Chapter 7 - THE SECOND RECORDING
Thursday night, Daniel came into the laundry room while Michael showered.
“Mommy.”
“What?”
He handed me his watch again.
“I found another one.”
My heart stopped.
“Another recording?”
He nodded.
“When?”
“Before I told you.”
“Why didn’t you say?”
“I forgot.”
Children do that.
Adults think every clue arrives in order.
It does not.
I listened.
This recording was shorter.
Michael and Margaret.
His mother’s voice.
“Do you really trust Vanessa?”
Michael answered.
“For this?”
“Yes.”
“For later?”
Silence.
Margaret said.
“She’s expecting you to marry her.”
Michael laughed.
“Vanessa expects a lot of things.”
My stomach tightened.
Then Margaret asked.
“What happens after the accounts move?”
Michael answered.
“I separate from Rachel.”
“Stabilize custody.”
“Then we restructure.”
“And Vanessa?”
“She gets paid.”
“That’s it?”
Michael lowered his voice.
“I’m not replacing one woman who thinks she controls me with another.”
I stared at the watch.
Even Vanessa was being used.
Daniel whispered.
“Is Vanessa the girlfriend?”
I closed my eyes.
“Yes.”
“Is Daddy going to marry her?”
“I don’t think so.”
He thought.
“Then why is she helping him?”
Adults had answers for money.
Power.
Desire.
Insecurity.
Children asked better questions.
“I think Vanessa believes Daddy promised her something.”
Daniel frowned.
“That’s lying.”
“Yes.”
Then he asked.
“Does Daddy lie to everybody?”
I could not answer without destroying something in him.
So I told the truth carefully.
“Your father has lied about very serious things.”
“That doesn’t mean every memory you have with him was fake.”
Daniel looked down.
“I don’t want to go with him when you leave.”
“You won’t be alone.”
His head snapped up.
“You’re still leaving?”
“For a little while.”
He panicked.
I pulled him close.
“Listen.”
“Aunt Sarah will be here.”
“Detective Ramirez knows.”
“People will be watching.”
“I am not abandoning you.”
“Never.”
He started crying.
I held him until the shower stopped upstairs.
Then I whispered.
“You did something very brave.”
He shook his head.
“I was scared.”
“You can be both.”
I returned the watch to him.
“No more listening at doors.”
“Okay.”
“No more recording.”
“Okay.”
“Your job is to be seven.”
That finally made him smile.
The next morning, Michael loaded my suitcase into the car.
Vanessa texted.
ENJOY THE QUIET.
YOU’LL FEEL LIKE A DIFFERENT WOMAN WHEN YOU COME BACK.
I read it once.
Then climbed into the hired SUV.
Michael kissed me through the open door.
“Three days.”
He said.
“Try not to think about anything.”
I smiled.
“I won’t.”
The car pulled away.
In the side mirror, I watched my husband stand in the driveway.
May you like
Then he immediately took out his phone.
The seventy-two-hour clock had started.
