But Rachel was right. Anger would not protect Lily. Evidence and immediate action might.
I called the police and reported the threatening message and the photograph taken outside Rachel's house. I provided the phone number, the image, and the details of the earlier messages. An officer advised us to preserve the original messages, avoid contacting the sender, and keep Lily in a secure location while the report was assessed.
A patrol car arrived twenty minutes later.
Two officers examined the exterior of the house and checked the side yard, the gate, and the narrow strip of grass beneath Lily's window. They found a muddy footprint near the fence but couldn't establish who had made it.
One officer spoke with Rachel while the other asked me about the custody dispute.
“Has anyone made threats against you or your daughter before tonight?”” he asked.
I showed him the messages about the original will.
He read them carefully.
“Don't assume the same person sent every message,” he said.
“We'll document the similarities, but we need evidence connecting them.””
I nodded.
Then a small voice came from the stairs.
“Daddy?””
Lily stood on the landing in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.
I hurried to her.
“Hey, sweetheart. Why are you awake?””
“I heard people talking.””
I lifted her into my arms.
“Everything's okay. The police are here to help us make sure everyone stays safe.””
She wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Is somebody coming to take me away?””
“No one is taking you anywhere tonight.””
She pulled back to look at me.
“Promise?””
I wanted to promise her that nothing bad would ever happen again. But I knew better than to offer a guarantee I couldn't control.
“I promise I'm doing everything I can to protect you, and I won't leave you to face this alone.””
She rested her head against my shoulder.
That was when Rachel appeared behind us with another phone in her hand.
“Daniel, Vanessa's calling.””
I looked at the screen.
Five missed calls.
One voicemail.
I played it on speaker.
“Daniel, please answer me. I know about the photograph. I know what Marianne is doing. You have to listen to me before she—”
The message ended abruptly.
I called her back.
She answered immediately.
“Is Lily safe?”” Vanessa asked.
“Yes. Why?””
“Because Marianne knows where Rachel lives.””
I looked at the police officer standing near the front door.
“How do you know that?””
“I received a photograph too.””
“From whom?””
“An unknown number.””
“Send it to me and the police.””
“I will. Daniel, there's something else. Marianne called me an hour ago. She said you had contacted Marcus.””
My stomach tightened.
“How does she know that?””
“Because Marcus contacted her afterward.””
I stepped into the hallway.
“What did he tell her?””
“I don't know. But she was furious. She said the original will would never reach you.””
“Vanessa, who took Emily's first child?””
She stopped speaking.
I heard traffic in the background, followed by the sound of a car door closing.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
“I'm at my sister's.””
“Answer the question.””
“I don't know for certain.””
“Then tell me what you suspect.””
Vanessa began crying.
“I think Marianne took the baby.””
I closed my eyes.
“Why?””
“Because Emily wanted to raise that child, and Marianne believed Emily had made a terrible mistake. She said the baby would destroy Emily's marriage.””
“Emily was already married to me.””
“Not when the baby was conceived.””
I opened my eyes.
“Are you saying Lily isn't the first child Emily had?””
“Yes.””
“And you knew this all along?””
“I knew there had been a pregnancy before Lily. I didn't know what happened to the baby until Marianne started threatening me.””
My hands tightened around the phone.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of Marianne?””
“Of what the truth would do to you. To Lily. To everything.””
I looked at my daughter, who was now sitting beside Rachel on the stairs, holding her stuffed rabbit.
“You let Lily suffer because you were afraid of a secret.””
“I know.””
“No, Vanessa. I don't think you do.””
She fell silent.
Then she said, “Daniel, there's a reason Marianne wants Lily out of your home. She believes that if Lily disappears from your custody, she can settle Emily's estate without anyone questioning the original will.””
I turned toward the officer and signaled that the call might contain important information.
“Explain that.””
“Emily left money in trust for her children. Marianne has been trying to gain control of it for years. If Lily is declared ineligible to inherit, Marianne stands to benefit.””
“Who told you that?””
“Marianne did.””
“Do you have proof?””
“Yes. I have emails, financial records, and a copy of a letter Emily sent me shortly before she died.””
“Where are they?””
“In a safe deposit box.””
“Which bank?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she gave me the name of a bank in downtown Columbus and an account reference.
I passed the information to Robert, who advised me not to attempt to access the box without establishing my legal authority and the bank's requirements.
Before I could ask another question, Vanessa whispered, “Daniel, I need to tell you something about the hospital.””
“What?””
“The night Emily died, Marianne wasn't there to say goodbye.””
I waited.
“Marianne arrived three hours earlier,” Vanessa continued.
“She went into Emily's room while I was in the hallway. When she came out, she was carrying a sealed envelope.””
“What was in it?””
“I don't know.””
“Did Emily give it to her?””
Vanessa began breathing unevenly.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
“I saw Marianne take it from the bedside drawer.””
The call ended.
I stood in the hallway, staring at my phone.
The police officer approached me.
“Sir, we need you to come outside and show us where the photograph was taken from.””
I nodded and followed him.
As we reached the front door, my phone vibrated again.
A new message.
No photograph this time.
Just a sentence.
Ask Vanessa why she was at the hospital when Emily's first child was born.
I stopped on the porch.
Because Vanessa had never told me she knew Emily when Lily was born.
And if she had been at the hospital years earlier, she might know exactly what happened to the child everyone had spent years pretending never existed.
Chapter 8: The Letter Emily Never Sent
By sunrise, I had made three decisions.
First, Lily would not return to my house until the police had assessed the threat and we had a safe plan.
Second, every document connected to Emily's estate would be preserved and reviewed by my attorney.
Third, I would no longer accept fragments of the truth from Vanessa and call them explanations.
At nine o'clock, Robert met me at his office. He had already spoken with the police about the threatening messages and arranged for a specialist to review the documents we had found.
He listened without interrupting as I described Vanessa's phone call.
When I finished, he leaned back in his chair.
"We need to be careful here, Daniel. Vanessa may be telling the truth about some things while concealing others. The same applies to Marianne and Marcus.""
"What about the hospital records?""
"I've submitted the appropriate requests. Until we receive them, we can't assume the messages accurately describe what happened.""
I slid Emily's letter across his desk.
"This is from the box of her belongings. She mentioned a first child.""
Robert read the letter twice.
"Did you know Emily was pregnant before Lily?""
"No.""
"Did she ever mention a miscarriage, an adoption, or a previous child?""
"Never.""
He studied the handwriting.
"This letter suggests she was worried about the way people might interpret her past. But it doesn't establish what happened.""
I nodded.
"I understand.""
Robert placed the letter inside a protective sleeve.
"We'll preserve it. Now, tell me exactly what Vanessa said about the safe deposit box.""
I repeated the details.
Robert made a note.
"If the bank can confirm the box exists and Vanessa is authorized to access it, we can ask her to preserve the contents voluntarily. We should not assume you have a right to access it simply because the documents concern Emily.""
I agreed.
An hour later, Vanessa arrived at Robert's office.
She looked exhausted. Her hair was uncombed, and she wore the same gray coat she had worn the night before.
She carried a thick folder.
"I brought everything I have," she said.
Robert gestured toward a chair.
"Before we discuss the contents, I need to be clear. This meeting is not an opportunity to pressure Daniel, coordinate stories, or interfere with any investigation. We will preserve the records and address any legal issues appropriately.""
Vanessa nodded.
She opened the folder.
The first document was a printed email from Marianne, dated six months before Vanessa and I married.
You cannot tell Daniel about the baby. Emily wanted that secret buried, and it must remain buried if Lily is to have any chance of a normal life.
I looked up.
"Why did you marry me, Vanessa?""
She pressed her lips together.
"I met you through Emily's estate attorney. I was helping organize some of her belongings.""
"You told me we met at a charity event.""