Chapter 2 - WHAT LILY WAS AFRAID TO SAY
Daniel carried Lily inside and locked the back door behind him.
Claire followed.
“Daniel, you’re overreacting.”
He turned so fast she stopped walking.
“You tied a six-year-old child to a tree.”
“It was loose.”
“That is your defense?”
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“She stole from my dresser.”
Lily buried her face against Daniel’s chest.
“I didn’t.”
Daniel looked down.
“What did she say you took?”
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
“A little silver key.”
Claire stepped forward.
“It belonged to me.”
Lily shook her head hard.
“No.”
“Mommy had it.”
The room changed.
Daniel stared at Claire.
His late wife Sarah had been dead for three years.
Claire had never met her.
At least that was what Claire had always claimed.
Daniel lowered Lily onto the couch.
“Where did you see that key before?”
Lily rubbed her hands together.
“In Mommy’s blue box.”
Daniel felt a chill.
He had never heard of a blue box.
Claire had.
He could see it in her face.
Daniel stepped between Claire and Lily.
“Get out.”
Claire blinked.
“What?”
“Take your purse and leave.”
“This is my house too.”
“Not tonight.”
Claire laughed once, but it sounded forced.
“You’re going to throw away our marriage because your neighbor filmed ten seconds?”
“No.”
Daniel pointed toward Lily.
“I’m protecting my daughter because I finally saw ten seconds.”
Claire stared at him for a long moment.
Then she grabbed her purse.
At the front door, she turned back.
“You should be careful what you go looking for.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Is that a threat?”
Claire smiled without warmth.
“It’s advice.”
She left.
An hour later, after Lily fell asleep beside him, Mark knocked on the door.
“I need to tell you something.”
Daniel let him in.
Mark looked ashamed.
“This wasn’t the first time I saw her punish Lily.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“How long?”
Mark swallowed.
“Months.”
May you like
Then he added the part that made Daniel’s blood run cold.
“And one night, I saw Claire carrying a blue metal box out of your garage.”
