Chapter 5 - The First Warning
Jake told him about the small things first. Vanessa had begun making him leave his phone on the kitchen counter every night. She said it was a rule to help him sleep, but she sometimes read his messages while he was in the shower. She had also insisted he stop visiting his grandmother on Sundays because “your father's family needs to move forward.”
Daniel listened without interrupting. Each detail seemed minor by itself. Together, they formed a picture he didn't recognize and couldn't ignore.
“Did she threaten you?” he asked.
“Not like that. She said if I kept making trouble, you'd send me to live with Mom's sister.” Jake stared at the rug. “She said you were tired of having to choose between me and being happy.”
The next morning, he called Rachel and asked her to stay with Jake while he met Detective Grant. He also changed the passwords on his personal accounts and asked his company's IT director to preserve all access logs from the home security system. He didn't want to tamper with evidence; he wanted to know who had access and when.
Detective Grant explained that the lab results were still pending. She had also asked for a warrant to examine the dropper if it could be located. Vanessa had left the house before the officers could collect her purse, saying she needed a lawyer and somewhere to stay.
The detective showed him a screenshot Jake had voluntarily provided. It read: You have no idea what you've cost this family. If your father loses everything, remember who started it.
May you like
He called his attorney and asked for advice on protecting Jake and keeping Vanessa away while the investigation continued. Then another message arrived on Jake's phone, from an unknown number.
Ask your dad what happened to the first account.
