Chapter 6 - WHAT SOPHIE HEARD
Ethan sat beside her on the library rug after police finished the first interview.
“I need you to tell me only what you remember. You don’t have to make it make sense.”
She nodded.
“Celeste said Zurich had snow.”
“Okay.”
“She said I could go to a school where nobody talks about Mom.”
Ethan swallowed.
“What did Richard say?”
Sophie drew a black circle on the page.
“He said after Monday the house would be different.”
“How?”
“He said Dad would be busy fixing things.”
“Anything else?”
She hesitated.
“Celeste said she could finally use Mom’s room.”
Ethan looked toward the staircase.
Sophie added:
“And Mr. Richard said, ‘Once the shares move, he can scream all he wants.’”
Mara heard it from the doorway.
She called outside counsel immediately.
Then Ethan asked the question he feared most.
“Did anybody tell you not to tell me?”
Sophie nodded.
“Celeste said grown-ups would think I was making stories because I miss Mom.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
His daughter had been taught that grief made her unbelievable.
He pulled her close.
“I believe you were scared.”
“Do you believe all of it?”
“I believe what you remember is important. We’ll check the rest.”
That seemed to satisfy her more than a dramatic promise would have.
Then the security system chimed.
A deleted camera archive had been recovered.
Video from the blue-room hallway.
Ethan, Mara, and the detective watched.
Richard entered at 1:12 p.m.
Celeste followed.
At 1:26, Richard carried the blue box out.
At 1:28, Sophie appeared.
At 1:29, Celeste grabbed her wrist and pulled her off camera.
Then, at 1:33, another person stepped into frame.
Ethan leaned closer.
His younger brother, Daniel Hale.
May you like
Daniel looked directly at the camera.
And switched it off.
