Chương 10
“You send me articles.”
“You turn every problem into a project.”
Daniel felt Rachel watching him.
He hated that Claire was saying something true.
He hated even more that the truth existed beside everything else.
Claire continued.
“I didn’t want another plan.”
“So you lied.”
“Yes.”
“Spent thirty thousand dollars.”
“Yes.”
“Left the children alone.”
Her face tightened.
“That was different.”
“Was it?”
“Yes.”
“Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you kept creating places where you could disappear.”
Claire flinched as if he had struck her.
Emily said, “Daniel.”
He looked at her.
She shook her head.
Not now.
He hated that she was right too.
Lily’s voice came from the living room.
“Dad?”
Daniel turned immediately.
She stood near the hallway with Noah beside her.
He had sauce on his cheek.
Lily looked at all four adults.
“Are we going somewhere?”
Daniel crouched.
“Why do you ask?”
She looked at Claire’s purse hanging from her shoulder.
“Mom packed a bag upstairs.”
Daniel looked up.
Claire’s face went white.
He stood slowly.
“What bag?”
Claire did not answer him.
Lily looked from her mother to Daniel.
“The gray one.”
Daniel kept his eyes on Claire.
“The overnight bag?”
Lily nodded.
“It was on the bed.”
Emily closed her eyes briefly.
Rachel shifted closer to the children.
Claire tightened her grip on the purse strap.
“I was going to stay with Emily.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
Emily shook her head once.
“She didn’t tell me that.”
Claire turned toward her.
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“On the way.”
Emily stared at her.
“You called me to come get you.”
“I know.”
“With the kids?”
Claire’s face changed.
Daniel saw it.
So did Emily.
Rachel moved immediately, placing herself between Claire and the hallway where Lily and Noah stood.
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“You were taking them.”
Claire’s eyes flashed.
“They’re my children.”
“They’re mine too.”
“I wasn’t kidnapping them.”
“No one said kidnapping.”
“You were about to.”
“No.”
Claire’s breathing quickened.
“You’re building a case.”
Daniel went still.
Rachel looked at him.
Emily said quietly, “Claire.”
“I can hear all of you.”
Claire pressed one hand against her chest.
“He saved the footage.”
Daniel said nothing.
“He asked Lily questions.”
“She told him what happened.”
“He called Rachel before he even knew the whole story.”
Rachel’s mouth tightened.
Daniel held up a hand before she could answer.
Claire looked toward the children.
“Lily, sweetheart, come here.”
Lily did not move.
Claire swallowed.
“Come to Mommy.”
Noah stepped behind Lily.
Daniel felt something inside him turn.
Not hotter.
Clearer.
“Don’t.”
Claire looked at him.
“You do not get to tell me I can’t speak to my daughter.”
“She doesn’t want to come to you.”
“You’re standing there making her afraid.”
Daniel turned to Lily.
He forced himself to soften his face.
“You can go to Mom if you want.”
Lily looked at Claire.
Then she looked at Daniel.
She stepped closer to Rachel instead.
Claire’s face broke.
Not theatrically.
Her mouth simply opened as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
Emily touched her arm.
Claire jerked away.
“Don’t.”
Emily lowered her hand.
Daniel said, “Were you planning to take them to the condo?”
Claire said nothing.
“Were you?”
“I didn’t know.”
“That seems to be your answer for everything.”
“I was trying to get out of this house.”
“With them.”
“Yes.”
“Without telling me.”
“I would have told you.”
“When?”
“Once we were gone.”
Daniel stared at her.
Claire continued quickly.
“I needed space.”
“You were going to take a seven-year-old and a five-year-old out of their home after locking them in a shed.”
“I had already decided that was wrong.”
“Five minutes ago?”
“Daniel.”
“Were their clothes in the bag?”
Claire looked away.
His stomach tightened.
Lily whispered, “My pink pajamas were upstairs.”
Daniel looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Mom put them on the bed.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Daniel looked back at her.
“What else?”
“Stop.”
“Toothbrushes?”
“Stop.”
“Medication?”
“Noah’s inhaler?”
Claire’s eyes snapped open.
“Yes.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Noah used the inhaler only occasionally when seasonal allergies triggered wheezing, but it stayed in the kitchen drawer.
He looked toward the drawer.
It was open.
A small empty space sat where the blue case usually lay.
Rachel saw it too.
She moved to the kitchen, checked, then turned.
“It’s gone.”
Claire’s voice rose.
“I packed his medicine because I am his mother.”
Daniel held her gaze.
“You packed medicine, clothes, and pajamas.”
“Yes.”
“And you called Emily.”
“Yes.”
“And you were waiting until she got here.”
“Yes.”
“You were taking them.”
Claire finally shouted.
“Yes.”
The children flinched.
The room went silent.
Claire saw them.
She put a hand over her mouth.
Noah began to cry.
Not loudly.
He simply folded into Rachel’s side.
Lily wrapped both arms around him.
Claire whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Daniel looked at the children.
“Rachel, take them upstairs.”
Claire said, “No.”
Rachel looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
Claire moved toward the hallway.
Daniel stepped into her path.
“You are not taking them.”
“They’re my children.”
“Not right now.”
“You can’t do this.”
“I’m doing it.”
“You have no authority to keep them from me.”
Daniel’s voice remained low.
“I’m not discussing legal authority in front of them.”
Claire laughed through tears.
“That’s convenient.”
“No, what’s convenient is packing their things before I got home and pretending none of this was happening.”
Claire stared at him.
Emily whispered, “You packed before today?”
Daniel turned.
Claire’s face changed.
Emily looked at her sister.
“When did you pack?”
Claire said nothing.
Emily’s voice sharpened.
“When?”
“This afternoon.”
“Before Daniel came home?”
Claire looked away.
Daniel felt the room tilt slightly.
He thought of the envelope in the shed.
The contractor call.
The children running.
The bag upstairs.
“What time?”
Claire folded her arms.
“After lunch.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
She was still holding Noah.
He hated himself for asking anything while they were there.
“Rachel.”
Rachel took the hint.
May you like
“Come on, guys.”
Lily looked at Daniel.
