Chapter 12 - TOMORROW MORNING
“She can’t take Sophie,” Hannah said.
“She doesn’t have Sophie,” Detective Ellis answered.
Hannah looked toward the living room, where her daughter was coloring beside Dr. Shah’s therapy dog.
“I know.”
The detective’s pause was deliberate. “But we need to understand whether Daniel was meant to be on that flight voluntarily.”
“I didn’t book anything.”
“Your loyalty number is attached.”
“I didn’t book it.”
Detective Ellis said, “Then somebody had enough access to impersonate you.”
Daniel laughed bitterly. “That narrows it down to my wife.”
Police obtained a warrant for the home.
In Vanessa’s office they found printed relocation paperwork, prepaid debit cards, cash, three burner phones, and a sealed envelope addressed to Sophie’s preschool.
Inside was a letter supposedly signed by Hannah consenting to permanent relocation.
The signature was another forgery.
Tessa stared at the scan. “She wasn’t just building a custody case. She was building a paper trail that would make the move look agreed upon.”
At dusk, police still had not found Vanessa.
One burner phone pinged briefly near the interstate, then disappeared.
Daniel’s supervised visit with Sophie was canceled.
Instead he sat on Hannah’s porch steps while Sophie watched him through the window.
“I kept thinking conflict was the danger,” he said. “So every time you raised your voice, I tried to make the problem smaller.”
Hannah stood behind the screen door. “You made Sophie smaller instead.”
“I know.”
For the first time, he did not ask forgiveness.
At eight-thirteen, Sophie walked to the door holding her rabbit.
“Can Daddy come in?”
Hannah looked at Tessa, who nodded once.
Daniel sat on the floor six feet away from Sophie.
He said, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”
Sophie stared at him.
Then she asked, “Are you still married to her?”
“No.”
It was the first time Daniel had said it out loud.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
May you like
He answered.
Vanessa whispered, “If you want to see me again, bring Sophie to the lake house.”
