Chapter 13 - GRACE WENT BACK TO THE CLIFFEthan knew before police did.
The cliff.
Grace had remembered the place.
He drove north on Pacific Coast Highway with detectives following.
Sophie remained with Mrs. Rivera under police protection.
The sunset turned the ocean orange.
Every mile reopened six years of memory.
Search helicopters.
Road flares.
Grace's smashed car being lifted from rocks.
An officer telling Ethan there was almost no chance she survived.
He reached the old turnout.
A car sat near the guardrail.
Grace stood beyond it.
Not dangerously close to the edge.
Simply staring at the ocean.
Ethan stopped.
"Grace."
She turned.
Relief crossed her face.
"I knew you'd come."
He walked slowly toward her.
"You scared everyone."
"I'm sorry."
"Where's Richard?"
"I don't know."
Ethan looked around.
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I remembered."
She pointed toward the road.
"My car didn't go over here."
Ethan frowned.
The wreck site was half a mile north.
"I know."
"No."
Grace shook her head.
"The first impact happened here."
"What impact?"
"Another car hit me."
Ethan stopped breathing.
"Vanessa?"
"I thought so."
"And now?"
Grace stared at the road.
"It was Richard."
Ethan felt cold.
"How do you know?"
"I remembered the headlights."
"That doesn't identify—"
"The car."
Grace closed her eyes.
"A black Mercedes. His."
Richard owned one then.
Sold it months after the crash.
Grace continued.
"Vanessa followed me first. She took my phone. I drove away."
"Then Richard?"
"He came from behind."
"Why?"
"I was supposed to meet him."
"So he found you."
"Yes."
Grace began shaking.
"He hit the back of my car."
"Intentionally?"
"I don't know."
"He pushed you off the road?"
"No."
Grace looked frustrated.
"Not exactly."
The first collision damaged her vehicle.
Grace stopped at the turnout.
Richard stopped.
They argued.
He demanded the blue box.
Grace lied and said it was in her trunk.
It wasn't.
Daniel already had it.
"What did Richard do?"
"He grabbed me."
Ethan's fists clenched.
"Then?"
"I got away."
She returned to her car.
Drove.
The brakes were failing.
Richard followed.
Grace lost control farther north.
The car hit the barrier.
She remembered glass.
Then darkness.
"But how did you get out?"
"I don't know."
A voice came behind them.
"I do."
Ethan turned.
Richard Hale stood near the road.
A handgun hung at his side.
Not raised.
But visible.
Police were still farther down the highway.
Ethan moved between Richard and Grace.
Richard looked exhausted.
Seventy-two.
Gray hair disheveled.
Nothing like the controlled surgeon Ethan knew.
"Put the gun down."
Richard laughed softly.
"I'm not here to shoot anyone."
"Then drop it."
Richard placed it slowly on the ground.
Ethan didn't relax.
"Why are you here?"
Richard looked at Grace.
"Because she called me."
Ethan turned.
Grace looked ashamed.
"I remembered his number."
"Why call him?"
"I needed the truth."
Richard nodded.
"She deserves it."
Ethan almost laughed.
"Now?"
Richard looked toward the ocean.
"I've spent six years telling myself Vanessa caused everything."
"Did she tamper with the brakes?"
"Yes."
Grace closed her eyes.
Ethan stared.
"You knew."
"Not that night."
"When?"
"The next morning."
Richard explained.
Vanessa called him after Grace left the turnout.
She confessed she'd entered the Carter house and partially drained brake fluid.
She claimed she only wanted Grace frightened.
Not dead.
Richard panicked.
He drove to intercept Grace.
"I hit her car accidentally."
Grace stared.
"You're lying."
Richard nodded sadly.
"Partly."
He had tried to force Grace to stop.
He clipped the rear bumper.
Then followed her.
When Grace crashed, Richard stopped.
Ethan's voice shook.
"What did you do?"
Richard looked at Grace.
"I found her outside the car."
Alive.
Bleeding.
Confused.
Grace began crying.
"You saw me."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you call 911?"
Richard's face collapsed.
"Because you kept saying Vanessa."
Ethan felt sick.
Richard feared Grace would expose his daughter.
His prescriptions.
Everything.
"So you left her."
"No."
Richard shook his head.
"I moved her."
"What?"
"I put her in my car."
Grace stared.
"You took me?"
"I intended to drive you to a hospital away from Malibu."
Ethan couldn't believe it.
"Why?"
"To separate you from the crash."
"You abducted an injured woman to protect your daughter."
Richard's eyes filled.
"Yes."
Grace whispered:
"Where did you take me?"
"Near Gaviota."
The service road.
The fisherman.
"I stopped because you were getting worse."
"Then?"
"You woke up."
Grace stared.
"You got out while I was calling someone."
"You let her wander away?"
"I couldn't find her."
Richard began crying.
"I searched for an hour."
"Then called police?"
"No."
Ethan wanted to hit him.
Instead he whispered:
"You let everyone think she went into the ocean."
Richard nodded.
"I was a coward."
Grace looked devastated.
"You stole six years."
Richard shook his head.
"Vanessa stole more."
Ethan stared.
"What does that mean?"
Richard looked at Grace.
"When I discovered Bellora had you, Vanessa made me promise not to tell Ethan."
Grace frowned.
"When?"
Richard answered:
"Five years ago."
Silence.
Ethan stopped breathing.
Vanessa claimed she discovered Grace eleven months ago.
Another lie.
May you like
Richard continued:
"Vanessa has known where Grace was for five years."
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