Chapter 13 - Ella's Recorder
The recorder contained fourteen files.
Ella had started recording because Maria told her that when adults say different things, writing things down can help you remember what is true. Ella did not have a notebook Vanessa would not find, so she used the tiny voice recorder from a science project.
The first files were ordinary.
Vanessa complaining about toys.
Vanessa telling Ella to stop mentioning Grace at dinner.
Then came file nine.
Vanessa's voice was clear.
"Say it again."
Ella sounded small. "Daddy leaves me alone."
"And?"
"Daddy gets angry."
"Good."
"But he doesn't."
A chair scraped.
"Ella, if you make this difficult, St. Catherine's has plenty of room for difficult girls."
My chest tightened.
Then Ella asked, "Will Daddy come get me?"
Vanessa answered, "Not if the judge thinks he shouldn't."
File twelve was worse.
Lucas spoke in the background.
"Once she's placed, how long until the proxy changes?"
Vanessa said, "Temporary orders first. Then we push incapacity. Caleb says the board doesn't need a final ruling to panic."
Lucas laughed. "And Ethan signs the restructuring to save the company."
"He won't know what he's signing until it's done."
Laura paused the recording.
Nobody in the room spoke.
Then we played the final file.
It was dated three nights earlier.
Vanessa: "Tomorrow I need you to cry when your father calls. Tell him I scared you because he was drinking."
Ella: "But that's lying."
Vanessa: "Adults call it protecting the family."
Ella: "Maria says lies make families sick."
There was a sharp sound, then silence.
Vanessa's voice returned, colder.
"Maria won't be here much longer."
Then another voice spoke from the doorway.
A man's voice.
"Neither will Ethan, if Monday goes right."
May you like
It was not Lucas.
It was my assistant, Derek.
