Chapter 14 - Thomas’s Second Lie
Police arrested Thomas before midnight.
This time, no cooperation speech worked.
He had driven Rachel north.
Bought supplies.
Given her cash.
“Why?” Harris asked.
“She said she was scared.”
“She said Daniel was dangerous.”
“You had already heard the recording.”
Thomas went quiet.
“You knew she manufactured evidence.”
Silence.
“Why help?”
Daniel looked at Susan.
Of course.
Another layer.
Thomas admitted he had misused trust funds years earlier.
Not much.
He repaid it.
But Rachel found the records.
“Did Laura know?” Daniel asked.
He could not hear Daniel.
But the answer came later.
No.
Laura never knew.
Rachel had used everyone’s hidden shame as leverage.
Walter’s guilt.
Evelyn’s fear.
Daniel’s grief.
Noah’s love for his father.
She found pressure points.
Then pressed.
Police tracked Rachel’s last known bus route.
Three possible cities.
Daniel went home.
He barely slept.
At 3:10 a.m., Emma woke screaming.
Daniel ran in.
She held her rabbit.
“Daddy.”
“I’m here.”
“Aunt Rachel said she’ll come when you sleep.”
Daniel’s chest tightened.
“When did she say that?”
Emma rubbed her eyes.
“Before.”
“Before what?”
“The stairs.”
Daniel felt cold.
Rachel had told a four-year-old she would return.
He stayed beside Emma until sunrise.
At seven, his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Daniel answered.
Rachel.
“Where are you?”
She laughed softly.
“You sound tired.”
“They love me.”
“You let me raise them.”
“I let you help.”
“You disappeared.”
“I worked.”
“You hid in work.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Some accusations are dangerous because they contain truth.
“Yes,” he said.
Rachel went quiet.
“Yes?”
She had not expected that.
Silence.
Rachel breathed.
Daniel continued.
Her voice hardened.
“You think police make you a good father now?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“My kids telling me the truth does.”
The line went silent.
Then Rachel whispered:
May you like
“Ask Noah what happened the night Laura died.”
And hung up.
