Chapter 10 - Her Brother's Version
Damon did not become cooperative because he found a conscience.
He became cooperative because federal financial investigators began asking questions about wire transfers.
Damon blamed Vanessa almost immediately.
Vanessa, through her attorney, blamed Damon.
Their alliance lasted exactly as long as their fear remained smaller than their loyalty.
Damon claimed BrightPath had been Vanessa's idea.
He said she told him the trust money was effectively Marcus's and that Marcus had approved the arrangement.
When investigators showed him the fabricated emails, his confidence weakened.
He admitted BrightPath had never provided services to Grace.
He admitted creating invoices.
But he insisted Vanessa had written the amounts.
Then he revealed something Marcus had not expected.
Vanessa had debts of her own.
More than $120,000.
Credit cards.
Personal loans.
Private loans from acquaintances.
And one debt Marcus recognized.
A $38,000 payment owed to a luxury home renovation contractor.
Marcus remembered the renovation.
Vanessa told him her mother had paid for it as an anniversary gift.
That had been another lie.
Damon also provided messages between himself and Vanessa.
One read:
If M talks to G again about the statements, we have a problem.
Investigators believed M meant Mia.
G was less obvious.
Marcus initially thought it meant Grace.
Then Damon explained.
G meant George Hale, the estate attorney.
Vanessa had been afraid Marcus might speak directly to the lawyer and discover the fake reimbursements.
Another message read:
The little one saw the mail. Keep her away from his office.
The little one.
Grace.
Damon had known.
Maybe not about the locked room.
But he knew a child had discovered something.
And he continued taking money.
Marcus sat inside Allison's office and stared at copies of the messages.
“What happens to him?”
“That isn't your decision.”
“What happens to Vanessa?”
“Also not your decision.”
Marcus hated hearing it.
Allison leaned forward.
“Your responsibility is Grace and Mia.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Marcus looked at her.
“You're spending every hour thinking about punishment.”
“What should I be thinking about?”
“Recovery.”
The word irritated him.
It sounded passive.
Soft.
He wanted consequences.
He wanted a courtroom.
He wanted Vanessa to understand what she had done.
But that night Grace had a nightmare.
She woke screaming that the door would not open.
Marcus ran into her bedroom and found her clawing at the blanket.
He sat beside her until she recognized him.
“Door stays open,” she whispered.
Marcus looked toward the bedroom door.
“Always.”
He propped it open.
Grace eventually fell asleep with one hand wrapped around his wrist.
Marcus remained there until sunrise.
Allison was right.
Vanessa's punishment might take months.
Grace needed her father now.
Just before breakfast, his phone vibrated.
The home-security company had recovered archived footage from an old cloud backup.
May you like
There was video from the upstairs hallway.
Including the night Grace claimed Vanessa had locked her inside the room until morning.
