Chapter 2 - The WitnessJulian Mercer dropped the phone into the grass before he reached the water.
Derek recognized him.
That recognition produced something more violent than surprise.
“You.”
Julian did not answer.
He ran straight past Derek.
“Zoey!”
A small hand appeared near the surface.
Then vanished.
Julian entered the shallow edge of the lake immediately.
The boulder had fallen onto the submerged shelf several feet from shore. The chain remained tight enough to keep Zoey from returning to land but had not dragged her into the deeper center.
Julian reached her.
“Zoey!”
He got one arm around her and lifted her face above the surface.
She coughed and gasped.
“Julian…”
“I’ve got you.”
She clung to him.
“Don’t let go.”
“I’m not letting go.”
Derek stood on shore.
For one horrifying second, Julian expected him to help.
He did not.
Instead Derek looked toward the phone lying in the grass.
Julian saw him move.
“Don’t touch it.”
Derek stopped.
The two men stared at each other.
“Give me the phone,” Derek said.
Julian almost laughed.
“Your daughter is in the water.”
“She’s fine.”
Zoey whimpered.
Julian’s expression changed.
“She is not fine.”
Derek took another step toward the phone.
Julian shouted:
“BACK UP!”
The force of his voice finally broke Derek’s calm façade.
Derek looked toward the mansion.
Sirens were louder now.
Renee was not home.
She had left that morning for a meeting in Hartford.
Julian had been scheduled to join her.
He had not.
At 10:12 a.m., he received an alert from the family security system.
One of the service gates had opened using an old access code assigned to Derek.
That code should have been disabled months earlier.
Julian called Renee.
Then he checked the exterior cameras.
Derek’s car was visible.
So was Zoey.
That made no sense.
Zoey was supposed to be at camp.
Julian called the camp.
They told him Derek had collected her with an emailed authorization.
Renee had sent no such authorization.
Julian contacted police while driving back to the estate.
When he reached the mansion, he saw Derek leading Zoey toward the lake from a distance.
Julian had not known what was happening.
He remained behind the tree because officers were already approaching and because Derek was unpredictable.
Then he saw the chain.
Julian began recording.
He captured the threat.
The boulder.
Everything.
Now he kept Zoey’s head above the water while sirens reached the property.
Two deputies and emergency responders crossed the lawn moments later.
They separated Derek from everyone else.
With appropriate equipment, responders freed Zoey and brought her onto the grass.
Julian wrapped his jacket around her.
She trembled uncontrollably.
“Where’s Mom?”
“She’s coming.”
Derek spoke from several yards away.
“This is insane.”
A deputy told him:
“Sir, stop talking.”
“She was never in danger.”
Julian looked at him in disbelief.
Zoey turned her face into Julian’s chest.
Derek continued.
“The rock landed on the shelf. I knew exactly where it would stop.”
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“You chained your daughter to a boulder.”
“I was trying to scare her.”
Zoey made a small sound.
That sentence would later matter.
A deputy heard it.
Another responder heard it.
Julian heard it.
Derek realized he had said too much.
He changed direction immediately.
“She was out of control.”
The deputy replied:
“She’s seven.”
“You don’t understand our family.”
Julian picked up his phone only after an officer instructed him to.
He handed it over voluntarily for preservation.
Derek watched.
His face became pale.
“What’s on there?”
Nobody answered.
“Julian.”
Julian looked at him.
Derek’s voice dropped.
“You don’t know what you recorded.”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
An officer guided Derek toward a patrol vehicle.
Derek twisted around.
“Ask Renee what Julian has been doing with her money.”
Julian froze.
There it was.
Even now.
Another story.
Another accusation.
Derek saw the hesitation and pushed harder.
“You think I came here because of Zoey?”
“Stop talking,” the deputy repeated.
Derek ignored him.
“I came because your husband has been robbing you blind.”
A car flew through the open gates.
Renee.
She stopped badly, half on the grass.
The driver’s door opened before the engine died.
“ZOEY!”
Her daughter lifted her head.
“Mom!”
Renee ran.
She dropped to her knees and pulled Zoey into her arms.
“What happened?”
Zoey began sobbing.
Renee looked at Julian.
His clothes were soaked.
Then at the chain lying in the grass.
Then at Derek being placed into the police vehicle.
Her face changed.
“Derek?”
He stared at her through the open door.
“Don’t believe him.”
Renee’s expression became colder.
“Believe who?”
Derek looked toward Julian.
“The man who set this up.”
Julian said nothing.
Renee turned back to Zoey.
Her daughter whispered:
“Mom…”
“What?”
Zoey clutched Renee’s blouse.
“I saw Dad with the red folder.”
Renee went still.
“What red folder?”
Zoey looked toward Derek.
“The one Julian said was missing.”
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And suddenly Julian understood why Derek had been willing to do something unthinkable.
The missing folder contained the preliminary audit of Zoey’s money.
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