Chapter 12 - Daniel Refused to Save Her SecretVanessa stood on the second-floor ledge.
Smoke rolled behind her.
Deputies shouted.
“Vanessa! Stay where you are!”
She looked down.
Twenty feet.
Grass below.
Not necessarily fatal.
But dangerous.
Daniel knew immediately what she was doing.
Not suicide.
Escape.
The roof over the porch extended beneath the window.
She jumped.
Hit the roof.
Rolled.
Then dropped to the ground.
Deputies moved.
Vanessa ran toward the lake.
Of course she did.
Daniel followed despite Cole shouting behind him.
“Daniel!”
Vanessa reached the dock.
The same dock where Margaret had nearly died.
For one surreal moment, brother and sister stood facing each other there.
Water between boards.
Sunset behind them.
Vanessa looked exhausted.
Hair disheveled.
Face streaked with smoke.
“Don't come closer.”
Daniel stopped.
“You're surrounded.”
“They'll arrest me.”
“Yes.”
“You sound happy.”
“I'm not.”
“Liar.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You're still my sister.”
Vanessa's expression cracked.
“Then help me.”
“By doing what?”
“Say Mom fell.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“Say you didn't see what happened.”
“You want me to lie.”
“You didn't see me push her.”
“I saw you holding the keys.”
“Say they were yours.”
Daniel almost laughed.
Even now.
Even with smoke rising from the house and police surrounding the property, Vanessa believed one more lie might rescue her.
“No.”
Her face hardened.
“You owe me.”
“For what?”
“You got everything.”
“No.”
“Dad's love. Mom's attention. The future.”
“Vanessa.”
“You got a second father too.”
Daniel felt anger flare.
“That is not something I asked for.”
“You always get things without asking.”
She stepped closer to the edge.
Daniel remembered Margaret clinging to the dock.
“Get away from the water.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Scared?”
“Yes.”
The honesty stopped her.
Daniel continued.
“I watched Mom disappear beneath that surface.”
Vanessa looked away.
“You did that.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Her mouth trembled.
“I didn't think it would feel like that.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“When the rock went over.”
For the first time, she sounded genuinely haunted.
“She screamed my name.”
Daniel said nothing.
Vanessa looked at the water.
“I thought I'd feel relieved.”
“But?”
“I felt nothing.”
That frightened Daniel more.
She touched her face.
“Then you showed up.”
“You were angry I interrupted.”
“Yes.”
At least she stopped lying.
“Were you going to unlock her after she died?”
Vanessa nodded.
“Eventually.”
“Then move her?”
“I had weights in the boat.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
This was worse than he knew.
“You planned every step.”
“Yes.”
“Because she was going to confess.”
“And because she was giving the property away.”
“Not to Thomas.”
“I know that now.”
“What?”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“I read the full trust.”
Daniel stared.
“She wasn't cutting you out?”
“Not completely.”
The family trust gave equal future benefits to Daniel and Vanessa.
Conservation restrictions prevented sale, but Vanessa would still receive income.
“So you tried to murder Mom over something you misunderstood.”
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“That would be funny if it weren't my life.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“It would be tragic.”
Sirens grew closer.
Vanessa glanced toward the trees.
“Tell them to back off.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“No.”
Her expression became desperate.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Dad said you'd save me.”
Daniel remembered Henry's letter.
It said the opposite.
Do not try to save her by hiding what she has done.
“He said I shouldn't.”
Vanessa froze.
“What?”
“He knew what protecting you had done.”
“That isn't true.”
“He wrote it.”
“No.”
Daniel's voice softened.
“He knew.”
Vanessa stared.
For the first time, the image of their father as Vanessa's permanent rescuer collapsed.
“He loved me.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because love isn't hiding murder.”
Vanessa began crying.
“Stop calling it murder.”
“Elliot couldn't swim.”
“He grabbed me!”
“You pushed him.”
“I was scared.”
“And Mom?”
Vanessa had no answer.
Daniel stepped closer.
“You chained her.”
One step.
“You brought the rock.”
Another.
“You moved her car.”
Vanessa backed toward the edge.
“You forged documents.”
“Stop.”
“You planned to frame me.”
“STOP!”
Her heel reached the edge.
Daniel froze.
“Vanessa.”
She looked down.
Then at him.
For a moment, Daniel saw his younger sister.
Twelve years old.
Terrified during a thunderstorm.
Running into his bedroom because she didn't want to sleep alone.
“Give me your hand.”
Vanessa stared at his outstretched hand.
“Why?”
“Because I don't want you dead.”
“You hate me.”
“No.”
“You should.”
“Maybe.”
Daniel swallowed.
“But I don't want another body in this lake.”
Vanessa looked at the water.
Then slowly reached toward him.
Their fingers almost touched.
A deputy shouted something behind Daniel.
Vanessa startled.
Her foot slipped.
She fell backward.
Daniel lunged.
Caught her wrist.
Vanessa screamed.
Her body hit the side of the dock.
Half in the water.
Daniel gripped her with both hands.
“Hold on!”
She stared up at him.
Shock.
Tears.
“Why?”
Daniel pulled.
“Because this is what stopping someone looks like.”
Deputies grabbed Vanessa and dragged her onto the dock.
Handcuffs clicked around her wrists.
She didn't fight.
Daniel stood breathing hard.
Vanessa looked up from the boards.
“What happens now?”
Daniel looked toward the burning house.
Then toward the lake.
“The truth.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
But before police lifted her, she whispered:
“You still haven't found the worst thing Dad hid.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
She looked at him.
“The third ledger.”
May you like
Then she smiled.
And Daniel realized the nightmare wasn't finished.
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