Chương 8
Sarah laughed without humor.
“You really haven’t changed.”
Melina stared at her.
“And you remain unstable.”
Claire felt Lily tense beside her.
Sarah’s expression hardened.
“You called me that when I was twenty-three.”
“You were.”
“You told everyone I was.”
“Because you were drinking.”
“I was grieving.”
“You were stealing.”
“I took money from my father.”
“That is stealing.”
“Enough.”
Claire’s voice cut through them.
She looked at Sarah.
“Where is the notebook?”
Sarah’s eyes shifted toward the house.
Claire followed them.
“In there?”
Sarah nodded.
Daniel stepped forward.
“You brought it here?”
“I brought copies.”
“Where is the original?”
“Safe.”
“With who?”
“I’m not telling you.”
Daniel’s anger returned instantly.
“Of course.”
Claire watched him.
The speed of it bothered her.
He did not ask whether the notebook truly existed.
He asked where the original was.
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“How do you know there is an original?”
His face changed.
Sarah went very still.
Daniel frowned.
“She just said she brought copies.”
“No.”
Claire’s voice dropped.
“She said Dad kept records.”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
Sarah said nothing.
Claire took one step toward her husband.
“You asked where the original was before she told you she copied anything.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
Nothing came.
Melina said, “That is ridiculous wordplay.”
Claire ignored her.
“Have you seen it?”
“No.”
“Then why did you assume she had the original somewhere else?”
“Because people make copies of important things.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
“I’m tired.”
Claire stared at him.
“So am I.”
Lily tugged her hand.
“Mommy.”
Claire looked down.
“I need the bathroom.”
The ordinary request cracked the tension again.
Claire bent and kissed her forehead.
“Okay.”
Lily looked toward the house and shook her head.
“Not inside.”
Claire’s heart sank.
“Sweetheart.”
“No.”
She began to cry silently.
“I don’t want the lady.”
Claire crouched in front of her.
“Sarah is right there.”
Lily shook her head harder.
“Not Aunt Sarah.”
Every adult went still.
Claire took Lily’s hands.
“Then who?”
Lily looked toward the upstairs window.
“The other Mommy.”
Claire followed her gaze.
Nothing moved behind the glass.
Daniel whispered, “See?”
Claire ignored him.
“Baby, did you ever talk to her when the lights were on?”
Lily nodded.
“Where?”
“My room.”
“Was Daddy there?”
Lily looked at Daniel.
His expression changed before she answered.
“Yes.”
Claire stood slowly.
Daniel backed up half a step.
“Claire, she’s confused.”
Lily whispered, “Daddy told me not to tell.”
Claire looked at Daniel as if the rest of the yard had dropped away.
“What did you tell her not to tell?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know what she means.”
Lily’s fingers tightened around Claire’s.
“You said Mommy would get mad.”
Daniel’s face lost color.
Melina stepped forward.
“She is confused.”
Claire lifted one hand without looking at her.
“Not another word.”
Melina stopped.
Claire crouched again until she was level with Lily.
“What did Daddy tell you not to tell me?”
Lily looked from Daniel to the house.
“The lady came when you were gone.”
“What lady?”
“The Mommy lady.”
“Did she look like me?”
Lily nodded.
Claire swallowed.
“What was she wearing?”
Lily frowned in concentration.
“Your blue shirt.”
Claire’s eyes flicked toward the house.
She owned a faded blue sleep shirt with a torn hem.
It was old enough that Daniel complained about it and Sarah used to tease her for keeping it.
Claire had left it hanging behind the bathroom door before entering treatment.
“Did she talk like me?”
Lily shook her head.
“Different.”
“How?”
“She talked slow.”
Daniel suddenly said, “Enough.”
Claire stood.
“No.”
“You’re interrogating her.”
“I’m asking my daughter what happened in my house.”
“She’s exhausted.”
“So am I.”
“She needs food, a bath, sleep.”
“She needed those things before I got here.”
Daniel flinched.
Claire saw the answer forming on his face before he spoke.
“I messed up.”
The admission hung there.
Melina turned toward him.
“Daniel.”
He looked at his mother.
“No.”
His voice was quieter than Claire had heard all afternoon.
“Stop.”
Melina’s lips parted.
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“I should have told Claire about Sarah.”
Claire said nothing.
“I should have told her about Lily leaving the yard.”
Still Claire waited.
“I should have taken Lily somewhere else when things got strange.”
“What things?”
Daniel stared at the grass.
“The woman.”
Claire’s heartbeat kicked harder.
“You saw her.”
He shook his head.
“Not clearly.”
Sarah stepped off the patio.
“You told me you never saw anyone.”
Daniel looked at her with open hatred.
“I lied to you.”
“That much is obvious.”
Claire cut between them.
“What did you see?”
Daniel exhaled.
“Three nights ago, I woke up because Lily was talking.”
“To who?”
“I didn’t know.”
“Where was she?”
“In the hallway.”
Claire waited.
Daniel’s mouth tightened.
“She was standing outside our bedroom.”
“And?”
“There was someone in the room.”
Claire felt the back of her neck prickle.
“Who?”
“I thought it was you.”
Claire stared at him.
“You thought I was home.”
“For maybe two seconds.”
“What did you see?”
“Blonde hair.”
“Face?”
“No.”
“Clothes?”
Daniel looked at Lily.
“The blue shirt.”
Claire’s skin went cold.
“And then?”
“I turned on the hall light.”
His jaw worked.
“The room was empty.”
Ethan looked toward the upstairs windows.
“Window open?”
“No.”
“Closet?”
“I checked.”
“Bathroom?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone there?”
“No.”
Sarah said, “And you didn’t call Claire.”
Daniel snapped at her.
“What was I supposed to say?”
“The truth would have been a creative start.”
Claire raised her voice.
“Stop making this about the two of you.”
Sarah stepped back.
Daniel looked down.
Claire forced herself to slow her breathing.
“Did it happen again?”
Daniel nodded once.
“When?”
“The next morning.”
“In daylight?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I was in the kitchen.”
He pointed toward the back door.
“Lily was eating cereal.”
Claire looked at her daughter.
May you like
Lily had gone very still.
“She pointed upstairs and said you were standing by the railing.”
