Chapter 4 - Mara Bennett
At 2:13 in the morning, Ethan climbed out the laundry room window.
Lily was waiting behind the hedge in pajamas and a winter coat.
"You can't come," Ethan whispered.
"Mom's mad at me too."
"Go back inside."
"No."
She held up Amanda's spare phone.
"I brought this."
Ethan stared at her. "You stole Mom's phone?"
"Borrowed."
They walked four blocks to the twenty-four-hour pharmacy where Ethan called the number on Mara Bennett's card.
He expected voicemail.
A woman answered on the third ring.
"Mara Bennett."
Ethan almost hung up.
"My name is Ethan Reed."
Silence.
Then her voice changed.
"Where are you?"
Twenty minutes later, a gray SUV pulled into the parking lot. A woman in her forties stepped out wearing jeans, a long coat, and no makeup.
She crouched in front of Ethan.
"Do you have the device?"
He nodded.
Mara closed her eyes briefly.
"Daniel was terrified he'd waited too long."
"For what?"
She looked at Lily, then back at Ethan.
"Your father discovered someone had been moving money out of Reed Development using his electronic signature."
Ethan felt cold despite the heated car.
"Amanda?"
"He didn't know for certain."
Lily spoke quietly. "I heard Mom talking about papers."
Mara turned to her. "What papers?"
Lily frowned, trying to remember.
"She said if Ethan signed them, we could finally be normal."
Mara's face tightened.
"Ethan is seven. He can't legally sign away a trust."
"Then why would she say that?" Ethan asked.
Mara looked toward Amanda's phone in Lily's hand.
"Because there may be a court petition already filed in your name."
At that exact moment, the phone lit up.
May you like
A message appeared from a contact saved as R.V.
DID YOU GET THE RECORDER YET?
