Chapter 5 - Emma’s Version
Daniel did not ask Emma questions that night.
Detective Keene had warned him.
“Do not rehearse her.”
He understood.
Emma would speak with a trained child interviewer.
Still, children spoke whether adults were ready or not.
At bedtime, Emma refused her bedroom.
“Can I sleep in your room?”
“Yes.”
“On Mom’s side?”
Daniel froze.
Julia had slept on the left side.
Even five years later, Daniel still thought of it that way.
“Yes.”
Emma climbed under the blanket.
Daniel sat beside her.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Is Rosa fired?”
“No.”
“Celeste hates her.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Why do you think that?”
Emma picked at the blanket.
“She says Rosa acts like she owns us.”
Daniel felt sick.
“When did she say that?”
Emma shrugged.
“Lots.”
“Okay.”
He stopped himself.
No interrogation.
Emma continued anyway.
“Celeste said Rosa makes me baby.”
“How?”
“She helps me.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“That’s generally what helping means.”
Emma looked serious.
“She said I need to stop acting poor.”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“What?”
Emma lowered her eyes.
Daniel forced his voice to stay calm.
“When did she say that?”
“Shoes.”
“The forty-five-dollar shoes?”
Emma nodded.
“She said Mommy liked cheap things because she didn’t know better.”
Daniel could not breathe for a moment.
Julia.
Dead five years.
Still being insulted in front of her daughter.
“Emma.”
She looked up.
“Your mom knew exactly what she liked.”
“I know.”
“She helped create Mercer Luxe.”
“I know.”
“And those shoes were good shoes.”
Emma nodded.
“I like them.”
“So do I.”
She relaxed slightly.
Then:
“Celeste pushed the box.”
Daniel’s chest tightened.
“What happened?”
Emma showed with her hands.
“She kicked it.”
“On purpose?”
Emma nodded.
“Then she said pick it up.”
Daniel wanted details.
He did not ask.
Emma continued.
“I saw the old man.”
“Before the tower?”
“Yes.”
“What was he doing?”
“Watching.”
“Watching who?”
Emma’s answer came instantly.
“Celeste.”
Daniel went still.
Then he remembered Keene.
No more.
He kissed Emma’s forehead.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“Are you mad?”
“At you? Never.”
“At Celeste.”
Daniel thought carefully.
“I’m trying to understand what happened.”
Emma looked disappointed.
Children preferred clear villains.
Adults often did too.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you yell at Rosa?”
The question hurt worse than anything else.
Daniel looked down.
“Because I saw her over you and I thought she had hurt you.”
“But she didn’t.”
“I know.”
“You scared her.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Yes.”
Emma stared.
“You should say sorry.”
He smiled faintly.
“I already did.”
“Again.”
“Okay.”
Emma closed her eyes.
Within minutes, she slept.
Daniel remained beside her.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Detective Keene.
Need to speak tomorrow. We found Pike in Mercer records.
Daniel’s heart accelerated.
He texted back.
How?
No response.
Then another message appeared.
From Celeste.
We need to talk before you let Rosa destroy this family.
Daniel stared at the words.
Not before police.
Not before lawyers.
Before Rosa.
Why was Rosa the threat?
The next morning Detective Keene answered.
Leonard Pike had previously worked under contract at Mercer Luxe.
Seven years earlier.
Through a company called Pike Protective Services.
Daniel had no memory of him.
Owen approved the invoices.
More interestingly, the contract ended abruptly after four months.
“Who canceled it?” Daniel asked.
Keene looked at him.
“Julia Mercer.”
Daniel felt cold.
“Why?”
“We’re trying to find that.”
Rosa stood nearby.
She closed her eyes.
Daniel turned.
“You knew.”
“I knew she fired a security vendor.”
“You knew it was Pike?”
“I recognized him last night.”
“Why didn’t you tell me years ago?”
“I didn’t know it mattered.”
Daniel’s frustration rose.
“Everything matters now.”
Rosa’s expression hardened.
“That is easy to say now.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means when Julia was alive, she asked questions about Owen and people told her she was sick and tired.”
Daniel stared.
“People?”
Rosa looked at him.
“You.”
The word landed cleanly.
Daniel sat back.
Rosa continued.
“She asked whether vendor invoices looked wrong. You told her not to worry about work.”
Daniel remembered.
Hospital bedroom.
Julia with spreadsheets.
Daniel taking the laptop from her.
You need to rest.
At the time it had been love.
Maybe also dismissal.
He had prevented his dying wife from spending energy on finance.
And perhaps prevented himself from hearing what she had discovered.
Daniel whispered:
“What exactly did she say?”
Rosa answered:
“She said somebody inside Mercer Luxe was paying people who weren’t doing the work.”
Daniel looked toward Keene.
May you like
The detective closed her folder.
“Then we should probably find those old files.”
