Chapter 7 - The HousePolice met Ethan at the house.
He did not enter alone.
Smart.
The living room looked different.
Not messy.
Stripped.
Vanessa’s luggage was gone.
Courtney’s electronics were gone.
Madison’s clothes were gone.
Diane had removed family photographs from the hallway.
Even Olivia’s grandmother’s portrait was missing.
The bedroom safe stood open.
Empty.
Detective Harris asked:
“Who knew the combination?”
“Olivia and me.”
Then Ethan remembered.
Diane had stayed in their bedroom with Olivia after a dizzy spell three weeks earlier.
Olivia opened the safe to get insurance papers.
Diane watched.
Maybe once was enough.
The jewelry was worth around $70,000.
But one item mattered more.
A small sapphire ring.
Olivia’s grandmother’s.
Her only request had been that Olivia wear it when the baby was born.
Ethan felt rage rise.
Harris said:
“Do not call them.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
The SUV was gone.
Police flagged it.
Then Ethan walked into the kitchen.
The chore schedule was taped inside a cabinet.
Three versions.
Each stricter.
The earliest allowed Olivia afternoon rest.
The newest did not.
Next to it, Ethan found printed articles about pregnancy hypertension.
Symptoms highlighted.
Swelling.
Headaches.
Dizziness.
Fatigue.
Diane had researched exactly what Olivia was experiencing.
Then Harris found a small digital camera in the pantry.
Not part of Ethan’s system.
Memory card inside.
Video clips showed Olivia cleaning.
Olivia sitting down exhausted.
Olivia crying.
Diane speaking from behind the camera.
“Tell me why you can’t manage basic tasks.”
Another clip.
Olivia saying:
“I’m tired.”
Diane answering:
“This is what I mean. You’re not coping.”
They were not home videos.
They were evidence.
Manufactured evidence.
Then Harris opened the final clip.
Diane’s voice:
“If Ethan sees how unstable she’s become, he’ll understand why someone else needs to handle the baby.”
May you like
Ethan stopped breathing.
This had never been only about money.
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