Chapter 11 - THE FRAME
Grant's phone contained a draft police report accusing Mom of stealing Vanessa's missing bracelet.
There was even a photograph of the bracelet inside Mom's purse.
Mom stared at the image.
"I never saw that."
The photo was taken at 2:13 p.m.
At 2:13, Mom had been outside taking wedding pictures.
Her purse had been unattended inside.
Claire whispered, "Grant was near the coatroom."
The plan was obvious.
Plant the bracelet.
Accuse Mom.
Create chaos.
Get my parents away.
Push the ceremony through.
Vanessa said, "You can't prove I knew."
Grant's messages did.
BRACELET READY.
Vanessa had replied:
ONLY IF CHARLES MOVES FIRST.
I stared at her.
"You were willing to have my mother arrested."
"She wouldn't have gone to jail."
"That's your defense?"
Then an officer returned from Grant's car.
He held an evidence bag containing my corporate signature stamp.
And another bag.
Inside was Dad's prescription bottle.
Dad checked his jacket.
His medication was gone.
Vanessa went pale.
Dad looked at her.
May you like
Mom looked smaller than she had that morning, but not weak. She reached for Dad's hand and squeezed once. I realized Vanessa had mistaken kindness for helplessness, and my mother had been paying for that mistake all day.
"What exactly were you planning to do with my heart pills?"
