’t file it.”
“You prepared it.”
“Margaret did.”
Margaret scoffed.
“Stop blaming me for decisions you helped make.”
Daniel looked between them.
“What decisions?”
Vanessa started crying.
Margaret answered.
“Your company is collapsing.”
Daniel frowned.
His software firm had just closed its strongest quarter in three years.
“No, it isn’t.”
Margaret’s eyes narrowed.
“You really don’t know.”
“Know what?”
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel, your board met yesterday.”
He stared at her.
“I’m chairman.”
“Not anymore.”
Daniel reached for his phone.
No service.
Margaret folded her arms.
“The board voted to place you on administrative leave.”
“That’s impossible.”
“You missed the meeting.”
“I never received notice.”
“You did.”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She could not meet his eyes.
He understood.
“You deleted it.”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
Margaret walked to the window.
“From the truth.”
Daniel picked up the satellite phone.
Margaret suddenly moved.
“Put that down.”
He stepped back.
“Why?”
“Because it isn’t yours.”
Daniel turned it on.
There was one recent outgoing number.
His company’s general counsel.
He pressed redial.
Margaret lunged for the phone.
Daniel moved away.
The call connected.
“Margaret?” a man answered.
Daniel knew the voice.
“Peter?”
Silence.
Peter Lang was Daniel’s oldest friend and the company’s chief legal
officer.
“Daniel?”
“What board meeting?”
Peter exhaled.
“Where are you?”
“At Margaret’s lodge.”
Another silence.
Then Peter said something that made Daniel look directly at Vanessa.
“Get Lily out of that house.”
Daniel’s grip tightened.
“Why?”
“Because the guardianship petition isn’t about your marriage.”
Daniel looked at the documents.
“What is it about?”
Peter lowered his voice.
“Lily owns something Margaret desperately needs.”
The call abruptly died.
Daniel checked the screen.
May you like
Someone had disconnected the satellite uplink.
Then every light in the lodge went out.
