Chapter 2 - What Vanessa KnewDaniel didn't confront Vanessa immediately.
Every instinct in him wanted to storm downstairs and demand answers.
Instead, he stayed with Sophie.
Because for the first time since walking into the bedroom, Daniel understood that the haircut wasn't the whole story.
It was only the first thing he had caught.
He sat beside Sophie on the bed while she wrapped herself in her favorite gray blanket.
“You're not in trouble,” he told her.
She nodded.
But she didn't look convinced.
Daniel hated that.
His daughter had always trusted him.
When Megan died, Sophie had slept beside him for nearly four months because she was terrified he might disappear too.
He had promised her something then.
No secrets.
No matter how painful.
Somewhere along the way, Daniel had failed to notice that Sophie had stopped believing that promise.
“What did Vanessa mean when she talked about Mom?”
Sophie stared at her knees.
“She says Mom was bad.”
Daniel swallowed.
“How often?”
“A lot.”
“How long?”
Sophie shrugged.
“Since you married her.”
Daniel's chest tightened.
Vanessa had been his wife for fourteen months.
Fourteen months.
“And you never told me?”
“She said you'd get sad.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
Of course.
Vanessa knew exactly which button to push.
Sophie hated seeing her father grieve.
“And she said if I made you sad, you'd send me away.”
Daniel's eyes snapped open.
“She said that?”
Sophie nodded.
“Where would I send you?”
“To Grandma's. Or boarding school.”
Daniel felt fury begin to move through him.
Not explosive fury.
Something colder.
“When did she tell you that?”
“When I said she wasn't my mom.”
He reached for Sophie's hand.
“She is not your mother.”
Sophie finally looked up.
“You aren't mad?”
“No.”
“She gets mad.”
“I don't care.”
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Then a soft knock.
“Daniel?”
Vanessa.
He stood.
“Stay here.”
He opened the bedroom door but blocked the entrance.
Vanessa had changed.
Not clothes.
Expression.
Her face was wet.
She had been crying.
Or at least she had made it appear that way.
“We need to talk.”
“We will.”
“Not in front of Sophie.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“That's convenient.”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“I understand how this looks.”
“You're right. It looks like you mutilated my daughter's hair.”
“I didn't mutilate anything.”
Behind him, Sophie flinched.
Daniel noticed.
“Lower your voice.”
Vanessa exhaled.
“Sophie is lying.”
Daniel stared at her.
Vanessa touched his arm.
He stepped back.
Her hand fell.
“She's been angry at me for weeks.”
“Why?”
“Because I enforce rules.”
“Did you cut her hair?”
“No.”
“Did you tell her she had to be ugly like Megan?”
Vanessa froze.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But again Daniel saw it.
“No.”
“Did you talk about Megan stealing men's attention?”
“Sophie must have heard something.”
“From who?”
Vanessa looked away.
“Maybe you.”
“I have never said that in front of her.”
“You can't remember every conversation you've ever had.”
Daniel studied the woman standing in front of him.
He had loved Vanessa because she seemed calm when his world was chaos.
After Megan's death, she had been patient with his grief.
Patient with Sophie.
Patient with the fact that Megan's photographs stayed in the house.
At least at first.
Then the photos slowly disappeared.
One from the living room.
One from the hallway.
One from Daniel's office.
Vanessa always had a reason.
Too painful.
Too confusing for Sophie.
Time to move forward.
Daniel had agreed.
Now he wondered how many decisions had actually been his.
“Where's my phone?” Sophie suddenly asked.
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“My old phone.”
Vanessa's face changed.
Sophie looked around the room.
“The one you gave me when you bought your new one.”
Daniel remembered.
It didn't have cellular service, but Sophie used it for games and photos.
“I haven't seen it in months.”
Sophie pointed toward Vanessa.
“She took it.”
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“I took it because she was using it after bedtime.”
“Where is it?”
“I don't remember.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Find it.”
“Daniel—”
“Find it.”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“You're turning this into some kind of investigation.”
“You're damn right I am.”
Sophie pulled the blanket tighter.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Go downstairs.”
“This is my house too.”
“Then go downstairs in your house.”
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
For the first time, the concerned-stepmother mask slipped.
“You're making a mistake.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“No, Vanessa.”
His voice was quiet.
“I think I've been making one for fourteen months.”
She stared at him.
Then walked away.
Daniel shut the door.
Sophie was watching him.
“What was on the phone?” he asked.
She hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“Sophie.”
She looked guilty.
“I recorded her once.”
Daniel felt his pulse jump.
“Recorded what?”
“She was yelling.”
“At you?”
Sophie nodded.
“What did she say?”
“I don't remember all of it.”
“Where did you hide the phone?”
Sophie glanced toward the closet.
“I didn't.”
“What do you mean?”
“She found it.”
Daniel looked at the closed bedroom door.
“When?”
“The night she told me Mom deserved what happened.”
Every muscle in Daniel's body went rigid.
He slowly turned back toward his daughter.
“What exactly did Vanessa say?”
Sophie swallowed.
“She said…”
Her voice trembled.
“…if Mom hadn't been trying to get you back, she would still be alive.”
Daniel stared at her.
Megan died three years before Daniel met Vanessa.
May you like
Or so he had believed.
And suddenly that wasn't the only thing that no longer made sense.
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