Chapter 4 - THE FIVE O'CLOCK DEADLINE
The following morning, I received a message from an unknown number.
A photograph appeared first.
It showed Nora standing outside Claire's house, wearing her purple backpack.
Beneath it were six words.
Children should stay out of adult business.
My hands went cold.
I called Claire immediately.
“Where is Nora?”
“She's inside. Why?”
“Don't let her near the windows. Lock the doors. I'm coming.”
I drove to Claire's house and found a police cruiser parked outside. Michael had contacted a private security company, and one of their officers was waiting near the driveway.
Nora was safe.
But the photograph meant someone had been watching her.
I showed the message to Detective Laura Bennett, a friend of Michael's who had agreed to review the evidence.
She examined the image.
“Do you recognize the location?”
“It's Claire's street.”
“Could be taken from a parked vehicle. We'll check nearby cameras.”
I showed her the recording.
She listened to the entire file.
When it ended, she looked at me.
“Have you reported the threats?”
“Not yet.”
“Then we're doing that now.”
Detective Bennett explained that the recording alone did not prove a crime, but it justified an investigation. The false pregnancy, if confirmed, could be part of a broader fraud scheme. The insurance documents and trust amendment were more serious.
I asked her about Friday at five.
“That's tomorrow,” she said.
“I think they're planning to make me sign something.”
“Then don't.”
“I won't.”
She looked at me carefully.
“Ethan, if you believe they may try to hurt you, we can arrange protection. But you need to understand that a confrontation could be dangerous.”
I nodded.
By then, I was no longer thinking about the wedding as a celebration.
It was a place where Vanessa expected me to be surrounded by people, distracted, emotional, and willing to sign documents to secure our future.
I told Michael I wanted the wedding to proceed, but only under police supervision.
He objected immediately.
“You're taking a serious risk.”
“I know. But if we cancel without explanation, Vanessa and Adrian may disappear. I want to know what they're planning.”
Detective Bennett agreed to coordinate with the venue's security team. Plainclothes officers would be present. No one would allow Vanessa to take Nora anywhere, and the documents would be replaced with harmless copies.
The most difficult part was explaining everything to my daughter.
I sat with Nora at Claire's kitchen table.
“Sweetheart, I need you to tell me exactly what you heard.”
She held Button, her stuffed rabbit, in her lap.
“Vanessa said Adrian was going to make you sign papers. Then they would go away.”
“Did she say where?”
“No.”
“Did she say anything about me?”
Nora nodded.
“She said you would be sleeping for a long time.”
I felt my throat tighten.
“Did she say why?”
“She said it would be easier if you didn't ask questions.”
I took her hand.
“Nora, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You don't have to protect me by doing anything dangerous.”
She looked at me.
“But I don't want to lose you.”
“You won't.”
“And I don't want to lose Vanessa either.”
That surprised me.
Nora lowered her eyes.
“She was nice before. She made pancakes. She read to me. I thought she wanted to be my mommy.”
I pulled her close.
“I'm sorry.”
“Do you think she ever loved me?”
I didn't know how to answer.
“I think she made choices that hurt you. And no matter what she says, you deserve to be safe.”
Nora nodded against my shoulder.
Then she whispered, “Daddy, I think she has another baby.”
I pulled back.
“What?”
“Not in her belly. In a picture.”
She reached into her backpack and took out a folded photograph.
It showed Vanessa holding a newborn baby in a hospital room. A man stood beside her.
Adrian Shaw.
May you like
On the back, someone had written a date.
Three years earlier.
