Chapter 2 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
The backup lights came on thirty seconds later.
Nathan locked the kitchen door himself.
“Nobody leaves.”
Victoria stared at him. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am very serious.”
Grace kept Lily behind her. The child’s eyes never left Nathan, but every time he moved closer, she leaned away.
That hurt more than he expected.
Nathan called his security chief, Daniel Price.
“Restore the system and trace the shutdown.”
Daniel answered, “Already trying. Someone used a master remote credential.”
“How many people have it?”
“You, me, and one outside administrator from Whitmore Systems. It was added six months ago during the smart-house upgrade.”
Nathan slowly looked at Victoria.
“My father’s company installed the system,” she said. “That proves nothing.”
Grace gave a bitter laugh.
Nathan turned to her. “Start at the beginning.”
Grace held Lily tighter.
“Four years ago, I found out I was pregnant two days after I left you.”
“You didn’t leave me. You disappeared.”
“I received a message from your number telling me you never wanted to see me again.”
Nathan’s face hardened. “I never sent that.”
“I know that now.”
Grace reached into her apron pocket and took out an old phone wrapped in plastic.
“I kept the messages.”
Victoria stepped forward. “Nathan, this is insane.”
He ignored her.
Grace unlocked the phone.
The message thread carried Nathan’s name, his old number, and words he had never written.
YOU WERE A MISTAKE.
DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN.
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, HANDLE IT.
Nathan felt sick.
Then Grace opened the next message.
It was not from Nathan.
It was from an unknown number.
LEAVE NEW YORK BY FRIDAY OR YOUR MOTHER LOSES HER HOUSE.
Attached was a photograph of Grace’s mother standing outside her front door.
Nathan whispered, “Who sent this?”
Grace looked toward Victoria.
“I didn’t know then.”
May you like
A beat.
“I do now.”
